Creating a Positive Workplace Culture
A happy workforce tends to be more productive as people feel motivated to perform better in their roles. But what’s the secret when it comes to creating a more positive workplace culture? What can you do to keep your employees happy?
A happy workforce is a productive workforce
Before you spend time trying to think of ways to make your staff happier, you need to understand your current company culture. Your perspective might differ greatly from others. So, get to know your workforce better by inviting them to take part in discussions and surveys. Listen to your teams’ comments, feedback, and encourage open dialogue. This will help to build trust, which is crucial for creating a more positive organisational culture.
Ask your people the following questions:
What do they enjoy about their roles?
Why do they like working for your company and what don’t they like?
Do they have any workplace improvement ideas?
Find out what motivates your teams to do their daily roles, and you will start to uncover ideas for incentives. Remember, what incentivises one person might not work for another.
Employee engagement
If you want to improve your workplace culture, you need to engage your employees. Sharing your company values, mission and vision with your workforce will help to ensure you are all working towards the same set of goals. Once your people understand the overall purpose of their daily tasks, they will feel more motivated, and this will create an inclusive culture. Many studies show a direct link between workplace inclusivity and team morale.
There are many ways to improve employee engagement, but the key here is to making employees feel valued for the work they do. Valued employees are likely to be more motivated, resulting a more positive working environment for everyone. Why not reward and recognise those employees who work hard and make a difference? When people know they will be recognised for their efforts, this encourages others to perform better too.
Be consistent and fair
Consistent and fair management of your employees will also help you create a happier workforce. Leaders are role models, and therefore need to demonstrate their ability to treat each person fairly in order to achieve an equal outcome. Be inclusive in the way you manage your employees and always follow the correct procedures for consultations. If you need help with HR procedures, talk to us.
Encourage personal development and progression within your company, wherever possible
It’s always cheaper to retain existing employees, rather than recruiting new people. Set up a Personal Development Plan (PDP) process, along with regular one-to-one reviews with each team member. This is a structured framework where your people can identify certain skills they wish to develop. Take a holistic look at your business and help them spot opportunities.
Employee benefits
Although some companies provide extensive employee benefits packages, this does not always have to cost a lot of money, especially if you’re a small business. You could have a dress-down Friday, where people wear casual clothes. You could have a Fruity Friday, where you provide free fruit for your staff. You could offer employees a day off work for their birthdays.
If you are interested in expanding your current company benefit packages, you could negotiate employee discounts with local creche or gym facilities. You could offer reduced costs for private medical insurance or an employee assist counselling service. Talk to your employees to find out what types of benefit would appeal to them.
When it comes to creating a more positive workplace culture, it’s not all about pay. Think about what you can do to make your working environment a happier place for people to work. And if you need our help, we offer a Retained HR Service, HR strategy and project support, along with Mentoring, Training and Development for your managers.
If you would like guidance on how to create a more positive workplace culture for your business, or you need advice on another HR matter, please get in touch.