# What are the best ways to keep employees happy?



## Rineti (Jan 12, 2018)

I am looking for some tips guys. What are some of the best ways to give employees recognition?


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## SirCanSir (Mar 21, 2018)

Give them opportunities to feed their ambitions ro climb some kind of ladder?


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## PiT (May 6, 2017)

Employees want to have a sense of meaning in what they do. All of the awards in the world are insignificant next to the ability to "own" your work product and take pride in doing something important.


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## ButIHaveNoFear (Sep 6, 2017)

Field trip to a petting zoo with pandas.

Just kidding.

In a salaried job, a stipend or bonus is *not* superficial. A little extra money is a relief after working really hard/taking on extra tasks. It's nice when the boss sees that you're not doing the bare minimum and pays you accordingly. (Or if you're a teacher like me, it's nice when the state sees that you form the glue of society and that the work you do is _sacrifice_. If an individual school comes by some money and gives the teachers a bonus, that's really nice)

Are your workers already experiencing motivation problems, or are you just being proactive?


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## SirCanSir (Mar 21, 2018)

PiT said:


> Employees want to have a sense of meaning in what they do. All of the awards in the world are insignificant next to the ability to "own" your work product and take pride in doing something important.


Yep everyone wants to be free and masters of themselves, but only a few manage to do so since its so taxing.
So if they got the opportunity to feel like that for free, then its probably the most important form of income they can get.

Honestly its like how they motivated the troops in the past wars where, they all fought to save their country, even if the reasons behind the wars were completely different.


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## Tyche (May 12, 2011)

Main motivators involve money. Bonuses, paid time off. Where I work my boss buys lunch once a month if we meet our sales goals. Managers can give out gift cards and time off to employees who do good work. For some people, verbal acknowledgement of their hard work can make them feel great. So does things like employee of the year/month.


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## Rong Wong (Feb 16, 2018)

Here are some things I've experienced in different workplaces that I really appreciated ...
> 36- or 38-hour weeks 
Give the employees a day off every fortnight or month. They work a little extra time each day for the privilege, so you're not giving them time off for free. From an employer's point of view though, it can make the work roster tricky (i.e. keeping the business fully staffed at all times)
> Flexible start and finish times for employees. Employees with children appreciate this one.
> Pay bonuses in the years when the business's profit targets are exceeded
> Instill openness in the management culture so employees don't fear speaking to the management (i.e. build an open door policy)
> Take some money out of petty cash every so often and take your team to breakfast/lunch. 
> Take the time to talk your employees. Ask them for their input on decisions
> If you can afford it, create a training budget. Allow each employee a certain amount of money for annual training


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## Ermenegildo (Feb 25, 2014)

*Keeping Employees Happy*

*Create a joyful atmosphere.* Hire wisely and pay them well. Appreciate the multifaceted talents of your employees. Win their trust by treating them as equals. Lead by example, with self-mockery. Be mindful of their likes and dislikes, and support their long-term goals. Admit your own faults. Criticize in a face-saving way, preferably with a pinch of humour. In case of doubt always err on the side of generosity.


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## Not that guy (Feb 26, 2015)

ButIHaveNoFear said:


> Field trip to a petting zoo with pandas.
> 
> Just kidding. ...







Snuggle the damn bear you monster. A least a scritch behind the ear.


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## Mick Travis (Aug 18, 2016)

Provide meaningful work and a flat organization.


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## Brown Bird (Jul 5, 2017)

A good first step is humility. Don't act like you are superior to them and be willing to do everything they do and actually do it. Give them something of monetary value, even a gift card for a local gas station, but don't make it for a piddly amount like five dollars. I know that sounds like common sense, but I have had an employer do that. When you do express appreciation try to make it sincere. Also, try to really listen to them. Good luck.


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## flamesabers (Nov 20, 2012)

I think it depends on what kind of employees you have. For instance, people who are raising a family may be most happy with having good job security and flexible work hours. On the other hand, people who are young and single may be most motivated by having good opportunities for pay raises and career advancement. 

So long as you have an open line of communication and the work environment isn't abysmal, I think employees are generally willing to voice what their professional concerns and priorities are. As an employer, you need to ask yourself whether you're open to receiving feedback from your subordinates or whether you only want yes men/women working for you?


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## Etiennette (Mar 8, 2017)

I’ve never led a company before, but I’ll offer some advice with the experience I have. Hopefully some of these come off as helpful: 

> Understand the Law of Reciprocity and learn how to apply it to many situations:

“when someone does something nice for you, you will have a deep-rooted psychological urge to do something nice in return” -Gary Korisko, rebootauthentic

Develop an unwavering belief in others and their potential, and your employees will deeply respect and trust you. Dedicate yourself to others and the goals you want to accomplish, and you all will become a force to be reckoned with. 

