Worry Less about Employee Retention, Focus More on Employee Happiness

Do you know how long Jane Doe will work for your company? Are you worried about how long John Doe will be a part of your team? Employee retention can weigh heavily on a business owner and is one of many facets of a highly functioning business.

When considering long term success there are many avenues to consider instead of employee retention but it all boils down to what makes your employees the happiest. Making employees happy can lead to benefits for your bottom line as well: the companies on the list of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2014, showed a 22.2 percent increase in revenue. A study out of the University of Warwick showed that employees when happy had a 12 percent increase in productivity. Employee happiness spreads into the company’s culture and helps everyone to succeed.

Tips for Increasing Employee Happiness

• Don’t require a life sentence. Avoid talking to your employees as if you expect them to stay with the company forever. This can create bitterness. Rather than make your employees feel indebted to you, this strategy can backfire and cause them to look for a new job.
• It’s not all about the paycheck. Employees are motivated by money but this is not the only motivating factor. Do not underestimate the power of an encouraging word or compassion in a time of hardship.
• Get feedback from employees. Encourage a work culture in which employees can speak up about their grievances without fear of retribution. It is impossible to make employees happy unless you know what is causing their unhappiness. If suggestions are difficult to come by you should implement a survey of your employees. Kept in an anonymous way, your employees will feel good about speaking up and it will lead you to new solutions.
• Use communication whenever necessary. Employees should be informed about when a new work policy is going to affect them. When you announce policy changes or work hours ahead of time, employees will appreciate when you are being forthright.
• Work-life balance is necessary. Your employees need to take time off. It is unhealthy for someone’s existence to be encompassed entirely by their working life. Employees have family, friends and themselves to take care of. If employees are not taking care of themselves this can lead to burnout and even more missed time.
• Use trust. Trusting your employees is necessary. When your employees need to take a sick day, believe them. If they are reliable give them a chance to earn your trust. When you stop micromanaging every action by every employee this will gain you valuable time.
• Ask your employees about their goals. This will help you gain knowledge about what they want to achieve during their time working for you. This will allow you to place your employees where they are most comfortable. If your employees are comfortable with their tasks, they are more likely to be happy and productive.
• Support your employees. Thinking back on your own working life, it is likely that you remember the times that you had a mentor at work. Having someone to turn to who sees your promise and knows how to support you will make all the difference. Work with your employees to achieve their goals and see how your employees will appreciate you.

Willy’s Trucking embodies the culture of employee happiness. We understand that it is feeling supported and not controlled that leads to a happy and successful employee. Take it from the words of Willy’s Trucking owner Bernard Dyck, “People can join our mission and be a part of what we are doing here. They should never feel controlled. It’s not about us, it’s about the employee and their life”.