A healthy workplace is characterized by high morale and empowered, encouraged employees. Research shows that such environments help boost productivity, which helps improve a company’s culture, and bottom line, and leads to more satisfied clients.
Here are three examples of what increased productivity looks like in a healthy workplace, with tips on how to achieve them.
1. Lower employee turnover
Healthy workplaces tend to have low staff turnover, since employees are more likely to stick around. Because of this, the company benefits from reduced costs associated with interviewing, hiring, and training new employees. Lower turnover also encourages teamwork by giving staff members plenty of time to get to know each other and learn how to understand each other and work together.
Workplaces can reduce turnover in a variety of ways:
Make sure to hire the right candidates, who suit the company culture and align with its goals and values.
Trust employees to fulfill their roles without micromanaging them.
Offer competitive salaries and benefits, as well as advancement opportunities.
Encourage work-life balance among staff members by providing options such as flexible work schedules, help with elder or childcare, and telecommunication opportunities.
2. Increased communication
Employees who feel encouraged and empowered are more likely to speak up and share opinions. This helps boost creativity and brainstorming because teammates share ideas more freely, which can lead to an increase in productivity. Staff members who are encouraged to express their needs also may be less likely to experience dissatisfaction at work or tension with coworkers.
A company can encourage communication several ways:
Have managers set examples by practicing better, more frequent communication.
Listen to employees and seek to understand them. Include employee suggestions in any efforts to improve the workplace.
Schedule regular team meetings that encourage all participants to speak up.
Set healthy boundaries and encourage work-life balance by limiting communication outside of work hours.
Keep employees updated on projects and outcomes.
3. Greater employee engagement
“Employee engagement” is a general term that includes how passionate employees feel about their jobs, how committed they are to their company, and how much effort they put into their work. Highly engaged employees tend to work harder because they have a strong sense of purpose, which increases morale and teamwork.
There are numerous methods for increasing employee engagement:
Make sure all employees understand the roles they serve and the value they provide.
Provide the right training and tools for team members to do their work.
Make sure the company not only provides training and support for new hires, but also growth and development opportunities for existing employees. This not only helps increase employee loyalty, but makes them better at their jobs and a better asset to the company.
Emphasizing the value of employees’ opinions.
Give staff members recognition and incentives for jobs well done.
Healthy work environments do not happen by accident. They require deliberate effort, although specific methods may differ among organizations. Executives and management must be committed to creating a healthy culture full of happy, productive employees. In turn, these employees will support their companies and be more productive in their work.