Most employees work from their homes, which has substantially restricted their access to meet and greet others and brainstorm strategies. It is high time that companies should focus on ways to improve employee satisfaction which is imperative to productivity at work.
In this post, you will learn ways to increase employee engagement and productivity so that your team members feel connected and are inspired to perform better.
1. Recognize and Appreciate Excellent Work
Everybody likes to feel appreciated for the work they do. According to a recent survey by Pedal Rose, 80% of participants said that happiness at work matters to them even more than getting a good salary. But only 67% reported that they feel happy and only 45% of employees feel appreciated at work.
As your team’s manager, you must ensure that employee satisfaction and productivity are always high. The best way to do that is by recognizing and appreciating your team when they accomplish a crucial task.
You can also create a new group on Skype, WhatsApp, or Slack where everyone sends praises and congratulatory notes to exceptional performers.
2. Set Realistic Expectations
Setting unrealistic expectations can significantly decrease the job satisfaction and productivity levels of your employees and induce stress. The American Institute of Stress reports the leading causes of stress are:
a. Workload (46%)
b. People issue (28%)
c. Juggling work/Personal lives (20%)
d. Lack of job security (6%)
As a manager, your responsibility is to ensure that your team doesn’t feel overwhelmed. Don’t assign too many tasks to employees. Remember that work-life balance is essential for improving employee satisfaction levels.
3. Communication is an Essential Part Of The Employee Satisfaction Model
Communication barriers can cause significant losses for companies across industries. According to the Holmes Report, the cost of poor communication has sky-rocketed to USD 37 billion.
The report further says that an average organization loses about USD 62.4 million per year in lost productivity. Improper communication causes critical business information to fall through the cracks leading to chaos and mismanagement.
As your team’s manager, you should conduct stand-up meetings every morning to ensure that everyone is well informed about the tasks they need to finish each day.
It’s an excellent way to remove any confusion and clear miscommunications that may negatively impact work. Clear communication is one of the best ways to increase job satisfaction while working remotely.
4. Involve Everyone While Brainstorming Strategies
Social belongingness is a trait that is hardwired into our brains. Unfortunately, most employees feel left out at corporations that lead to lower organizational engagement and commitment.
According to a recent EY survey, about 40% of respondents feel ignored at work. Further, 39% of respondents feel that they experience a tremendous sense of belonging when their colleagues check in with them personally and professionally.
The best way to improve job satisfaction is to involve everyone while deciding workflows and brainstorming strategies. It has dual benefits.
Firstly, you receive feedback from each employee that helps to fine-tune your initiatives. And secondly, your team members will get a comprehensive understanding of the company’s operations and what it plans to achieve in the near future.
5. Offer better learning opportunities to your employees
Workplace learning opportunities play a significant part in maximizing the productivity and morale of employees. According to Middlesex University for Work-Based Learning, 74% of respondents say that they fail to achieve their full potential because of a lack of workplace learning opportunities.
As the manager, you should sponsor employee education to help them gain experience and significantly improve their productivity. You can share essential learning resources to help them grow their skills.
Other ways to increase job satisfaction include arranging for conferences, webinars, and training sessions that help employees develop their skills.
Originally published at Springworks Blog