There’s a new trend in company workplaces that has been slowly growing over the last few years – employee happiness. You may have heard of companies like Google, that provide nap pods and personal gardens for their employees or Netflix and Virgin that offer unlimited vacation days. These perks seem fantastic and probably boost employee morale exponentially. For smaller companies, however, there are things that can be done every day to increase employee happiness and boost company morale. We found a great list outlining 12 things that make a company great to work for. Is your company doing any of these?
1. The leadership is honest, approachable and fair.
It is easier to follow someone that you think honestly wants the best for you, themselves and the company. They are there to answer any questions that you have and if they do not know the answer, they will find it for you.
2. There is room for growth.
Room for growth can be with promotions or education for the benefit of you and also the company. There are some companies that are willing to give scholarships away, as long as it is for classes in the same field of work. Why are they doing this? Simply because it will help your credentials, your pay and their customers by giving them trained professionals.
3. There is open collaboration between everyone.
Occasional meetings to collaborate on what needs to be addressed between you and the rest of the office are important. Your voice is important to management and they are there to hear what you have to say and what has been bothering you.
4. There is constructive feedback.
If you work for a company that gives you monthly, quarterly or annual reports of progress, it is a good thing. This means that they care about keeping you around and making sure you know what steps need to be taken in order to go further into the company. It is important to take this as constructive criticism and not personally. Your management is giving you an opportunity to find out what needs to be done in order to move forward with the company and genuinely care that you make it as far as you can.
5. There is an extensive hiring process to prevent toxic workers.
If you had to go through a couple interviews to start working for your job, it is more than likely they are putting a lot of effort into the hiring process to prevent any toxic workers coming into the office. These are the ones that are negative and spread it quicker than a cold in preschool. They are the ones that call in sick all the time and make you work doubles because there isn’t any coverage. They are the ones that put office politics into play because they love the drama and most of all, they do not have any passion to do a job well done. Companies that focus on employee happiness will make sure that you are working with passionate and hardworking people just like yourself.
6. There is a small company feel.
If you interact with your upper management with more than just the occasional policy change email, it’s definitely a good thing. Companies that have their CEO or general manager do little things like friendly competitions with a bonus for a prize or a friendly dinner to touch base with a group of employees shows that they really care about how their employees are feeling.
7. There is a large focus on morale between employees, management and their families.
It is a good thing if you find yourself at an occasional family day or event that includes your work and home life. That means they really want to know who you are as a person, not just an employee. It boost morale and gives a sense of community in and outside of the office.
8. The atmosphere is fun and rewarding.
It is a great feeling to be appreciated and rewarded occasionally for a job well done. Some companies are starting to do raffles for TV’s, vacations and gift cards to boost employee happiness and activities. If you have been given a pat on the back, words of appreciation or even have won a TV, it means you are working for a great company.
9. There is a diverse environment.
A diverse environment means that your company hires based on who will best match the goals of the company and boost the moral of the team. This is regardless of their race, age, sex, experience and occasionally education.
10. The pay is fair for the job that is asked.
Nobody likes being paid very little for a lot of effort. A company that makes sure their wages are fair and puts the occasional bonus out there cares about their employees and their welfare.
11. There are clear expectations set and instructions on how to meet those expectations.
It is very simple to stick to expectations and follow instructions. When you are given a clear goal and the steps you need to take to get there, that means your job isn’t just throwing numbers, tasks or meetings at you just to keep you busy. They really do want to see you succeed and will work with you every step of the way to make sure that happens.
12. There are occasional breaks in the work-day.
Though it doesn’t seem logical to take more breaks to be more productive, some companies believe that it does. If you have more than that one lunch break, it means they care about more than just your nutrition needs. They care about your productivity, stress levels and efficiency. Everyone needs that occasional coffee break, or just that fifteen minutes to talk a walk after a bad moment.
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