3 Things That Will Make Your Employees Happy and Convince Them To Stay

Posted on Oct 4 2013 - 12:35am by Tiffany Matthews

Office

If you have been working under someone for a long time, you can sometimes feel helpless about the things you want to do and the things that you feel need to be done. If you’re not the boss, you often have little or no say in the way the business works or how it can work better. Once you’ve become your own boss, however, you get to call the shots and since you know what it was like to be in the shoes of an employee, you would want to do what you can to make the lives of those working under you a little better. Here are some things you should consider to help make your employees happy.

Healthy Working Environment

It’s tough when your workforce is cut down in half because your employees came down with flu or some other illness. One of the things that you can do to help prevent this is by making sure your office is a healthy place to work in. A typical office environment can be toxic, which means that it can have a negative effect on employees’ health, happiness and their work. Adopting greener measures is one way  to ensure a healthier and safer workplace. Low VOC paints as well as carpeting should be used in your office. Make sure that your windows let in sufficient daylight and have views of green spaces. Indoor plants are also useful in cleansing the air and removing chemical vapors at the same time absorbing carbon dioxide. If you have copiers, they should be placed in an enclosed room that has adequate ventilation. Aside from ensuring that you office is eco-friendly and safe, you can also promote activities that will encourage a healthier lifestyle so your employees can enjoy a work-life balance.

Great Benefits

You might think gaining employee loyalty easy, but it’s not. Making hardworking and dedicated employees stay, is even harder. You need to make sure that they are well compensated. Aside from the love of their jobs, it is often the company perks that can make employees sway and decide to stay on for the long run.

Employers are actually not required to provide health plans to their employees, except maybe in the state of Hawaii. However, health plans is a great incentive to keep working at your company. Another benefit that is not always offered is legal services. There are firms like Legal Shield that offer affordable group plans, which can help employees with whatever their legal needs are. An example of a legal issue is when they plan to buy or sell a house or when they need to draft a will. Some companies also offer other incentives like subsidized gym membership in order to encourage their employees to have an active and healthy lifestyle.

Room for Growth

One of the things that can discourage a great employee from staying is the lack of room for growth or career advancement. Dynamic people require new challenges and responsibilities so that they can further improve their skills. This desire for change can only be met if there is room for improvement, a higher position or perhaps more training that will earn employees new skills and experiences. What the company can offer is further educational advancement, which could be subsidized or take the form of a salary deducted student loan. After his studies, the employee can now apply his new knowledge at work and perhaps advance to a higher position once he has proven himself capable of leading other people.

Photo Credit: Flickr/Alan Levine

About the Author

Based in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of writing experience. She also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat87.