The global workforce is not satisfied.
And with rather dismal levels of engagement, it really isn’t surprising.
It is with this in mind that we thought it relevant to look at ways in which to improve employee satisfaction that drive purpose, passion and motivation.
Here are 10 ways to improve employee satisfaction to enable your company to become a sought after place to work.
1. Set clear expectations
Have you ever asked an employee to complete a certain task, but for some reason they seem to have missed the goal post completely?
This can result in disappointment for you, but also reduced motivation for your employee.
This is not conducive to productivity, motivation or the satisfaction that an employee should reap from their role within your company.
Clear communication and expectations for tasks and projects from the very beginning, will allow you to eliminate feelings of dissatisfaction from your employees.
Sometimes it will require you to communicate more than just your expectations.
It might help to explain the reasoning and thinking behind your approach for a specific task or project. This is important as it provides a clearer picture for employees, which reduces confusion around the task.
2. Recognition
Employee recognition is a key factor in improving employee engagement.
That being said, how often do you remember to thank your employees for a job well done?
We’re all human, so it can be easy to forget.
But, did you know that it actually affects your bottom line?
Employees begin to feel despondent towards their jobs and their managers if they are not recognised for their efforts. This is because appreciating your employees for a job well done is an emotional acknowledgement of their efforts and actions.
Employees need to understand how they are performing as this is a key aspect in maintaining productivity levels and motivation. There are a few ways that you can do this:
Set yourself some reminders and seek out employees who have performed well so that you can thank them. A simple sticky note that says “Great Job” takes a moment but can have lasting positive impact on the organisation.
Employee recognition drives employee engagement. If you want to boost engagement within your entire team, remember to thank everyone at one point or another.
There are some pretty great recognition tools out there to aid a recognition programme, such as bountiXP.
3. A solid rewards strategy
A rewards strategy aligned to your business outcomes can be highly effective in boosting employee engagement and performance for your company.
According to Gallup, only 33% of employees are currently engaged at work! Truly astounding.
Tangible rewards can be effective in boosting your recognition strategy.
You will need to be strategic in your rewards approach. Without knowing how or when to reward your employees you risk creating a strategy that holds little relevance, leaving your employees feeling more frustrated than before.
As there are different generations occupying the workplace it is important that your rewards strategy reflects this as well.
4. Professional development and growth
Employees’ jobs should be more than just that. It should be more about job satisfaction, learning and growing their career.
They should leave the workplace with new and improved skills, to not only benefit your company but also to promote their personal growth and development.
“83% of employees with opportunities to take on new challenges say they’re more likely to stay with the organisation.”
It is useful to establish what employees’ strengths and weaknesses are along with their long-term goals. Once you know this you can create opportunities for micro-learning, webinars or incentivise short-course training to assist them with their growth and development.
5. Open lines of communication
We touched on communication a little earlier, but the importance of this cannot be overstated.
Clear and open communication with your employees means that you’re actively creating an environment for continuous feedback. This process of feedback should also lead you toward improving and optimising your existing management processes.
Communication from you can include weekly/bi-weekly company-wide or team meetings to include things such as company updates or any specific questions that your employees may have for you.
Opening this line of communication allows you to minimise any misunderstandings and confusion that there may be.
This dynamic also creates a level of trust between employees and managers.
6. Great management
Be a great manager!
Actively listen, engage and communicate. Your employees will not only love you for it, but this could also improve employee satisfaction.
“Belief in senior leadership is the strongest engagement driver.”
Your employees are lead by you, therefore you need to embody the kind of behaviour you expect to receive from them.
7. Listening
Active listening is a skill that needs to be practised as a manager. Understandably this can be tough.
The benefits of genuinely listening to your employees allow you insights into what’s really going on in your workplace. It allows you to identify any major issues early on and provides you with insights on how to fix this in a timely and effective manner.
An employee survey is a great way to find out how you can improve employee satisfaction.
The purpose is to ask questions that will provide insights into any problems your employees may have, but also lead you toward solutions that can solve those problems.
8. Feedback
Your employees crave feedback – for what’s been working, but also what hasn’t been.
Employee growth can be impeded without the necessary critique that’s needed in order to progress. To see real improvements in employee satisfaction, companies need to make this a regular part of their employee ‘check-in’ process.
These don’t have to be lengthy sessions, they could be as brief as a 10-minute catch up on the previous month and what’s to come in the month ahead.
9. Purpose
Companies need to create a sense of meaning in the work their employees do. In as far as possible ensure that you answer the following questions for your employees:
- What are the overall objectives your company is working towards?
- How do your employees work towards achieving that?
- Do your employees buy into your company vision?
So many questions! If we have them, so do your employees.
It’s important for your employees to understand the value that’s created in their everyday tasks.
10. Create a positive work environment
Does your work environment promote innovation, collaboration and teamwork? Look at ways of integrating this as a part of your company culture.
Do your employees have the technology and tools to do their work to the best of their ability? Or do they have to make do with older, out of date equipment creating a frustrating work environment?
A work environment that cultivates positivity can be a great way to improve employee satisfaction.
Key takeaways
Employee satisfaction can lead to higher productivity, motivation and overall happiness.
The result of that?
A positive boost to your workplace productivity, morale and revenue.
Sound like something your company can benefit from?
Why not actively pursue one or more of the above and experience the benefits for yourself?