> Focus on building value in others (paradoxically, this is also how you build value for yourself). Giving people awards/recognition only gets so far. Talk to people about the potential you see in them, and help them set goals for themselves so they can become self-motivated. Nothing is as valuable as a person who has confidence in themselves, the energy to get things done, and the ability to imagine a successful future for themselves and others. 

See everyone as potential leaders, not just employees. Give them the respect they deserve.

> Go the extra mile. Are one of your employees practicing a religion you don’t have much knowledge about? Ask if they celebrate a holiday and make plans with them to have a fun time. Is one employee doing phenomenal work? Give your sincerest praise or a heartfelt letter of thanks. If you have a younger employee you can mail a letter to their parents describing their amazing feats and your gratitude.

> Always think a year ahead. Think of your company like a sword; the metal needs to be purified countless times to develop its formidable edge. Imagine your company a year ahead and take that inspiration to do those things now. Every once a week or more try reflecting over what can be done better; it can be anything from employee benefits to new systems of work to qualities you should try adopting yourself. This helps weed out problems you have, even if you think everything is “just fine”. Think and visualize success. Win.

> You can’t control people, but you can control your actions. Keep this in your head and you’ll fix any social problem calmly and efficiently. 

> Be aware of groupthink. Just because everyone agrees with something now doesn’t mean it’ll benefit everyone in the future. Don’t be afraid to play Devil’s Advocate to weed out potential obstacles.

> Motivation is like a muscle. If people don’t get it regularly, their energy can fizzle out pretty quick after some setbacks or eventually die out with no attention. Give a pep talk whenever people feel low, share your visions, or remind everyone of their abilities and the potential all of you can achieve. This can happen to you too, so make sure to inspire yourself if you need it.

> Train yourself to think right. Your employees will appreciate attention and presence, but your power matters too. Power is the ability to make things happen, and it starts from believing in progress and success. If your employees trust your power, there will be less stress for them and everything will go much more smoothly. Conversely, a person who believes “we can’t” constantly is bound to create disasters for their company and create a society of tension and fear.


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

treat them like human beings and not disposable tools
respect
dignity
etc
treat them like how you like to be treated


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## Mick Travis (Aug 18, 2016)

vinniebob said:


> treat them like how you like to be treated


Some people like it rough.


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

Mick Travis said:


> Some people like it rough.


:laughing::laughing::laughing:
yea, like those businesses that have signs in their windows that read ''we treat you like family''
I refuse to to do business with them


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## contradictionary (Apr 1, 2018)

Pardon me for emptying your half drinked glass... 










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## contradictionary (Apr 1, 2018)

vinniebob said:


> treat them like human beings and not disposable tools
> respect
> dignity
> etc
> treat them like how you like to be treated


I took you as my serious uncle.

So now you must be joking, right? 

Sent using Tapatalk


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## Sonny (Oct 14, 2008)

If your staff are earning enough money not to be constantly worried about lack of money then financial rewards are shown to be the least effective "reward".

The simplest, and often very effective, recognition is just that, recognition. A genuine and specific "thank you" that recognises contribution in a public way.

Beyond that it depends a bit on how many employees you're talking about, a small team can be much more personalised than groups of large departments. If it's a small team you can instill the culture yourself, if it's a large team you need the right leaders who will instill it.


Some suggestions that come to mind;

1. Find out what _they _value.

What motivates an individual is varied, some want to be able to spend as much time with family as possible so flexible hours or time off when appropriate would be valued. Some want career progression so education opportunities or mentoring would be valued. Some a positive team environment so group events that encourage bonding would be valued.

Unless you know what motivates them, you cannot presume what is meaningful for them. Spend some time one-on-one and ask "why are you here", "what are your values" etc.


2. Treat them just as (or more) important than your customers.

If you invest in your employees, they will invest in your customers. If they know they have your support they will be more empowered to make strong decisions which will provide them with a reward of agency and control over their choices.


3. Do not tolerate poor behaviour.

One of my faviourite sayings with work is: "The standards you walk past are the standards you accept". If your employees know that the team member who is causing problems will be actively managed and not ignored it stops resentment before it becomes toxic.


4. Performance feedback.

Unless a system is in place for official performance reviews/feedback it's easy to focus on problem areas only so good performance can be ignored as everything is working, a bit like the "thank you"' regular performance feedback can create goodwill. Most employees what to know how they are performing in the opinion of their manager. 


And if you haven't already seen this, it's a good watch.







Short of that, the panda petting zoo sounds _amazing!_


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## crazitaco (Apr 9, 2010)

Steady work is good work. Don't overwork or underwork employees.


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