Every recruiter knows that a happy workforce is a productive workforce.
Whilst writing effective job ads and attracting the top candidates to your vacancies may be your primary role, for many, the importance of maintaining a good level of staff retention remains paramount. Let’s face it, it’s the one type of turnover we don’t mind going down.
So what are the best ways to motivate your staff and keep your colleagues happy? To find out, we asked more than 4,000 UK workers what makes them happy at work and here’s what they told us:
1. Career Progression
84% of those surveyed stated that the opportunity for career advancement is either essential or very important when it comes to working life.
Further reinforcing this idea is the importance placed on professional development and job-specific training, all of which contribute to making career growth the number one factor employees identify as being vital to their happiness at work.
So, rather than an immediate monetary gain, the ability to demonstrate or encourage staff through training and provide them with the opportunity to take their career to the next level, should never be overlooked.
2. Job Security
Following on from career progression, 84% of those surveyed identified job security as vital or very important to them in their careers.
And despite the fact that the economy continues to show signs of recovery, worries about job security do not fade easily.
Opening lines of communication with new and existing staff (see point three, below), ensuring clear and achievable objectives are set and finding practical ways to show staff that they’re valued will all contribute to increased happiness and feelings of security.
3. Communication
Third on the list for many comes communication, with 83% of people stating that a high level of communication between employees and senior management has a significant impact on their happiness levels.
Whilst good communication is seldom overlooked by any business, the amount of importance placed on it, and the fact that many rank it above starting salary (which 72% identify as vital or very important), may come as something of a surprise.
4. Social aspect
Sometimes, your happiness within a job can be most greatly affected by your colleagues, and 77% of the workers we polled told us that the people they work with will significantly affect their morale.
Even if the jobs we do are more individual in nature or if day-to-day interaction between co-workers is fairly infrequent, having the right mix of personalities in the workplace and a maintaining a good company culture will usually pay dividends. But having to work with someone we don’t get on with can mean starting the working day with dread.
And, with 72% of us socialising with our colleagues outside of work, it’s little wonder that many of those surveyed rate the social factor so highly.
5. Recognition
Finally, just over three quarters of our poll said that not only is their contribution to the business essential to their happiness at work, but that the recognition they receive for a job well done is similarly vital.
So, can money buy us happiness at work?
For all the talk of wages and cost of living, it seems as though salary still has relatively little bearing on our happiness at work, with career progression, job security and a healthy work-life balance all outscoring pay. Just one in three of those who responded to our survey told us that financial incentives and benefits play a part in their morale – behind both working hours and length of commute.
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