This article was originally published by Business Brokers Press in September 2017.
The time, effort and money you invest in keeping your employees happy is well worth it for your bottom line. Oftentimes business owners fail to consider the fact that unhappy employees can, and do, negatively impact every aspect of their operation.
Your employees are your front line in dealing with your customers. If your employees are not pleased, don’t kid yourself, it shows. Unhappy employees not only negatively impact the overall experience of your clients but can also make customers worry that something is wrong with your business. Whether fair or not, many customers may believe that a lack of employee happiness reflects on you as a business owner.
Some owners believe that their employees should share their dedication to the business; this is the wrong approach. At the end of the day, the business belongs to the owner(s) and not the employees. Business owners should refrain from becoming irritated or angry because employees do not match their own levels of enthusiasm. Instead, business owners should strive to help employees become as invested as possible. But at the same time, they need to always remember that employees realize that they don’t own the business.
Every business is different, and what it takes to create happy employees, of course, varies. Determining the best way to facilitate employee happiness is a prudent step. Take the time to evaluate your business and the role of your employees in it. At first, this may sound like quite the challenge, but determining what can help foster employee happiness is as easy as placing yourself in the shoes of your employees.
What would make you happier if you were an employee? Massive pay increases may not be in the cards. But still there are low cost or even free “upgrades” that you can implement. Periodically rewarding employees for a job well done with gift certificates or half-days off can go a very long way in building employee morale. When it comes time for you to potentially sell your business, you want a prospective buyer to see a lot of happy and enthusiastic employees. After all, isn’t this what you would want to see if you were buying a business?
Also consider requesting anonymous employee feedback. If you are having trouble figuring out how to solicit this feedback, you can hire a third-party company to assist you. When you read feedback from your staff, you will most likely be shocked and surprised what you learn.
Ultimately, there is no replacement for respect and kindness. Many business owners worry about employees taking advantage of them and may take an overly harsh attitude towards employees as a result. As long as employees realize that you have high standards and expect employees to uphold those standards if they want to keep their jobs, you shouldn’t have any significant problems. Employees know when they are valued and appreciated. They will, in turn, pass on this feeling of appreciation and value to your customers.
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