Words: Liane McGowan. This article appeared in the April/May issue of Your Business.
Research has shown that contented employees are productive employees…
Liane McGowan, founder of Happy Monday, a company that develops employee wellness campaigns, has a few tips to help ensure that your team members are in their best possible mood.
Be consistent
You need to consistently deliver the message that happiness in the workplace is important. It is not a once-off event; it is a process that must be developed and nurtured. Start meetings with a joke or amusing video clip, or think of adding a sound system in the canteen.
Be committed
Do something every day to make your people smile. Add happiness aspects, links, or quotes to your monthly mailers and magazines. Spread happy thoughts through social media platforms or email communicators to keep the message going. There are a variety of ways to develop a culture of happiness like these, in the workplace. We encourage our clients to use online tools and social media platforms to spread these ‘happy’ messages. If your employees see that you are committed to the process, they are far more likely to buy into it themselves. Once they’re committed, you will see real results.
Change your thinking
Change starts at the top. Admittedly, it can be difficult for business owners to find the time and the energy to develop and implement change. But once you understand the value of happy employees – improved productivity for one – it becomes much easier to get started.
Talk
Face-time with your employees is important. Really listen during these conversations and make sure your employees feel valued. Once you have a firm idea of the gaps and needs within your organisation – and what will make people happier – it will be easier to implement change. The gaps could include factors such as your employees feeling undervalued, or that their needs are not being met, or cultural and management issues. There are a variety of gaps that should be identified and managed correctly.
Here’s how we did it
Insurance company The Unlimited scooped top honours in the Deloitte Best Company to Work for Survey two years in a row. CEO Steph Bester shares some of the thinking that has made the company’s employees so happy to work where they do:
There is little doubt that the employment landscape is changing. People want to belong to something that’s important, something that makes them proud. Business today has a greater responsibility than just being profitable. Providing an engaging, recognition-based environment where employees have purpose and the opportunity to stretch and grow is a necessity.
The company also introduced The Unlimited Lifestyle programme, which offers a range of benefits and incentives to employees, including an annual profit share scheme, peer group performance reviews, a wellness programme including exercise classes on-site, flexible working hours, and a 24/7 counselling service. In fact, everyone in the business has set themselves a wellness goal that’s really going to be a stretch. Combined with email and meeting-free Wednesdays, it’s evident why The Unlimited is viewed as a progressive business.
One of The Unlimited’s strategies is to build leaders, which enables our people to develop beyond their furthest expectations. This results in growth for the business and it adds personal meaning to the contribution each employee is making.
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