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When it comes to improving your team's levels of happiness at work, a little bit of effort can go a long way. According to a recent survey, compensation is not the top-driving factor as it relates to employee satisfaction, which might come as a surprise to many executives and HR departments. Instead, employees seem to be looking for human connection and appreciation in the workplace.
Given that 90% of employers are concerned with finding and retaining top tech talent, prioritizing employee happiness and satisfaction should be a key initiative for today's business owners. Here are three small, yet impactful ways you can increase employee happiness to positively impact your business.
It might seem simple, but saying 'thank you' and showing appreciation for a job well done, more often, would make your employees happier. On the other hand of the spectrum, only 8% of workers would be disappointed if great results on the same project didn't result in a cash bonus.
This proves that you can't simply shower employees with bonuses and raises and expect them to remain satisfied. Demonstrating appreciation, even in the most simple way -- with a 'thank you' -- can make your workers feel more valued and supported.
For workers, especially the next generation of millennial workers, the way you communicate means everything. According to the survey, 47% of respondents value open and honest communication over all other "work languages," including group recognition, individualized attention, tokens of appreciation and an increase in caliber of responsibilities.
To ensure you're creating a workplace culture in which transparent communication is valued, focus on eliminating barriers to information and reducing your reliance on top-down communications from the HR department. Making transparent communication a priority will ultimately lead to a happier, more engaged team of employees.
Providing your employees with a consumer-grade work experience, in regards to the hardware and software they need to do their job, is extremely important when it comes to employee satisfaction. Old, inefficient technology is a major frustration for today's workers, with 45% of survey respondents saying they spend a huge portion of their day navigating outdated technologies.
By providing your employees with the tools they need, you're not only showing them that you value their job, but that you value the advancement of technology, as well. Don't let technology pass you by, update your technology to fit today's bill and your workers will become more satisfied and more productive.
When you value your employees and focus on improving their happiness, it creates a positive impact on the rest of your business. At Appirio, we call this The Virtuous Cycle. It's a philosophy stating that happy employees create happier customers — creating a feedback loop of positive interactions and high-value experiences for all.
Remember, as you're thinking about what changes you need to make to improve employee satisfaction, that a little bit goes a long way. Appreciation, transparent communication, and consumer-grade technology are three little ways you can get started and begin to make a huge difference in your team's happiness.
Latané Conant is Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Appirio
