They say that most employees don’t leave because of their job, but because of their bosses, while few can genuinely say that they genuinely love their jobs. While you might not necessarily be able to offer your employees more money to inspire and motivate, there are always things that can be done to improve the workplace culture in your business. Improve employee satisfaction and help them to thrive with these three simple tips.

Encourage creativity

You might not think that this is important if your business isn’t in the creative industry, but creativity is necessary for every business to flourish. Encourage your employees to think outside the box and try out new ways of working. Not only will they be more engaged at work, but you’ll also be reassuring them that making mistakes isn’t the end of the world or their careers. This, in turn, strengthens the workplace culture and increases employee satisfaction while moving your company forward. By allowing them space and freedom to try out new things, you might stumble on an idea that will boost your business tenfold, resulting in success for all involved. Just remember not to punish those ideas that fail, if the intentions were in the right place.  

Make it possible to learn new skills

Boredom will slowly creep in if your employee is doing the same tasks day in and day out. What was once exciting for them will become monotonous, causing them to become disengaged and job satisfaction to decrease. Show your employees that you care and offer them at least one opportunity throughout the year to learn a new skill that interests and benefits them professionally. This could be anything from signing an employee up onto a copywriting or SEO course or providing them with the opportunity to attend a seminar or industry-related conference. It doesn’t necessarily have to be job role or even industry-specific either. You will find that many skills are transferable and that your employees will be able to implement what they’ve learned into their role in one way or another. Yes, it may be an extra expense for you, but by rewarding them in this way, your employees will be grateful for having been given the opportunity to upskill and develop themselves without having to sacrifice their personal time. You will be providing them with more opportunities in the future to progress into more demanding job roles. Even if that eventually means leaving you and working somewhere else, they will always remember being given the opportunity, and you can rest safe in the knowledge that you’ve helped to improve someone’s life. 

You can also search for and share inspirational podcasts, webinars, and Youtube videos at little to no cost to yourself, or have an inspirational person of the week or month that you can all learn about. Try not only to focus on big names like Oprah but also on local entrepreneurs, inspirational doctors, and those who have achieved success through hard work and determination such as Dr. Patrick Conway. By doing so, you will be inspiring your employees, which will make them want to work harder to achieve results, and use their new skills to improve the company. 

Allow your team to flourish as one

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Encouraging your team to socialise and work together frequently is an excellent way for them to bounce new ideas off each other and get creative. And that includes you as the boss and any deputies that you might depend on. While a hierarchy will always exist in some form, try to eliminate this at work as much as possible. This will encourage open communication between yourself and your employees and create a warmer and more inviting working environment for everyone.

If you have the type of business where it’s impossible to work together regularly as a team, organise nights out, even if it’s just for after-work drinks or to grab some food. You could also dedicate days once every quarter towards team building or doing a fun activity once every couple of weeks. Ideas can include setting up a boarding game evening or getting together to watch the latest episode of a series that you all enjoy.

If you are working remotely, introduce daily skype sessions, or use other similar tools such as Microsoft teams to stay in touch. Schedule in just fifteen minutes a day in the morning with the whole team to have a casual conversation that doesn’t necessarily have to be work-related. Discuss current events, future plans, and films, music, and hobbies that are interesting to you. By spending time and bonding, the team will start to feel more like a family, increasing motivation and enthusiasm in the workplace, and employee loyalty.