There’s more to being an employer than just hiring people to do a certain job and paying them for their time and effort. Being an employer requires you to also look after the welfare of your workforce; otherwise, you will only end up with poor work performance, less productivity, and a huge turnover percentage.
In fact, a recent study by Tim Judge and colleagues shows that one’s salary is less likely the basis of an individual’s job satisfaction. This means that money is not the solution to keeping employees motivated and loyal to your company. The best thing you can do is to cultivate a supportive work environment.
These five surefire ways can help you provide support to your employees and bring out their best potential.
- Be firm in establishing a work-life balance.
If you truly want to cultivate a supportive environment, you first need to remember who it’s for—your employees. Always keep in mind that they are not just resources, but also humans like yourself, which means that you should be able to show care for the overall individual and not just their being an employee at your company.
A supportive workplace recognizes the importance of work-life balance. Give them a break from facing video conferencing equipment and introduce a breath of fresh air—literally. Allow them some time off from their jobs or organize fun activities for the entire team outside of work. This should refresh their minds every so often and keep motivation at an all-time high.
- Set goals and recognize achievements.
Aside from providing motivational incentives to each member of your team, provide a well-established set of goals and celebrate once these goals are met. More particularly, recognize an employee’s achievement when need be. This does not only help cultivate a positive organizational culture within the company but also encourages employees to strive to do their jobs better. After all, nobody enjoys working when their efforts are not seen and appreciated.
Don’t hesitate to reward your employees for a job well done. The more they see how you value them, the more they support your cause and stay loyal to your company.
- Give your employees autonomy.
Research shows that giving your employees autonomy has a positive effect on their job satisfaction. Not only does it give them a feeling of greater responsibility due to the quality of their work, but also increases their motivation to work harder. If given the autonomy, even the least powerful employee can commit to doing their best in making the organization more efficient and in completing the task at hand. Instead of micromanaging, providing employees with autonomy should make them more empowered and responsible.
- Include their families.
Your employees have a life outside your bubble—and their families are a huge part of that. Support your team by assisting them in the other demands of their life. After all, employees are usually more engaged at work when they feel in control of both work and family.
Aside from considering flexible working hours for employees who need to spend more time at home, you may also encourage them to bring their families in office wellness programs, such as free consultations and the use of health monitoring apparatuses, such as an SpO2 pulse oximeter or a blood pressure monitor.
- Customize your benefits according to their needs.
Your employees are their own individuals, which means that they may not have the same needs. When you create your benefits according to their specific needs, such as telecommuting options and supportive family policies, your concern will be deeply appreciated.
There’s just so much that you can do to show your support to your employees. If you ever experience a rut, just stop and take time to listen to their needs. That should tell you what to do.
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