One of the hardest issues to deal with is a high turnover rate with employees. If you think you are struggling with people who don’t want to work, it may not be because they are lazy but rather not motivated. The internal culture of your office or business space is really important to keep your employees happy and motivated to come to work. Here are various changes you can make in your workplace to create a nice, peaceful space to work.
Provide some essentials. Obviously, you will have the materials on hand to perform job tasks, but there are other essentials that can help create a positive atmosphere. Providing water coolers for offices and warehouses, employing a coffee and tea service to have on hand, and even providing lunches are all ways to say thank you to your staff and minimize tension. All situated in break room it nurtures office relationships and encourages employees to save their money by skipping a coffee run in the morning or leaving for lunch.
Employ natural lighting. Studies show that fluorescent lighting contributes heavily to headaches and tension in the body. Not all spaces can get away without the use of fluorescents but in the rooms that can, encourage the use of natural lighting. The great thing about this is your employees will respond positively and you can save a bit of money on the electric bill.
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Nurture workplace wellness. Employees who engage in healthy amounts of exercise and watch how they eat tend to be employees who need to use fewer vacation days. They get sick less often and are more productive than employees who stare at a computer all day long. Workplace wellness programs are a trend that we continue to see grow and grow. Employees who are offered deeply discounted or free gym memberships are likely to use them. Having a quick yoga session in the afternoon can help avoid the 2 pm crash that many people experience. A company softball team, team-building around bowling, running team for a local 5K, and summer activities surrounding hikes are great ways to get your employees moving and build great skills amongst one another.
Offer counseling for when things get hard. Life happens. Tragedies occur. People break down under pressure. Having a workplace counselor is a fantastic way to take care of your employees. It gives them a safe place to release all that has happened and can learn about coping skills and work through some solutions. When life happens, you could see a lot of missed time, slow productivity, and miss deadlines by the employee. When they have access to counseling, all of that can be minimized and have your employee back to their usual self in no time.
The right management team makes a difference. One of the biggest reasons why people quit a job is because of their immediate supervisor. Management needs to ensure that work is being completed timely and correctly but also need to listen to their employees. Properly trained managers empower their team, encourage effective conversations to overcome hurdles and misunderstandings, and look out for the best for everyone. They never belittle anyone, no matter how frustrated they are. They don’t ignore the employees and their suggestions. They especially never take all the credit for the hard work of the team. If you see that there is high turnover for a specific department, it’s time to take a look at your management team and refocus the attention to ensure that everyone is being supported.
Happy, stable, and peaceful employees are what make a company successful, at all levels! There will be issues and problems but combating those effectively while being mindful of all that your employees do will ensure a happy and healthy work environment.
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