Employees who love their jobs stay at their jobs. While this seems obvious, it is a part of employment that is seldom discussed. In fact, the level of satisfaction that employees feel toward their job has been found to be related to how successful they will be when it comes to performing their job, how long they will stay at their current job, and how it impacts the overall morale of the business.
Given how important it is for employees to be satisfied with their work environment, businesses should take a closer look at the factors that positively impact an employee’s work environment.
Employee Morale
When a company’s overall morale is low, it makes it less likely that employees will want to stay in their current position. Low morale includes how employees feel about their relationships with their colleagues and supervisors. A negative work atmosphere breaks down trust and communication, and employees will be less likely to collaborate, which in turn can frustrate the creative process. To improve employee morale, employers should encourage superiors to take an interest in their employee’s overall well-being. Additionally, employees should be encouraged to share new ideas and to be given credit when their ideas are implemented.
Mentoring/Coaching
Companies should encourage mentorship of younger or more low-level employees. By encouraging more senior employees to mentor or coach newer employees, the company is investing in that employee’s success, which makes it more likely that the employee will choose to stay at the company when that individual is ready to look for new positions. Companies who take the time to do this show employees that higher-ups care about their success and are investing in opportunities for them to succeed.
Promote Work/Life Balance
Studies have shown that employees who work late and arrive early or companies expecting them to work from home in the evening ends up hurting the business in the long run. Without any kind of work/life balance, productivity will almost certainly decline, and employees are likely to burn out. Employers should insist that employees take regular vacations where they are able to unplug from the office. Additionally, employers should offer resources to employees to help them in obtaining a proper work/life balance. Individuals who engage in hobbies, spend time with family and loves ones, or who take time to care for themselves, end up being better and more productive employees.
Alleviating Stress in the Workplace
Certain jobs are more stressful than others, but when employees chronically feel stressed and don’t feel like their employer cares enough about their stress, they are likely to burn out and leave the company. Employers can help employees reduce stress by encouraging them to be physically active as well as offering various supports for them within the company. Easy ideas for companies who wish to alleviate stress in the workplace include, encouraging breaks during the day, giving feedback to employees, communicating with employees, providing resources and supplies that are necessary to perform tasks, and providing training and continuing education opportunities.