10 Tips On How To Make Your Workplace Happy

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Happiness and satisfaction are highly subjective, it changes from person to person. So is the workplace environment. For some monetary benefits equate to satisfaction, for some it may be recognizing their hard work and for others, it may be a happy office environment. 

A happy employee will become a loyal employee and strive hard to take your company to new heights. They will also stay with your company for a long time. If you think, having team-building activities once in a while is enough. Then you’re wrong. You must communicate with them, laugh with them, play with them, and most importantly value them.

Wondering how can you make your workplace and workforce happy?

Here are a few tips for you that will help you in accomplishing your mission.

Hello!!!

A simple greeting can go a long way. Joy filled hello or good morning can make your team members happy. Instead of going straight to your office and working, you can go around them and ask them how their weekend was. Creating a happy workplace is not an easy task, you must consider your employee’s satisfaction and productivity levels. You don’t have to go out of your way to make your workplace happy. 

Be yourself, create a comfortable atmosphere for your team members. Most importantly, take one step at a time. Start with cheerful greetings. Giving them a warm smile and wishing them while entering and leaving the office can turn their bad day around. Soon your employees will also start mimicking you. This simple act will put them in a good mood and will also improve the overall vibe of your workplace. 

Hire positive people

One person can make or break the vibe of your workplace. So it is especially important to hire positive people who can collaborate and coordinate with others. A happy team can create a positive workplace culture. This will not only improve their productivity and confidence levels it will also attract good people to your organization. 

So whenever you’re recruiting new employees, apart from their qualifications, take your time to understand and study their responses, facial expressions, EQ, and genuineness. The people you choose will direct correlation with workplace happiness. The less stressful your workplace is, the more productivity and lively it will be. Agreed it is not an easy task, but happiness is contagious and with all the happy people in your workplace, motivation, energy levels will soar high.

Realistic Goals 

It is important to give realistic goals to your teammates. Everybody has a different pace at work. The work you finish in an hour can take two for your teammates. So whenever you’re assigning work to someone, give them realistic goals based on their capacity and capabilities. You can’t just shoulder all your burden on them. They may not be able to take it well and end up stressing too much about work. 

If this becomes a regular norm, then the day is not far when you will receive their resignation letter. It is important to recognize your employees as humans first and most importantly they have a life outside of work. So giving them unrealistic deadlines will only drive them into the wall. Do everything in the workplace to make your employees comfortable and discuss with them whether they will be able to deliver the work by the expected deadline or not. If they can it is good, if they cannot then have a one-on-one discussion to find a solution.

Recognize their efforts 

Always give credit where it is due. Recognizing the efforts and dedication of your employees will only improve their productivity levels. Whenever they finish a project ahead of time or spending extra hours in the office to meet the deadlines, show them your appreciation. Don’t act indifferent. Make them feel that you appreciate having them around and you value their work highly. 

Did you know? One of the main reasons why people quit their jobs is because of feeling underappreciated at work. Yup, you heard it right, this reason has secured the number one spot by beating the limited vacation period, low salary, and flexible working hours. Can you believe it? 

Who doesn’t like receiving recognition and praises? It makes them excited and fills them with energy to get better at their work. It is time to think if you’re doing it right. Then you better change your method before it is too late. Send out an email and ask all your team members to give their opinions on how they want to be recognized or complimented. You can take their feedback into consideration. If one of your employees did an outstanding job, tell them right away.

No workplace discrimination 

Make sure your office is free from workplace discrimination. Everybody should be treated equally in a workspace. Treating employees unfavorably based on their gender, race, color, religion is a big no. Discriminating employees based on their maternity also comes under workplace discrimination. The problem with workplace discrimination is that everyone recognizes it but no one addresses it properly. 

Place strict guidelines in place and encourage your employees to report if they ever come across or have first-hand experience with workplace discrimination. Your taking actions will ensure your employees that you care for them and will go the extra mile to infuse positive vibes at your workplace. Make sure that your employees become a moral compass for others that join your workforce. A workplace free of discrimination is definitely the first step at making the environment of your organization vibrant and happy.

Prioritize work-life balance

Work-life balance has become a priority in all workplaces. You must understand that your team members have a life outside of the workplace and also make it clear for your employees that you value them. The best and most effective way to make it known to your employees is by introducing new incentives in the workplace such as discounts on wellness and health programs, and work-from-home options on Friday. 

You can also increase their vacation days, and occasionally offer a few perks that can improve the quality of your workforce’s life. Confused about which perks to being included? Then keep yourself in the shoes of your employees and think about what makes you happy or you can always ask their opinions.

Stop micromanaging

Micromanaging every single detail will only make your employees feel stressed. They will feel that you’re not trusting them enough to let them handle the project. Always have confidence in your employee’s work and their competence. You have obviously hired them because you’re charmed with something in them that has given you confidence that they’re suited for the job. 

Micromanaging the details can make your employees feel under confident and they may start doubting their own abilities. And it is quite safe to say that no one ever likes being micromanaged. Place the trust in your employees and they handle the job. This doesn’t mean that you must just sit back from the project, you can make occasional check-ins and ask them if they need help. But just don’t ask for the report of progress on the project every single day. Trusting your employees will build their confidence and they may come up with some creative ideas to move your company forward. 

Workplace wellness

On average a person spends around more than 8 hours at a workplace. While it is more than the time they spend sleeping. So it is quite important that you offer wellness programs in the office to promote the importance of health. Most of the employees are also expecting such programs from their employees. You can infuse such methods through physical fitness, food, etc. 

As they will be spending more time sitting at the desk, you can take the initiative to create a breakroom for them to relax or promote organic produce in your cafeteria. You can even conduct simple fun activities on Friday afternoons to relieve the stress. This will improve your bonding and communication with your employees and also show them that you value their health. 

Break the routine cycle

Taking an occasional break once in a while will only increase the energy levels and productivity of your employees. Once in a while, you can have an employee retreat, have a fun day outside of their working desks. As they spend more time at the office, this is an effective way to replenish their energy. Once they get back to work, you will see that they will work with double the enthusiasm and vigor. 

Agree or not everyone needs a break once in a while, so make sure that your employees get it. Taking them for a day-out is not the only way, you can hold your meeting outside once in a while, to give them a break from boring meeting rooms. It will also boost their creative abilities. Mondays can be boring, to boost the vibe, you can make it fun for your employees by doing fun activities or just having an interesting conversation.

Feedback

Feedback is highly important, it will help you in understanding how well your initiatives are bearing fruits and where they need a little trimming. Positive recognition and constructive feedback have the power to clear any misunderstandings and improve your communication. Make the feedback sessions a two-way conversation, talk to them, understand their opinions, and most importantly include their suggestions. Effective feedback can help you make your workplace better. So be transparent and open in your approach and make sure you communicate with them at regular intervals (be it once a week or a month).

Bottom line

If you are interested in making your workplace happy, this itself is a good start. You’re trying to make your employees feel happy and stress-free at the workplace. There is no doubt that most people are looking for happy workplaces rather than anything else. If you make your workplace safe and harmonious, your employee turnover rate will also decrease. Lastly, you will be able to attract vibrant new talents to join your team.