If you are a business owner or manager then you will know that your staff are your most valuable asset and that staff retention is important, especially when you are working in professional sectors that demand specific skills from your workers. Training and onboarding a staff member is one of the most significant investments an employer can make, and once that staff member is fully on board and integrated into the team their development, happiness and wellbeing within the organisation should be considered on an ongoing basis.
There is no doubt that happy working relationships, a good work environment and exciting prospects lead to happier, more motivated staff and helps keep things running more smoothly, but this can be harder to achieve than you might think. There are many complex things that go into creating a happy working environment and a motivated team of staff.
Failure to create good conditions for staff members can quickly lead to problems. Unhappy staff are much more prone to absenteeism, and can even find themselves struggling to be as effective and productive as usual. This is something that can happen so gradually that it can go unnoticed for a while, but once it has been spotted it is time to take action because the problem is more than likely already more serious than initially thought.
For any employer that wishes to foster a healthy office culture and retain happy, productive staff there are many steps that can be taken. As all businesses are different the specific steps that one might take to encourage this cultural shift will vary, but at the end of the day, every member of staff is a human being that wants to feel secure, content and valued at work. Here are some ideas you can use to get started in creating a positive, nurturing and healthy workplace for your team.
Encourage open dialogue
Most companies operate on the basis that there will be senior members of staff such as managers and supervisors that are a first point of contact for any issues the staff may have. It is vital that these senior managers and supervisors are approachable and actively encourage open communication and honest dialogue.
For this to work best it is important that any member of staff that needs to raise an issue is able to feel that their concerns are being taken seriously, and that their point of view is accepted and respected. If staff do not feel able to have an open, honest discourse with their supervisors and managers they are unlikely to feel valued and respected in their day to day life in the workplace.
Invest in training and development
A skilled member of staff who has been given the chance to develop professionally and become even more valued and valuable in their role through career coaching in Singapore is much more likely to stay with the company that provided them with the opportunity. Spending money on staff training and development might not seem like a high priority for many, but it really is key to creating a team that is working in harmony towards a common goal, and helping staff to feel a greater sense of work satisfaction.
Improve the workplace environment
Not every company can or would want to operate like a company such as Meta or Google, with recreation areas and creative work spaces, but every company can and should try to ensure that the workplace is a nice place to spend the majority of their day. If you have never heard of it, you should look into something called ‘sick building syndrome’ which can come about when a workplace is not optimal for the human beings that use it.
Ideally, a workplace should be well lit, preferably with natural light, and should be well ventilated with fresh air. There should be windows that let in natural light throughout the day, and supplementary lighting should be designed to be easy on the eye. There is a lot of psychology involved in planning the perfect office environment so consider hiring a specialist office planner of you really want to make sure your office environment is a happy, healthy and attractive one.
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