It’s quite simple – when people are happy, they tend to do better than when they’re in a bad mood. As a business owner or office manager, it’s your job to make sure your workforce is happy and satisfied. Failure to do so can lead to a higher turnover rate, more performance constraints, and higher overall costs. Here are four tips to keep the office mood generally happy.
Keep Them Fed
If you’ve seen one of those Snickers commercials awhile back where the character is easily irritated because he/she is hungry, know that there is as much truth to it as there is humor. When people are hungry, their blood sugar levels drop. As a result, they become easy to anger. Stock your break room with healthy snacks or install a vending machine in your office building. Regardless, make sure they have some food within reach when they get hungry.
Maintain a Flexible Dress Code
The modern workforce is slowly rendering dress codes obsolete. Today’s generation of professionals is not as receptive to strict formal wear as previous generations were. As a business, you must adapt lest risk the wrath of unhappy employees. As long as your employees adhere to some ground rules and keep their work attire professional, let them dress; however they want to.
Keep Lines of Communication Open
Nothing drives a wedge between executive-level staffers and entry-level workers more than a lack of communication. Getting your wires crisscrossed can lead to unnecessary tension and arguments. Not leaving any contact channels for your employees to voice their concerns without being worried about repercussions can create brooding employees. Keep all lines of communication open and listen to what your employees have to say. Not only is it beneficial for the employer-employee relationship, but it also yields more in-depth insight as to what can be improved.
Show Them How Their Work Makes an Impact
Repeating your company’s mission statement will have little to no impact on rallying the troops. You need to show them firsthand how their day-to-day tasks help grow the company and, most importantly, how it helps other people, whether it’s better environmental protection or higher education for impoverished communities.
These are only a few of the many ways you can keep your employees happy. If you need help identifying objectives, approach them as a group or individually to see what can be done to improve their day-to-day work life.