25 Ways to Boost Employee Satisfaction Levels
Putting Your People First
1. Respect them. - It goes without saying that employees must feel respected by their managers and colleagues.
A lack of respect in the workplace is a poison for which there is no antidote.
2. Listen, and then listen some more. - Managers should maintain an open door policy, and encourage staff to approach them to ask questions, share ideas, and voice concerns.
3. Deal with their housekeeping/admin/tech hassles. - Remember that ‘PC Load Error’ scene in Office Space?
4. Accept mistakes (at least to begin with). - We all make errors from time to time. No big deal. Smart people will learn from them.
5. Be transparent. - It’s harder than ever to paper pull the wool over your customer’s eyes if your products or services aren’t up to scratch.
6. Make space for creativity. - Are there ways of making mundane jobs a bit more interesting?
7. Encourage personality. - It makes sense to allow staff to communicate like humans via your service / content / social channels. Your customers will love you for it.
8. Training / skills development. - The development of skills is good for business and good for morale, if done in the right way.
9. Beware of bureaucracy. - The bigger a company gets, the more painful its admin processes become. Do what you can to minimise red tape.
10. Create a wonderful environment. - Office slide installation firms are doing rather well these days. Don’t underestimate the physical environment’s impact on your company culture, and staff happiness levels.
11. Rewards. - Pay, perks, benefits, bonuses. Be very careful about taking away small perks.
12. Promotions. - Staff should be bumped up the ladder on merit. It is also important to give them some visibility on their career development options.
13. Help staff to bond with one other. - This is important for big and small companies alike.
14. Give recognition. - If an employee has done something remarkable / innovative / valuable / useful / clever then be sure to thank them (in person, via company emails, in all-staff meetings, etc).
15. Be polite. - I’m all for being to the point, but there’s nothing wrong with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in a business environment.
16. Embrace remote working. - Remote working minimises commuting costs and hassles, and can actually help to increase productivity.
17. Banish stupid uniforms.
18. Be tolerant. - Have you ever been stuck in traffic, or on a train? Of course you have. In the big city a manager’s understanding of the hassles of commuting is as important as an employee’s commitment to being punctual.
19. Beware of micromanagement. - Every job ad I write specifically states that I hate micromanagement. Why not simply hire bright people, point them in the right direction, and let them get on with things?
20. Mentoring and coaching. - These are two different things, and both have their merits. Mentoring is being able to chat to a senior manager (but not your direct boss) about all kinds of things. Coaching is more specific, and targeted to improving skills in various areas, rather than employee wellbeing.
21. Launch (and act on) in-company surveys. - An annual, anonymous staff survey is a good way of taking the pulse of your business, and will help you to measure employee satisfaction.
22. Never pay staff late. - If there’s one thing they’ll hate you for, it’s this. Your employees are not an overdraft facility. It is appalling business practice to pay staff late.
23. Banish fear. - Have you ever been in a meeting where perfectly reasonable ideas are immediately and openly rubbished? Brainstorming meetings where people are afraid to speak up and contribute are utterly pointless. Bad ideas can help you get to the good stuff.
24. Never undermine staff in public. - If you need to have words then it’s best to do it behind closed doors.
25. Lack of vision. - Solid leadership is absolutely essential if you want to retain your key staff. Dissatisfaction can kick in if a bold, strategic vision is AWOL. Employees need to get behind a clear vision in order to achieve their personal objectives to meet a company’s goals.
Source: Econsultancy
Patty Block, President and Founder of The Block Group, established her company to advocate for women-owned businesses, helping them position their companies for strategic growth. Charting the course for impactful, sustainable, profitable businesses, the beacon is control: of your strategic direction, your money, your time, your staffing, and your ability to bring in business. The Block Group brings together the people, resources and ideas that build results.
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