The Top 7 Factors That Create Happy Employees

Why do happy employees matter for a business? Well, studies have shown that happier employees are a lot more engaged, productive, and dedicated than unhappy employees.

If you are looking around your office and are seeing sad unhappy faces this is bad for business. Employees who are depressed, stressed, worried, and/or unhappy are much more likely to be less productive and less focused. 

But how do you make employees happy? Many employers think offering higher pay will help solve the problem, but this is seldom the case.

In this article, we will look at the top 7 factors that help create happy employees that are a lot more likely to stick around, be more innovative, and be more involved with day-to-day business activities.

Top 7 Factors That Create Happy Employees

Money can’t buy happiness. As a result, if your business has unhappy employees, simply throwing money at the problem isn’t going to solve anything. Creating a happy and positive work environment requires a much more hands-on approach and a deeper understanding of employee mindset and needs.

As many factors can impact workforce happiness we have narrowed the list down to the top seven that have proven to be the most impactful.

Offering The Right Employee Benefits

Long gone are the days when salary was the only thing an employee looked for when it came to a job. Today, especially in Canada, employee benefits have become the number one means of attracting and retaining top talent.

Apart from the mandatory benefits that Canadian employers are entitled to provide their workforce, many Canadian businesses also offer a range of supplementary benefits that include various types of insurance, retirement plans, childcare, health care allowances, and much more.

Employees that are offered long-term benefits such as Registered Retirement Saving Account (RRSP) contributions, extended health care plans, life and disability insurance, childcare, and stipends on wellness, lifestyle, and tuition expenses are likely to be a lot happier. This is because not only are they being looked after, but also their families and loved ones.  

Encouraging A Healthier Work-Life Balance

Employers that encourage a healthy work-life balance usually find their employees to be a lot happier than those that don’t. Let’s be real, no one wants to live their lives just working every day. Spending time with family, going on vacations, and socializing with friends is what  brings about true happiness and that can only be achieved through a better work-life balance.

Companies that adopt flexible schedules, allow for work-from-home days and encourage vacation time generally have a much happier workforce as employees don’t get burnt out or mentally drained. 

Acknowledging & Recognizing Top Talent

This is an extremely important factor when it comes to keeping employees happy that is still highly underrated in many organizations. 

If an employee has done exceptional work or gone above and beyond to help the business grow, acknowledging and recognizing these efforts can go a long way in making them feel wanted and happy. 

The recognition or acknowledgment doesn’t necessarily have to be a monetary reward, it can be as simple as sending out a company-wide email that thanks a certain employee for their exceptional work. 

If employees feel that a company notices and rewards good work, they are a lot more likely to strive to achieve higher levels of work performance, which can be essential to attracting and retaining top talent.

Keeping The Work Interesting & Challenging

Doing the same mundane work in a 9-5 job can quickly become boring and unsatisfying. This is why employers need to try and keep the work as interesting and challenging as possible to keep employees on their toes and always engaged.

There are many ways to do this. Some companies have policies whereby worker roles are shifted every few months so that they can gain new skills and knowledge about the business. Another way of making mundane work fun is by creating a fun working atmosphere where work and play go hand-in-hand.

Investing In Employee Growth & Professional Development

It is natural for employees to want to grow and be successful. If employees don’t see growth potential they will likely be unhappy with the job and look to move somewhere else. 

This is why businesses need to provide their employees with promotion opportunities and new responsibilities which can add to their skills and value to the business. 

Recognizing talent early and nurturing and training that talent for future leadership roles is instrumental for the continuity and longevity of any business.   

Providing Autonomy & Transparency

When employees feel that their bosses are hiding important business-related information from them this can easily result in a negative and unhappy work environment. 

A lack of transparency in an organization creates mistrust and uncertainty that can lead to the spread of rumors and unwanted gossip which can be detrimental to employee morale. 

It is essential for employers to have as much transparency with all of their employees as possible as well as provide employees with a certain degree of autonomy so they don’t feel micromanaged all the time. 

Creating An Inclusive & Communicative Office Culture

Having an inclusive and communicative office culture, with an open door policy, can do volumes when it comes to boosting trust and engagement levels amongst employees. 

Many companies now look to design open offices instead of traditional cubicles as it encourages better cross-communication and makes employees feel part of the bigger picture. 

Open-door policies and communicative office cultures also make speaking to senior management a lot more approachable which can have distinct advantages for a growing small business.

Ensuring A Happy & Productive Workforce

Small business owners have a lot on their plate and important aspects of the business such as employee happiness can often be quite low on their priority list. However, for a business to remain successful in the long run attracting and retaining a pool of talented employees is crucial. 

To help you with this process it is best to consult with an expert that can guide you in preparing a strategy that helps bolster employee morale and happiness. Whether it is succession planning or building a group benefits plan tailored for your employee demographic, McIver Insurance can help make it happen!

Call now at 1-902-220-3279 and speak to Pat McIver, a trusted insurance broker who has helped hundreds of business owners create a happier, more productive workforce!