Regardless of the size of your team, your employees’ job satisfaction impacts the overall success of your company. A study released in 2018 suggested that 55% of employees are consistently open to the idea of a new job, while a separate 25% of surveyed employees working full time were actively searching for a new position. This leaves a mere 20% of your employees planning to be with you for the long haul. With these staggering numbers in mind, how do you reduce employee churn and grow job satisfaction? Give your team enticing reasons to stay! Here are five ways to boost job satisfaction within your workplace and decrease employee turnover.
Provide Continuing Education Opportunities
Employees aren’t looking to just punch a clock. They want to join a company that will invest in them, offer opportunity to move up and expand their knowledge and skills along the way.
Part of this means providing your team different opportunities for continuing education credits and/or career development.
Offer Praise and Recognition
What better way to encourage hard work than to make your employees feel appreciated for what they’ve accomplished? Vocalizing praise for your team provides positive reinforcement and encourages them to go above and beyond in the future. Don’t be afraid to show employees how they are positively impacting the company. A heartfelt “Thank you” or public recognition for a job well done, goes the distance in making employees feel appreciated and fulfilled.
Create a Space Where Team Members can Develop Friendships
Have you ever worked a job where you did not get along with many people in your workplace? Miserable, wasn’t it? Connecting to coworkers is a huge part of job satisfaction. People spend more time with coworkers than they do their own family members. Try a Tuesday potluck at the office to encourage bonding. Maybe attending a weekly happy hour after work is more your speed. Incorporating events outside the office, or team building activities, is sure to get everyone out of a work headspace and into a friendly environment.
Employee Well-Being
Another incentive to ensure job satisfaction is to show your team you care about their physical and mental state. Allowing desk-bound staff member’s time to go outside and stretch their legs will help recharge their brains as well. Allowing flex scheduling to accommodate doctor’s appointments, workout classes or a lunchtime meditation session will give your team the holistic approach to a 9-to-5 job they crave.
Employee Feedback
Administering job satisfaction surveys will help you understand if the methods you implement are working. Additionally, providing space on the survey for your team to offer suggestions will guarantee they feel heard, especially if you are able to turn their ideas into actions. These anonymous surveys help employees feel comfortable expressing their opinions, as well as provide an opportunity for them to voice any areas of concern you may not have considered.