It’s a no-brainer. Every employer seeks to have more productive employees, and the most powerful way to improve productivity at work is to keep employees happy and satisfied.
No system, tool or method can be compared with the level of productivity that can be obtained if employees really, honestly, enjoy their work and are happy in the company they work for.
Employee satisfaction is one of the important preconditions for long-term business performance of the company, which directly reflects on the quality of its products and services, and therefore the results of its operations.
Why is employee satisfaction is the key to productivity?
- Satisfied employees care less about making mistakes, and actually make fewer mistakes as a result. People learn from mistakes, and those employees who are satisfied don’t worry about making them. They simply accept it, learn what they need and how to do in future and move on. This leads to fewer errors and helps better develop employees, teams, and the work they produce.
- Satisfied employees make better decisions. When people are unhappy, they work in a constant state of tension. This reduces their focus, they do not see the “bigger” picture, and often make decisions in error too quickly. In contrast, satisfied employees make decisions because they want to put more effort into learning the ultimate goal of their work.
- Satisfied employees seek solutions to problems instead of complaining about them. When you’re unhappy at work, every obstacle you encounter seems as high as a mountain.It’s human nature to feel the weight of the world on their shoulders at times, but people who are satisfied with their work, first think about how to solve the problem themselves.
- Satisfied and positive people get along better with people around them. In the office, this bringsbetter teamwork, better communication, more satisfied customers, better sales results and more positive energy.
- Satisfied employees are more creative and deliver what they promise, which is especially important if you strive for creativity and innovation. According to one study, if the people are happy and in a good mood,they are more likely to be creative that day, and even the next, no matter in what kind of mood are that second day. Satisfaction seems to be more flexible, helping employees to invent original ideas.
The connection between employee satisfaction and productivity is also a two way street. Satisfied employees are more productive, and being productive in turn helps employees feel more satisfied.
According to one foreign study, satisfied employees are:
- Twice as productive
- Five times more likely to work longer hours
- Six times more energetic
- Ten times less likely to take sick leave
- 33% more helpful to other team members than their colleagues who are less satisfied
- 46% more likely to care about business success
- Achieve their goals as much as 31% more often
- Motivated as much as 36% more
According to the same source, the organization actually lost about 100 working days per year for each “unsatisfied” employee!
Do you know how satisfied your employees are?
What kind of ideas do you consider to motivate your employees, increase their productivity and improve the working atmosphere?
In general, there are two types of motivation:
- Extrinsic – When employees are offered a reward to produce results
- Intrinsic – Comes from personal growth and not related to monetary award.
Extrinsic motivation always works in terms of rewards and recognition to reinforce and reward the most important outcomes employees create for your business.
But you can also take some steps to encourage intrinsic motivation too, such as understanding what motivates your employees and promoting that successfully.
When it comes down to it, businesses should care how motivated their employees are if they want to promote business success. Employees are the heart of your business and deserve to be happy at work… Everyday.
