It is not every day that you find a boss willing to go way above and beyond for the happiness of employees. However, there was one such boss and while the majority of the city shivered through a cold January, he treated his staff to a Caribbean cruise; all 800 of them! Most of us in the working world understand how important it is to feel appreciated but we usually expect a simple thank you every now and then and maybe a raise or bonus, so a cruise seems like something only dreams are made of.

The 800 employees of Bertch Cabinets were treated to a Caribbean cruise by their employer. The trip included four charter airplanes to take them all to Miami, a stay at a five-star hotel, and a four-day cruise the following day. The company president reported that the trip was to reward the workers for helping the company meet its goals for the year. He offered it to them as an incentive the previous year, and they delivered. The idea of offering such a fantastic reward was to encourage the team to work toward customer-oriented goals, as well as financial ones.

The Key to Happy Employees

While a Caribbean cruise is definitely better than a pat on the back and a gift card, it is not necessary for employers to go to this extreme to keep their staffs happy. There are more reasonable and easily accommodated things owners and managers can do to ensure their workforce is motivated and happy.  

Studies have shown that a majority of workers do not feel engaged in their work, which means little to no motivation, enthusiasm or commitment to the job. When this happens, people are likely to leave companies, causing turnover problems for management or they perform badly, which is not good for the company.

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Case studies conducted time and time again show there is a benefit to managers or company owners to engage workers. Happier employees mean more profit. For example, a construction company known as Fabick Cat spent close to $500,000 in employee engagement programs and received a 600 percent return on their investment. It has also been shown that when investments are made in employee engagement and happiness, stock prices for companies rise.  This means more positive attention and profit for the company on a whole.

What Employers Can Do

What exactly does it mean to engage your employees? The idea is to create an environment that releases discretionary effort through the whole organization. The tips below will help your employees to feel appreciated, engaged, and more committed to their job and the company.

Make your employees feel like business partners. By giving them ownership, they are more likely to perform at a higher level because they view the company as an extension of themselves.  

Be prepared to expose employees to new responsibilities. Allow employees an opportunity for them to grow and learn new things. Providing new challenges will keep them interested and productive because doing the same thing day in and day out is not good for anybody.

Be transparent and openly communicative. Always enable your staff to become familiar with what is going on in other departments, as well as providing  opportunities to make suggestions and to share their input.

Always treat employees with respect and dignity, working to build relationships with them. Make the effort to get to know them on a personal level to show them you value them as individuals and not just workers.

If you do start an engagement program, do not set it up and walk away. Maintain a strong presence within the program and ask for their feedback and suggestions. To maintain a truly happy environment, you need to stay abreast on what the employees need and want.  If something is not working for them, you will want to know so you can make the necessary changes.

What Employees Can Do

The concept of employee engagement is a two-way street. In order for it to be truly effective, the employees have to make a few changes and some effort. There are a few key steps people can incorporate into their work life to successfully engage the company, as well as fellow employees.

Mentor a peer or colleague. This not only helps them to perform better, but enables you to feel better about yourself. By helping someone for between 10 and 30 minutes a day, you achieve a feeling of having more time rather than less.

Make an effort to create close connections at work. It is beneficial to have a best friend at work. Workplace friendships often have a positive influence in productivity and an individual’s approach to their work. Having friends at work also increases a person’s commitment to the job and company.

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Set both short- and long-term goals for yourself. This allows you to develop passion for your work through the setting of goals that you can actively pursue.

Plan small individual projects for yourself. Find tasks to complete that align with your vision and strategy. Make sure to set all goals up as manageable chunks, so they can be completed, and that you do not lose interest or get discouraged.

Reward your colleagues with digital recognition and praise. There are a number of social recognition tools available to companies today that allow you to nominate co-workers for everyday contributions or achievements. Letting a colleague know you recognize that they went above and beyond on task helps both of you to feel better, creating a positive and supportive work environment. Success of every employee should be shared with the entire company.

Be sure to explore opportunities within your company to learn something new. Whether you spend a day in a different department or take on a new training program or project, it is important to expand your skills and participate in as much of the company activities as you can. Not only can you better yourself and you feel like more of a team member, but you also can take the opportunity to teach others so they can learn and grow along with you.

The Bottom Line

According to most calculations, we spend over 20 percent of our lives at work. Other statistics show that happier employees are more productive. Employees who feel that they are appreciated and acknowledged, or that they play an essential role in the operations, are more productive than those who do not. Providing a positive environment helps to retain employees, as well.

In addition, employees can craft their own work satisfaction by setting goals, trying to learn something new, mentoring, and forming connections at work.

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Sources

1. https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/12/29/Iowa-cabinet-company-taking-all-800-plus-employees-on-a-Caribbean-cruise/2751483021232/

2. http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/24874/a-caterpillar-dealer-unearths-employee-engagement.aspx#1

3. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/shiny-happy-people-are-10-more-productive-at-work-2017-04-03

4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2014/12/02/how-to-squeeze-productivity-from-employee-happiness/#1e4a3d561efa

5. https://hbr.org/2012/09/youll-feel-less-rushed-if-you-give-time-away

6. http://fortune.com/2015/10/29/happy-productivity-work/