6 Ways For Business Owners To Keep Employees Happy

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Employees are the most important assets of any business. They handle daily tasks, talk to clients, manage bill payment, and fill an endless number of roles to keep a business successful. Since good employees are so hard to find, business owners should do everything possible to keep them. High turnover can keep a business bogged down with constant recruiting, hiring, and training.

Keeping employees satisfied makes good business sense for several reasons. Good employees help a business grow. Satisfied salespeople will bring in revenue, and good customer service representatives will keep your customers coming back for more. When employees feel they are being treated right, they are more committed to a company and its success. By following these small business leadership tips, you can set your company up for success.

1. Start At The Top

Surveys show time and again that there is a disparity between why people leave their jobs and what managers think about why people leave their jobs. Pay is the top issue, of course, but the other four of the top five can be attributed to management. Bad bosses are a major reason why employees are unsatisfied with their jobs and eventually leave them.

Bad bosses take many forms. Some are dishonest or display a lack of integrity. Some are cruel with criticism and are rare to offer praise. Some do not respect personal boundaries, and some have no defined visions or goals. All of these can be downers for employees, and lead to a lack of morale and declining productivity.

To keep employees happy, good management focuses on what they need and want, and not just on what management wants. A policy should be in place to ensure employees can air issues fairly, without punitive pushback from management. Everything about keeping employees happy starts at the top with the boss.

2. Work/Life Balance

Employees are people who have their own lives outside of work. They have family, friends, and hobbies that provide them with enjoyment and fulfillment when they aren’t grinding away during the workday. Encouraging employees to promote a balance between their two lives goes a long way towards making them happy and productive.

Arrange flexibility for staff to go see family dance competitions, ball games, or school presentations during the day. Kids are only young for so long, and missing out on those opportunities can be devastating. Allow a personal day because a friend is in the hospital or another situation has arisen. When management shows a willingness to allow accommodations, employees will more likely respect all company decisions.

A healthy work/life balance also includes no intrusions during off times. Employees harassed by non-emergency texts at all times of the night and weekends when they are supposed to be off will become resentful.

3. Workers’ Compensation

Every state but one requires employers to have workers’ compensation for their staff. Workers comp insurance provides protection for employees who are injured or become ill because of their work trying to make a business successful. Workers compensation helps pay for costs such as medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages, and pain and suffering, so an employee can focus on getting better instead of stressing about bills and where the next meal will come from.

4. Communication

Employees do their best work when they feel connected with a company. Employers should communicate clearly what the company goals are, and how an employee fits into achieving them. Using a top-down “because I said so” approach to job delegation will not create positive staff morale nor supporting the company vision. When everyone knows where they fit into the puzzle, they can all become part of the big picture. Asking employees for advice will also help in making everyone feel part of the team, even though every idea will obviously not be implemented. Communication and connection lead to respect and motivation.

5. Avoid Micromanaging

For the manager or owner of a company, it can be tempting to want to control everything. A manager might think they know the best way to do things for the business, but the truth is the staff might know better. If they’ve been doing a job for a certain period of time, there’s a very good chance that they are better at it than the owner, and they’ve spent time thinking about how to do it more efficiently. When an employee gets to spread their wings and do the job the way it makes them feel best, even a business owner might even learn something new.

6. Team Building

Team building can be done in many ways, for example, theme days on the job or special lunch days or simply celebrations when certain milestones are reached. Contests and games are always fun, and provide an incentive for employees to reach goals. While special events and celebrations done during work hours will lose company productivity, they will also gain the invaluable benefit of a happy workforce and employees who do not feel taken for granted. Happy employees ultimately translates into a successful business.

 Mia Tyler is a business entrepreneur. She enjoys writing about business in conjunction with living a healthy lifestyle.