Making employee happiness a priority is something which shouldn’t be a radical idea, but it tends to get overlooked relative to other company goals. This article will cover 3 reasons why you should consider making employee happiness a priority.
1. Happy employees are productive employees
Studies show that happy employees are more productive, but it doesn’t take an academic to figure out why an employee that likes their job works harder. If you think about the inverse, it becomes clearer. An employee that doesn’t like their job and even resents going to work will not try their hardest for the company, whereas an employee that feels valued and appreciated is more likely to go the extra mile for the company.
2. Better mental health means fewer days off
Illness is unavoidable, but workplace stress isn’t. With a growing understanding of the importance of mental health, taking days off for mental health is an acceptable reality and one that can be mitigated, at least partially. While some stress in the workplace is unavoidable, doing your best to help reduce it can result in better mental (and physical) health for your employees.
3. Workplace satisfaction reduces employee turnover
Good employees are hard to find and even harder to keep. It’s common knowledge that hiring is an expensive process, from recruitment to interviewing, training and onboarding new employees. The process takes significant amounts of both time and money, so it’s frustrating when new hires leave not long after joining.
Even more frustrating is losing valuable long-term employees. Sometimes these can’t be avoided, as things happen in employees’ personal lives that are beyond the company’s ability to influence, but keeping employees happy can go some way to reducing avoidable employee turnover. A valuable employee with key skills is a boon for any company, so when poachers and headhunters send offers their way, you want them to have reasons to stay with you. A happy workplace can even trump things like higher salaries and benefits.
Conclusion
There are many reasons to value employee happiness, from increased productivity to reduced turnover. If you make your workplace a happy one, you can enjoy long-term returns on your investment.
