Turn Your Workplace Into a Community
You want your employees to feel good about coming to work. By creating a family atmosphere, you make work feel like a place that matters personally to your team members. As a result, they’ll be more productive and will feel more vested in your company. And in the long run, this can be a significant driver in boosting employee retention, as well.
As noted by numerous productivity experts, leaders can take some simple but highly effective steps to show their employees that they care about them – much like a family or community would. It all comes down to making people feel valued. Then, they, in turn, will contribute value of their own.
Respond to your employees’ needs.
Get to know each employee as an individual, not simply a cog in your company wheel.
- Show an ongoing interest in people’s career aspirations. Help them create and complete specific development opportunities.
- Spend time with them. Take regular walks through the shop, office or manufacturing floor and talk with employees. This shouldn’t be a formal, announced occasion, but simply a friendly visit to see how everything is going and make sure people know your door is open and you’re there for them.
Trust them and believe in them.
In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey notes that a team with a high level of trust produces results faster and at lower cost. And according to research conducted for Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, 92 percent of employees at those companies believed their management was transparent in its business practices. This trust is based on:
- Keeping communication lines open.
- Sharing company vision with employees.
- Taking the pulse of an organization by constantly listening and responding to serve people’s needs.
Celebrate with them.
Actively look for opportunities to reward and recognize employees. Of course, it’s great to do something to acknowledge an entire team or department, like bringing in donuts or catering lunch. But providing personal, individual recognition spells it out loud and clear: they really matter to you and the company. For instance, celebrating birthdays and employment anniversaries is a great way to make sure every employee gets the spotlight at least twice a year.
Provide creature comforts.
Adding such small, personal touches as a fridge stocked with people’s favorite soft drinks will also make employees feel at home. Other comforting perks include:
- Casual Fridays: Being able to dress down once a week has proven very popular for putting employees at ease. And, it’s another way to say thank you for a job well done.
- A nap room: Before you skip this bullet, think about it: Drowsiness on the job costs businesses huge amounts of lost productivity – and could even be a safety hazard. So you can actually save money by allowing simple naps during the workday. Set up some guidelines such as: The dark napping room must stay dark. There should be a sign or button on the way in to indicate that the room is occupied. And after a set amount of time; say, 20 minutes, an alarm sounds and the employee must leave.
Do you need additional tips for building employee satisfaction, engagement, and productivity and enhancing your overall company culture?
The workforce development experts at Frontline Source Group can help customize a strategy that fits your business, your workforce, and your long-term growth plans. Contact us today to learn more.
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Published on Oct 10, 2019