Five Golden Rules for Keeping Employees Happy

1. Communicate company goals and objectives

   Staff want to feel part of their organisation. They want to feel that they are kept informed on where the business is headed. It cannot be assumed that the workforce fully understands the short and long term business goals.

2. Reward people for their hard work and achievements

   It seems such an obvious thing to say but people do need to know that they are valued. Initiatives such as ‘Employee of the Month’ can help to showcase standout work among teams, but our research has shown that an even more effective reward can be an immediate acknowledgement of the efforts of staff, such as a simple “thank you” or “well done”.

3. Engage staff emotionally in the business

   Management teams have a vested interest in making their business an ongoing success, so it can be easy for them to believe their staff are just as engaged. However, recent research from Investors in People revealed that 60 per cent of the UK workforce feel disengaged in their roles, and certainly don’t share the same passion for the company’s progress. Team building still plays a vital role in keeping employees happy.

4. Embrace change – with caution

   Change is inevitable as organisations mature. Our research tells us that management teams don’t always recognise that employees are not at the same level of understanding as to why change is necessary. Keeping staff informed as to why change is needed and what the benefits are for the workforce is crucial.

5. Treat everyone as an individual

   Not everyone thinks or feels the same. Our research certainly supports this view. In fact, there are quite large differences between employees that often are not taken into account. For example, employees who have worked at a company for 4 to 10 years are most likely to be unsatisfied, while the more recent members of a team still have a rosy view and provide more positive feedback.

How can you ensure the workforce stays happy?

The key to keeping the workforce happy is a comprehensive employee engagement strategy. One that is based on effective communication. From our experience, this can play a major role in improving staff performance, which can positively impact company revenues.

Businesses can begin this process with initiatives to keep employees well informed on company objectives or planned changes. Simple devices, such as newsletters or regular company meetings work. Staff need to feel that their views are listened to at the top of the organisation and frequent focus groups – whether the topic is general or on a specific issue – is an excellent method of allowing staff to voice their opinion.

A positive, supportive work environment is key to making staff feel part of the organisation and provides them with career direction. By actively celebrating achievement and arranging regular appraisals and training and development opportunities, staff will feel more valued in their roles and their relationships with management teams can be strengthened.

There is also a need to measure the impact of these actions to see the impact they have on staff satisfaction. Online polls, focus groups and individual interviews will keep a close eye on the Net Promoter Score (NPS) – an industry standard metric for measuring employee loyalty. A workforce that is likely to recommend you as an employer is a key method of securing the best talent.

It has been said many times before and it is worth repeating, the most valuable resource for any organisation is its people. Staff well-being and satisfaction directly impacts the performance and ultimately the success of companies and should be continually assessed to see how to nurture an even more engaged and happy workforce.