Sure, perks such as daily catered lunches or fancy trips to industry conferences help some companies boost employee satisfaction and productivity. Organizations with limited resources, however, needn’t despair. Plenty of creative, effective ways exist to develop a thriving workplace culture without breaking the bank.
Here is a look at five areas in which an employer’s inexpensive actions can result in a big payoff。
Table of Contents
Content Summary
Provide a sense of ownership
Encourage professional development
Break the routine
Have fun together
Express gratitude
Provide a sense of ownership
Good things happen when employees feel part of something larger than themselves. Workers who know their work makes a difference take their job more seriously.
Talk with individuals about how their specific role contributes to overall company operations. Give them a say in how tasks are done and ask for input on how to make the company better for both workers and customers. Keep them in the loop about what is going on in the organization, as transparency promotes a sense of inclusion.
Encourage professional development
Learning new things keeps people engaged as well as produces a more knowledgeable staff. Talk with the team about areas of interest, and explore possible free or cheap outlets.
Perhaps schedule company time for watching relevant TED Talks or taking an online course. See if vendors conduct training sessions on using particular products. Form a lunch club that gathers twice a month to discuss a business-related book or article selected beforehand. Develop employee pride and confidence by turning them into teachers who share their unique strengths and skills by cross-training coworkers. Tap connections in your network to come by and offer instruction in an area of expertise.
Break the routine
Everyone gets tired of the same old same old. An occasional diversion reduces monotony and provides other organizational benefits.
Volunteering as a group, for instance, promotes teamwork and builds bonds as colleagues come together for a common cause. Taking a “field trip” to tour a different department or the production floor develops an appreciation of all that goes on within the company. Conducting an innovation day in which employees gather to brainstorm ideas about improvements to products or procedures may lead to usable, amazing results.
Have fun together
Job satisfaction increases when people genuinely enjoy one another’s company. Set the stage for team members to socialize and know each other beyond work roles.
People naturally congregate and talk around food, so hold a lunchtime potluck or a Friday ice cream social. Dress up for Halloween, decorate cubicles for the holiday season, or conduct a March Madness pool. Establish Slack channels on informal topics such as popular movies or vacation destinations. Get employees even more involved by soliciting their ideas for ways to have fun at the office.
Express gratitude
Finally, few things prove as motivating as sincere appreciation. Don’t limit words of thanks only to annual performance reviews.
Compose a handwritten thank-you note to someone who worked unexpected overtime or went above and beyond with a client. Give feel-good public recognition to a high achiever during a staff meeting. Establish a bulletin board where coworkers can post kind words about one another. Such actions spur workers to continue their productivity and outstanding performance because they know management and peers notice and value their efforts.