If companies want to get the most out of employees, they need to be happy and working in an environment which encourages high productivity. Sounds obvious? Well it kind of is, and according to The Huffington Post, unhappy employees can cost companies millions , but what can businesses do about it? Here are 5 tips:

Show gratitude

By showing positive reinforcement, you are giving an employee’s work a sense of purpose. If they feel appreciated, they are more likely to be motivated to continue to produce high quality work. This can have a big impact on the bottom line of the company. Don’t be afraid to say ‘great work’ and ‘thank you’ if it is merited!

Celebrate

This tip works on two levels. Firstly it is a great idea to give individuals / departments the opportunity to inform others of something positive that is happening. This enables an employee to feel a sense of pride but also helps to maintain good levels of communication between teams. The second element is to find excuses for internal celebrations, such as birthdays, milestones etc. This could be as simple as a little announcement in the office with a cupcake (or a piece of fruit if you are trying to implement a healthy culture!) or a night out.

Encourage team input

Encourage team members to provide input on the structures you have in place and to produce new ideas on different areas. Everyone has a different view on things, so by encouraging team input, you may get the alternative perspective needed to make something a success. As well as providing valuable information, encouraging team input is hugely motivating for staff members as they feel they are helping shape the future direction of the company. The process of gaining team feedback should be encouraged in team meetings and over email, so that individuals feel like a valuable part of the team.

Encourage breaks

Companies often struggle with this one, no matter how busy individuals are, they are not going to be able to produce high quality work by sitting in front of a screen for 8 hours without a break. It is important to encourage employees to get up, move around and to go outside for some fresh air. Businesses have started to create ‘break out’ environments for employees to take a breather from work (relying on going outside is not a good idea with British weather!). These areas can include table tennis tables, games consoles and lunch benches.

Respect and trust your team members

Your team should be made up of capable and competent individuals, and if it is, they shouldn’t be treated like children. If they are they are likely to become demotivated quite quickly which will have a negative effect on the work environment. Try not to micro manage work. Give employees a task, and let them structure and execute the task themselves. Everyone works in slightly different ways, so set a deadline, check in periodically for updates, but leave the rest to the employee.

Final Thoughts

There are lots of ways businesses can create and develop a good work environment and it is vitally important that it isn’t overlooked by organisations. If a company doesn’t have a good work environment, then employees will become demotivated and may leave. HRreview report that it costs £30k to replace a staff member , so it could well be time for businesses to look at this area more critically.