Employee loyalty is something every company longs for. It's estimated employee turnover costs as much as 130-200% of an employee's salary. When a talented, knowledgeable, trained employee leaves, it's bad for business. And, when lots of them leave, it can be the kiss of death.
Your Employee's Happiness Matters (A Lot).
Which is why MetLife's 17th Annual Employee Benefit Trends Study, a workplace resource for employers and HR decision makers that is rooted in understanding and empathizing with real people, should convince executive leadership teams to focus their efforts on one important thing…
Your employee's happiness matters (a lot).
The 5 Drivers Of Happiness At Work Are...
MetLife's The 100 campaign is highlighting real stories and expressing the importance of seeing and treating employees as individuals.
A whopping 90 percent of workers surveyed said their loyalty is directly tied to their happiness. The happier your employees are, the less likely they are to leave. Seems obvious, but there's a catch. No two employees define happiness in the same way. So, how can a company focus its efforts so it can efficiently and cost-effectively make their employees happy? MetLife's survey offers 5 key drivers of happiness at work to consider, they are:
Employee trust in their company's leadership
Employers' commitment to employees and their success
A culture where employees are encouraged to share ideas and individual opinions
A workplace where co-workers feel like family or friends
Benefits customized to meet employee needs
Meet The 100
What's amazing about these drivers is how many of them don't require massive financial investment. A leadership team with strong communication skills that display transparency, empathy, and a genuine interest in the happiness of employees can deliver on the majority of the drivers above. Which leads to the question: Is your leadership team making employees happy?
Here Are 4 Signs Employees Are Happy At Work.
In my experience, when walking through a company for the first time, I can tell if employees are happy based on four things:
Employees are walking and talking in the hallways. When employees are comfortable chatting in public work spaces, it means they don't fear management passing by.
Employees smile and say "hi" to passersby, even newcomers (like me). People who are happy at work make more eye contact and want to share their happiness with others by making them feel as comfortable as they do.
Managers easily strike up conversations with employees as we move through the office. Managers who have good relationships with workers don't get a deer-in-headlights response when they ask an employee a question or strike up a conversation. Happy employees are relaxed and don't hesitate in responding. That shows they don't feel they have to carefully think through what they need to say.
Employees don't stop what they're doing i.e., small talking with co-workers, when management walks by. Employees who feel overly watched or judged will stop in their tracks. Their brains automatically put them on high alert and disrupt their workflow. But, employees who are happy don't feel that concern and are comfortable continuing to do what they are currently doing.
Read more about The 100 and MetLife's Annual Employee Benefit Trends Study here.
P.S. - If your company fails at one or more of the above, then it's time to reflect on ways your leadership team can make your workspace better at cultivating employee happiness.
There you are: sitting on the beach, covered in sunscreen, reading your favorite book, drinking your favorite drink under the cool shade of an umbrella. Life doesn't get any better than this. Suddenly, a door slams, a phone rings, a printer turns on. You jolt back into consciousness. You're at work, sitting in your cubicle, without even a hint of sunshine streaming in from outside.
When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!
Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.
1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs
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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.
2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car
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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.
3. Plan An Office Outing
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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!
4. Organize Group Walks
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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
5. Eat Lunch At The Park
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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.
6. Organize Office Sports
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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.
7. Join A Professional Group
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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.
8. Have An Office BBQ
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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.
9. Wake Up Early
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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!
10. Strategically Use Your Time Off
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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.
11. Bike To Work
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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!
There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!
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