Job satisfaction is one of the key reasons that drive employees to bring their best forms to work. When employees feel they are getting good work and feel happy, they do not quickly switch jobs. They innovate better, create opportunities for the company's growth, and deliver better results when companies initiate programs for motivating them. As a manager, how can you maintain employee motivation at work? Primarily, how would you know if your team is happy?
Well, obviously, if you ask employees over group meetings or one-on-one's, they will claim they are happy. But how can you genuinely ensure the happiness of your employees? What effective strategies can you work out so that your team truly appreciate their jobs, work culture, team, standard, and work processes? Read on to find the answer.
A Happy-Team
To be in the presence of a happy team, you will get a glance of driven productivity as well as improved mental health. Note these signs of happy employees:-
Healthy Engagement In Team Matters
A happy team will actively participate in the affairs of the organization and engage in relevant matters. They will display their involvement in the activities proudly and contribute whatever they can. They do not mind spending extra hours post-work connecting with their colleagues and team members. Showing up for work events, giving ideas informal meetings and ensuring everyone having fun at team parties are great signs that tell you if your team is happy.
Checking In At Or Before Time
When you see employees check-in at or before time, it must assure you that they take great interest in their work and cultivate a relationship with their team. Happy employees ensure they are on time to work. They do not want to create misunderstandings with their bosses and inform beforehand if they cannot be on time. An unhappy employee, however, drags themselves to show up at work and carry on his responsibilities.
Going To Levels For Innovation
Happy employees take the risk of initiating changes within the team. If they feel something is not working, they discuss it upfront with their team members and boss and implement a solution. You will not find them quietly accepting a deal. They will always ask questions and ensure they understand the deal properly before submitting to it. Their suggestions, innate interest in work display their happiness with work and company.
Genuine Smiles
A happy employee smiles often. Do you catch glimpses of your employees often smiling and working diligently? Observe how often you see them with genuine smiles and how often it is just a masked smile or maybe none at all? A positive work atmosphere and balanced work standards enhance employees' motivation, and they smile, displaying genuine happiness.
Meaningful Relationships
To know if your team is happy, observe and analyze the work relationships. How often do you see colleagues interacting with each other or encouraging each other for accomplishing work targets? If it is often, do understand that they are happy. Happy employees create meaningful relationships with their colleagues and share happiness with others.
Conscious Of Budgets
Happy employees do not waste company resources. Instead, they are very conscious of company budgets and are compliant with the work standards. They care for the company as they feel the company cares for them. In fact, they often act like it is their own and spend less of the company resources when possible. The only thing that matters to them is how can they save more so that the company does not have to bear unreasonable expenses.
Reflect Positivity
Happy employees show a positive attitude in everything. For example, the pandemic and the lockdown phase were challenging; however, many employees stayed optimistic throughout the whole episode. When you hire and gain the trust of your new team, they easily adjust to the transformation. Ensure you assess your employees during meetup sessions. When they are unhappy, they might be all negative. Inspiring them to share and open up will help them think differently.
Suggest Solutions
Employees who are optimistic about the company's future and are happy to be associated with the company do everything possible to increase the company's value. They offer suggestions for processes that need improvisation and create a great company culture. They do not shy away from pointing out what's wrong with work policies and speak genuinely with mentors. In other words, they look for possibilities to improve the company structure, which is incredible.
Approach Unfiltered
You won't find employees filtering their opinions or being fancy with words when they are happy. When they are happy, they care. When they care, they are honest about their opinions. Understand that your employees are satisfied with you when they approach you to discuss any matter- professional or personal. Show your involvement too.
Ensuring Employee Engagement
Following are some of the strategies you can implement to maintain employee motivation and keep them happy.
Incentives and Awards
When you recognize employees for their effort in their duties and reward them with any kind of benefit, be it in financial or learning, it dramatically impacts them.
Informal SetUps
Employee Engagement is exceptionally crucial if you intend to see your employees happy. Give them different means to stay connected. Arrange a team lunch or a trip where they can bond with each other. Their reviews of such events will tell you if your team is happy.
Involve In Decision Making
Managers can keep workers happy and motivated by sharing important company matters with them. As you involve employees in such cases, they feel valued. They feel happy to be consulted over such matters that influence the decision-making in the company.
Becoming The Best Boss
Happiness is indeed a natural feeling, but situations and our surroundings inflict certain elements that can bring reasons for being happy. When you consider your team valuable, expect their participation in events and see them connecting with others happily, it will assure you that you are heading in the right direction. To know if your team is happy, you have to become the best boss. Developing as an organization is not a one-man’s job; it's teamwork. Hence ensuring the team's happiness is the first job of a manager. Everything else is consolation.
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