A pleasant working environment is essential for improving employee productivity. Allowing your staff to take short breaks from work will motivate them to offer more and stay loyal to your company. While enabling employees to rest is vital, it is the bare minimum, and is often not enough.
There are many ways to show that you care about your employees. Creating an interactive learning environment and encouraging your staff to have fun is the road to success. Companies with happy employees will outperform the competition and show better results. More space for socializing will increase productivity by twenty per cent. Caring encourages creativity and creates powerful connections. Once you decide to uplift the atmosphere in your office, notice how small changes can generate drastic effects.
Deliver praise and recognition
When a person’s hard work gets unnoticed or underappreciated, they lose motivation. An unmotivated person will invest less energy in their job. Neglected employees will never stay loyal to their company. Instead, they will start looking for new opportunities and are more likely to accept a new job offer. Show your employees that you value their determination. Deliver praise and recognition daily to motivate them to strive more. A proud and content employee will put more effort into completing their work.
If you want to take this to the next level, encourage them to recognize each other’s work as well. At the end of each week, call for a short meeting where employees will have the opportunity to praise each other. Group activities such as this one can change the energy in your workplace.
Take time to celebrate wins
Tracking progress and reaching the company’s goal is what makes a collective stronger. Take time to reward the people for working hard to reach your goals. Celebrate wins and organize work parties where both you and your employees will have time to take a break from work. Choose to bond with them over a cup of coffee too. When your business reaches its break-even point, organize a dinner party to rejoice. Show them that you can lighten up and value quality time as much as you appreciate hard work.
Creating a balance between determination and entertainment is the best way to generate fun and productive working environment. Demand hard work all the time, and your employees will burn out. To avoid that, opt for a golden middle. Once you learn how to incorporate fun into the workplace, both you and your employees will flourish.
Decorate your premises
Allowing your employees to decorate their workplace is a morale booster. Personalized areas will make them feel more comfortable and content with their surroundings. Let them display their family photos, decorative mugs and flowers. Your office will look more welcoming. New employees and clients will be more relaxed once they enter your premises.
Do your part to increase productivity in your workplace. Give the walls a fresh coat of paint and invest in modern office furniture. Comfortable chairs and larger desks will provide more comfort. Provide more storage room, and your staff will become more organized and productive. When choosing a new interior design, ask your employees for feedback. Seeing that you care about their satisfaction will make them appreciate your company more.
Create art together
Art is therapeutic. Creating together with your employees might have a positive impact on your company. Paint a mural together for your office that symbolizes your company’s values. That is a great way to create a stronger bond with your employees.
If you like the idea of painting at work, bring it to life. You should set up a corner where your employees will be able to express their creativity. Take this to the next level, by displaying the best painting of the month where everyone can see it. When you notice that your staff needs a break, organize fun games to lift their spirit. Split into groups and let the games begin. Compete to see which group will be able to draw better with their less dominant hand. The winners should get a price, to motivate them to participate in fun games more often.
Have regular meetings that are not business-related
Meeting with your staff and getting to know each other is vital for every strong collective. Short meetings where people will be able to discuss topics that are not work-related may start new friendships. Being able to talk to your employees without creating tension is necessary. It promotes healthy relations in the office and encourages people to open up.
Provide breakfast for your staff and start the day together. Some people struggle to make breakfast and lunch at home before work. This token of appreciation may give them more time to rest and slow down. Turn an empty room into a kitchen, where all the people working in your company can eat. Invest in coffee and healthy snacks, and provide fresh water and condiments. Your employees will get the necessary nutrients. And their stomachs will all always be full.
Celebrate all birthdays
Team up with your employees and throw surprise parties for everyone’s birthday. Organizing parties together is a fun way to reach out to your employees. Each party is an opportunity to learn more about their needs and wishes. It doesn’t have to be anything special. Buy a cake and a small gift that shows how much your company cares about the employees. Birthday parties will make them feel loved and appreciated.
These gatherings will put everyone in a good mood. It’s a new opportunity for them to take a break from work and show kindness to each other. Learn about what they like, and invest in personalized gifts that will be of use to them. A birthday party will make the grumpiest person in the office radiate with positivity.
Offer meaningful perks
Paying people more is not the only way to show how much your company values their contribution. Most people prefer perks that contribute to the quality of life. Financial compensation is necessary, but being able to relax at work is essential too. It’s vital to be fair and provide a reasonable salary. But, opt to invest in other benefits that will make your employees happy. Demonstrate your care by offering extensive perks such as wellness program or child care.
If your employees can rely on you, they will compensate by working harder and smarter. Show praise by organizing one-day trips every time they meet all deadlines. A strong collective that takes care of all its members will last longer. Good relations will ensure all of you have a good time outside the office.
Make an impact
You can bond with your staff while performing duties outside your office. Invest in activities that will make an impact on your daily lives. Once a month, go outside and dedicate one hour to gardening. If your premises are big, inspire nature lovers to plant their favourite flowers in the garden. If you don’t have a yard, let them keep the flower pots on your terrace. Invest in a high-pressure washer and wash your vehicles after a rainy day.
Physical activities are vital for people who work in the office. No matter how comfortable the office furniture is, people are at risk of developing back problems. Taking a break from work to complete other duties is therapeutic. It can provide more time for rest after the shift is over. Split into groups and make the premises clean, and keep your physical and mental health at best. Combining work with physical activities will create a balance. More importantly, everybody will be content.
Invest in personal and professional growth
Educate your employees and provide adequate training. The skilled staff will work smarter and deliver promising results. Investing in their education is beneficial for you as well. Your manager should determine what skills your employees need to improve. Hire professionals to educate your staff and ensure everyone attends the training. One hour a week dedicated to learning won’t disrupt their work.
Learning should be fun. Create a strong connection between mastering necessary skills and having a good time. Without a doubt, your employees will look forward to the training. Finding the motivation to adopt knowledge won’t be hard. Instead, they will see these events as opportunities to bond with their colleagues. Of course, learning new things along the way will be a priority. Communicate and ask for feedback. They will inform you about the skills they believe they need to nurture more.
Conclusion
Working towards meeting the needs of your employees is an essential aspect of leading a team. While some believe that we need to separate fun from work, strong company leaders know what this is not true. Allowing people to have a good time in their working environment will only bring you good. Demanding company leaders often neglect their employees. That results in more people scouting for new job opportunities. Instead of chasing away the talented and hard-working people, consider giving them a few reasons to stay. Satisfied employees will be loyal and proud of their working achievements. All your investment, perks and favours are for their wellbeing. A working environment where people can lighten up and relax is a dream of every employee.
