Happy employees are your roadway to profitability

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! A quote that all of us have supported through thick and thin to alleviate ourselves from the burden of overwork. The economic crisis has gained momentum across the globe and is having grave impact on the financial stability of giant companies. In such desperate times, professionals are eagerly trying to discover a way to enhance their company's success. While many corporate slaves, plagued with a rigid mindset, perceive the ROI to be the sole performance indicator, others have adapted to changing trends in productivity measures.

What does the current work environment compliments as being a true representative of your company's overall success? The answer lies in the most valuable asset of your company and by now I am sure you must have guessed - the human capital! Your workforce is the biggest arsenal against environmental and competitive threats, as it is their hard work and dedication that will help you climb the ladder to success. Let's discuss some researches that will help in establishing your trust on this fundamental concept.

Scientific evidence towards enhanced profitability

A research conducted by Kansas State University supported the theory that happy employees are indeed more productive. They further identified that employees that were highly satisfied with their work environment felt more motivated, energetic, confident and were less inclined to avail sick leaves. The end result? Your company is able to save $75 per week owing to the gain in efficiency.

In another 2010 research by Harvard University professor, Teresa M. Amabile, with the assistance of Steven J. Kramer, shed light on the findings that happy employees are more productive and collaborative. They further elaborated with the assistance of statistical figures that on their best day employees improved their productivity by 76% while showcasing 53% collaboration.

Employee engagement is the crucial art that can shape your employee's skills in the interest of your company. A study conducted by Hewitt Associates found out that companies exhibiting a high level of engagement (65 percent and above) performed remarkably in the total stock market index along with having a 19 percent increase in the shareholder return as compared to 2009. While companies that portrayed 49 percent or less engagement felt the shocks of failure as their stock market index fell down by 44 percent.

With this being stated, it is logically imposed that companies that are not investing in their employees welfare are only weaving a pathway to self destruction. A company's main goal is to gain customer loyalty, with the intermediary being the employees. If a boss discourages or insults his workforce he is only instilling the seeds of hatred in their hearts. They will be highly demotivated and more likely to let out their frustration on the precious customers. The downside? Well, a dissatisfied and angry customer that will generate a buzz of negative feedback further aggravated with the power of social media at his disposal. Your company's global reputation can be at stake!

The key to your employees hearts

So it's true! Happy employees make happy customers which indirectly indicate that the boss as well as the shareholders are happy too. How can your company achieve this stage of win-win situation? Firstly, you need to realize that it is not always about the money! To be a remarkable leader you need to unfold intrinsic motivation factors that make your employees go the extra mile. The responsibility of fostering a healthy work environment that advocates a "caring attitude" towards the work force is your magical key to win your employee's heart.

1. Indulging environment

Every employee is a valuable asset to the 'pool of ideas' of your organization. Make sure you give every individual an equal opportunity to contribute their unique ideas and views on a particular matter. A manager should encourage healthy flow of discussions among teams and in the meetings to ensure that everyone feels like a part of the company. Having a sense of belongingness plays a crucial role in establishing irreplaceable feelings of loyalty and attachment to the organizational goals.

2. Recognition and benefits

Star employee of the month! A title that is a dream come true for employees working across the globe. What makes it so close to an employee's heart? Surveys suggest that employees are not always in it for the money! They long for much more valuable benefits that make them feel proud of themselves. Such rewards can be in the form of awards or titles that they hang on their wall of fame. Make sure you touch employees sensitive points to fill the gap of work contentment.

3. A man of your words

No leader has ever been successful if he doesn't practice what he preaches. If you want your work force to exhibit a money-saving strategy then you being the boss should be the first one to do so. There is no point in telling your staff to be careful in utilizing office resources to avoid wastage, when you yourself just bought branded luxurious office furniture. Make sure that your actions are a true reflections of your concrete words.

4. Spend quality time outside office

A company is your employee's second home. Late night hours accompanied with piles of files with coffee being your only companion is no more a rare sight in the work setting. Economic crisis has made way for night shifts and extra long working hours to beat the competition down. With so much input from the employee side it is natural to suffer from a state of complete burn out. The solution? Plan weekly lunches or dinners with your workforce to establish stronger bonds with them. You can also plan a vacation with your employees on an annual basis if it fits your organization's budget.

Final Thoughts

Remember! Your employees are more than your asset to achieve organizational goals. They are human beings just like you that crave for admiration, leadership and constructive criticism. Everybody loves to work in an environment that encourages freedom of speech and career growth. If you are dissatisfied with their input, utilize the art of corrective feedback mechanism to help in learning from their mistakes. On the other hand if you are exceptionally pleased with their performance then always link the rewards with specific performance actions so they feel that they are fairly rewarded for their hard work. For as Bob Nelson quoted,

"Take time to appreciate employees and they will reciprocate in a thousand ways."