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Employee satisfaction is one of the most important parts of running a business. If your employees are satisfied at work, they are more likely to work hard, stay with your company, and put in the extra effort. Happier employees will curate a better office atmosphere and, potentially, increase your profits. Employee satisfaction should be at the heart of your company, alongside customer satisfaction.
For the most part, small businesses have a customer-first mindset. However, a business is only as good as the people it hires, and a staff-first mindset might just be the nudge your business needs. Hire people who care about your brand and product or service so that their passion will shine through to your potential customers. Happy employees lead to happy customers, and happy customers are where your profit lies.
There are a few things you can do to improve employee satisfaction in your company.
Better communication pathways
Communication is essential in any business. Open and honest communication can help you build strong relationships with your employees and a level of trust. Try to support your employees both professionally and personally by hosting weekly catchups, social office events, and coffee breaks. A healthy working relationship can help everyone to be more collaborative and transparent with each other.
It’s important that you are doing everything in your power to keep your employees feeling good about themselves. For example, you need to give them the support they need, especially if you are operating a hybrid working environment. You should look at something like an employee onboarding template when you are hiring new people to ensure that they are getting the right support and that you are setting them up for long-term success. You have no idea how much this is going to be appreciated and how it will set you apart from other companies.
Perks at work
Your employee’s salary and job perks will likely have a huge impact on their job satisfaction. Evaluate your pay package and see if there are any perks you can do without spending heaps of money. For example, you could offer mental and physical wellbeing support through gym discounts and yoga workshops.
Make sure to celebrate your employees’ birthdays and big celebrations to make them feel valued. You could have a chocolate hamper delivered to the office to celebrate an engagement, wedding, or anniversary.
Give recognition
Your employees need to know their hard work is recognised and appreciated. Pay attention to employees who are working above and beyond to resolve challenges and improve customer satisfaction. Encourage your team to celebrate each other’s successes, so everyone feels included and motivated in the office.
Career development
Hold an annual review for each employee to see what they are doing well, how they can improve, and where they want to go next year. If you do not provide career progression in your company, your employees will likely move elsewhere. Offer training courses, job enhancement sessions, and consistent feedback for your employees. After all, to progress in their role and career, they need constructive criticism to improve their work.
Set out a path of growth for each team member and try to direct it in a way that suits you both. Some employees may want to extend their skills into other areas of your business – you should give them the opportunity to do so when you can. Career progression often leads to better job satisfaction all around!
You may also like: How to Increase Employee Engagement: 7 Actionable Ideas
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