The key to a successful business is not customers, but employees. After all, without your staff, you would have no one to serve your customers anyway. No one becomes successful alone, especially in the business world. While you might have launched your startup yourself, the growing workload will eventually call for the help of employees. To keep your staff from leaving, you must take good care of them. With that in mind, here are six secrets to a happy workforce.
Allow A Flexible Schedule
Today’s workforce has outgrown the typical nine to five workday schedule. While some team members will still do their best work during these hours, many others will feel more productive much earlier or later in the day. This is especially true with employees who have responsibilities outside of work, like children. Because of this, you should allow your staff a flexible schedule.
Suit A Healthy Lifestyle
Most people assume that happiness is linked to external factors alone, but you do tend to notice an improved mood when you begin to take care of your body. Keeping that in mind, it will benefit you and the business to accommodate and encourage the healthy lifestyles of your employees. There are many ways to do this, from providing healthy lunches to installing a bicycle rack.
Cut Down The Workload
As much as employees are there to take the pressure off you, piling it on to their shoulders won’t help anyone. Rather than delegate all business processes to your team, you could outsource a few. A certified payroll professional could handle HR, for example, while a freelance copywriter creates blog posts. Giving your team too much to do will only cause them to burn out.
Provide Opportunities For Growth
In the day-to-day running of your business, employee development might not seem like a priority. After all, the workday should be spent working. However, it is crucial that your staff continue to grow professionally. Whether you’re working with someone in management or an intern, you should encourage them to rise through the ranks. This will keep them excited about their job.
Take An Honest Interest
While you’re sure to be busy instructing employees on the work they should be doing, you must take the time to get to know them. This will give you a greater understanding of them, allowing you to identify areas in your business within which they are likely to excel. Taking an interest like this will also show your staff that you care about them as individuals, rather than just workers.
Listen To Employee Feedback
A great leader understands that they don’t know everything. Instead of pretending that you do, you should ask your employees for help. Just like you offer feedback to your team, you can ask them to do the same for you. A suggestions box is probably the best way to gather honest constructive criticism, but an open door policy will also encourage communication.
Happy employees are the key to business success, so take care of your workforce by following the advice above.
