Once upon a time, your employees were happy, engaged, and motivated. They came up with great ideas, genuinely enjoyed each other’s company, and gave their all to every project. Unfortunately, things have changed. The same people are still on staff, but their collective work ethic and attitude has taken a turn for the worse.
If your previously happy, driven team no longer seems to care about their work — or one another — it’s probably because they’re miserable. As the boss, you need to make some serious changes — and fast — before profits tumble and everyone jumps ship.
Five Ways to Make Miserable Employees Happy
Listen to Their Ideas
Your employees are intelligent people with great ideas, but if your opinion is the only one that counts around the office, they’re likely feeling stifled. Stop barking out orders and start asking for input from your team. Being more involved will reignite the spark they once had and your company will benefit from a fresh perspective.
Promote From Within
It’s beyond disheartening to give 100% to your job, but be passed up for a promotion by an external candidate. If you rarely promote from within, your team is likely feeling discouraged. Many would probably like to build a career with your company, but feel it’s impossible because you won’t take a chance on them.
Treat Them Well
A few generous perks can go a long way. Make working for your company more enjoyable by treating your team to lunch once a week, allowing people to leave work an hour early on Fridays, or giving each person a little money to redecorate their workspace. Incentives come at every price point, so come up with a few ideas that fit your budget.
Show Gratitude
The best employees don’t do great work for the sake of recognition, but people can only exceed expectations for so long without a thank you. If you’re accustomed to being impressed by your staff, you might be inadvertently taking them for granted. Watch morale perk up when you show appreciation for a job well done.
Provide Competitive Compensation
It’s hard for employees to feel gratified when they’re glaringly underpaid. Conduct a salary analysis using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to see if your team is fairly compensated. If your wages are below average, try to come up with the funds to give your staffers a boost. Offering a few extra perks can serve as comparable balance if you don’t have the budget to give pay raises across the board.
If your schedule has become a bit too hectic, get more time to focus on your top priorities by allowing ECS to manage your contract staffers. Contact us today to learn how we can make your workday more manageable.