You walk into an office, the employees are friendly, they appear to be satisfied – and for customers, it shows. Is this accidental? Not a chance. This is a company that understands the impact of workplace environment, and knows how to implement it successfully.
Whether you already have a decent workplace environment, or are struggling to make improvements, a few changes can help.
Where to Start?
The connection between workplace environment and turnover is scary. But even worse, turnover can drive your bottom line into the ground. While everything won’t change overnight, a few small changes now can result in substantial improvements later. Here’s five suggestions for getting started, right now.
1. Capture the feedback. Many companies have an “open door” policy, yet employees don’t feel comfortable giving feedback. Since your employees are in the trenches every day, this feedback is invaluable for making your company better. Offer “get out of jail” free cards, good for a day off work to encourage employees to provide ideas and feedback. Or hold weekly collaboration sessions to solicit regular feedback.
2. Promote efficiency. Employees might feel like many routine tasks are inefficient, but aren’t speaking up. They might be nervous about offending co-workers and management, or simply don’t have the confidence to share new ideas. Identifying these areas will improve your bottom line, and boost employee job satisfaction.
3. Support health and wellness. While you might already be providing health insurance to employees, there are other ways that you can support your employee’s health. While small to mid-sized companies might not have budgets to implement voluntary employee wellness programs, fancy gym memberships or other programs, simple changes make a difference. For example, offer to reimburse co-pays associated with flu shots. Who knows, your organization could be featured on Forbes magazine as the top 100 companies to work for or featured in a local business journal, which is excellent for your recruiting brand and offers free PR.
4. Hire through referrals. Your top performers know other top performers who may thrive at your company. However, they’re reluctant to make the referral because they’re afraid of what happens if the person doesn’t work out. Focus on making it risk-free for employees to make those important referrals.
5. Promote employee growth. Many employees leave their job due to lack of growth opportunities. Solve this problem by providing opportunities to improve skills and experience, through either upward mobility or special recognition. Design benchmarks and celebrations that acknowledge your employees’ success.
Do you need help creating a positive work environment or tapping into hidden talent? If so, Cutting Edge can assist with everything from a detailed hiring profile to locating the right talent for your position. Call or email us today for a free assessment and quote at 561-910-8000.
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