How to Create a Positive Work Environment to Enhance Employee Retention Rates

Maintaining a positive work environment can help keep employees happy and loyal. They may even spread the word to their friends, making it easier for you to fill labor needs. Here are some actionable ways to create a work setting employees will love.

Provide Recognition for Hard Work

People love getting appreciated for what they do well. Try to be as specific as possible. Instead of just telling someone, “Good job,” mention what caught your attention and why. That ongoing feedback assures employees they’re on the right track and that you’ve noticed how they’re contributing to the business.

Remember that someone can work hard and not necessarily get the results you’d expect or hope to see. In that case, acknowledge someone’s effort and encourage them to continue trying. Recognize the incremental improvements that an employee may not notice themselves. It’s especially important to do that when a worker is trying to master a new skill or doing something that puts them far outside their comfort zone.

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Trust Employees to Take Initiative

You can create a positive work environment by showing employees that you trust them to get their work done without micromanaging them. Try to strike a balance between giving them their autonomy and letting them know you’re available to help when they need it.

Make some suggestions for staying productive, but remember your employees almost certainly have some methods that work well for them. It’s common for people to take various approaches to getting work done. Don’t get too caught up in their specifics as long as they consistently complete high-quality work.

Offer Mindfulness Classes

A substantial body of research indicates people who regularly practice mindfulness experience benefits ranging from reduced stress to better focus. As it turns out, sticking to a mindfulness regimen could also foster a healthier work environment.

Researchers conducted more than 70 formal and informal interviews and found that workers noticed positive behaviors from colleagues who applied their mindfulness practices at work.

Additionally, the study suggested that mindfulness improves current and future interactions with others — including difficult conversations. Providing a mindfulness class as an after-work activity is an excellent way to help employees build healthy habits that could enhance their interpersonal work relationships.

Respond Empathetically to Feedback

Employees want to know you care about their thoughts and will take their input seriously. Sometimes, you won’t have the authority or ability to enact the changes they desire. Even so, giving them a voice and reassuring them what they say matters is essential. Put yourself in their position when addressing concerns.

In cases where you can’t solve a problem immediately, work together to find suitable and mutually beneficial compromises. Workers will appreciate your commitment to making improvements and supporting them however you can. Be sure to encourage them to check in with you a few weeks after implementing any suggested changes. Doing that shows them you’re invested in the outcome.

Create Measurable Performance Milestones

Workers can quickly become confused and discouraged if your company has ambiguous or non-existent ways for them to progress in their careers. Consider designing clear pathways for people to follow and be transparent about what will happen if they meet the milestones.

More than half of companies have raised their sales compensation budgets. That’s a good start, but ensuring any targets align with industry trends is also important. People will be much more eager to give their all when they get paid their worth.

Workers should also get plenty of support in progressively working to further their careers. Meet with them periodically to see how things are going and identify any pressing challenges. Chat about the tools or process changes that could take them to the next level and keep them feeling motivated.

Prioritize Worker Comfort

Your employees should ideally feel at ease as much as possible during the workday. Achieving that goal starts with nurturing psychological comfort, such as having a positive work environment where people feel free to be themselves and know colleagues will warmly accept them.

However, you should also emphasize physical comfort. Invest in ergonomic workstations, comfy couches and sit-stand desks to suit various preferences. No one wants to feel stiff and achy after clocking out for the day. However, many modern jobs are primarily sedentary, so that can happen more easily than people realize. Urge workers to take time to stretch, walk around and take screen breaks.

Encourage Community Involvement

Many workers are happiest when they feel their companies’ values broadly align with theirs. Relatedly, it’s no longer enough for workers to merely get their paychecks. They want to know the work they do contributes to the greater good. That’s one of the many reasons employers increasingly urge employees to get involved in their communities.

You can go about that in several ways, including providing workers with days they can take off from work to volunteer. Alternatively, your company might help nonprofits boost donations by organizing fun and creative fundraisers.

Value a Good Work-Life Balance

Tight deadlines and overtime shifts are sometimes unavoidable. However, if they’re part of most employees’ typical schedules, workers will start feeling burned out. Try to create a clear definition between a person’s time at and away from work. Don’t send emails or call them at home unless the matter genuinely can’t wait until their next shift.

Establish a generous time-off policy, equipping workers to take days away from work when they need or want to take breaks. Be sensitive to the reality that unexpected things come up that require work absences. Whether those are funerals, medical issues or family obligations, remain as flexible as possible to allow workers to take time off without feeling undue pressure to return.

See the Value in a Positive Work Environment

Your employees are among your most important assets. Even the most successful companies couldn’t have reached their current statuses without workers’ ongoing contributions. Making a friendly and positive work environment takes conscious effort and dedicated time. But doing so is well worth it because employees will know you care and want to empower them to do their best.

Eleanor is editor of Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

The post How to Create a Positive Work Environment to Enhance Employee Retention Rates appeared first on Top Entrepreneurs Podcast | Enterprise Podcast Network.

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