Savvy business owners know that their employees can be the key to a successful enterprise. They also know that happy employees are more productive, creative, engaged, and loyal to the companies that employ them.
All too often in today’s workplaces, however, employees feel unhappy and underappreciated in their positions, and they don’t feel engaged in their work. There are still CEOs, small-business owners, and people in management roles who are unaware of how the happiness levels of their employees may be negatively affecting the company’s productivity and, ultimately, its profits.
To dispel any such notion, it’s worth noting that in a 2014 study by economics professors at the University of Warwick in the U.K., researchers found that happiness made employees around 12 percent more productive. Disengaged workers, on the other hand, “cost the U.S. between $450 – $550 billion each year in lost productivity,” according to Good&Co, a career insights platform. Put simply, happy employees get the job done, and they do it faster and more effectively than unhappy employees.
Encouraging Employee Happiness
So how can you create a workplace where employees will actually want to invest their time? This infographic, created by Adecco Staffing USA, suggests:
- Being flexible
- Communicating
- Recognizing success
- Offering developmental opportunities
- Building trust
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Providing a sense of purpose
By following these seven tips, any business owner can create a happier and more productive workplace and, as a bonus, inspire employees to help you market your brand.
Creating Brand Advocates
Happy employees can be your company’s biggest asset when it comes to marketing and promoting your brand, advises Clancy Clarke in an article for AllBusiness.com. “By fostering a positive environment, you encourage your employees to become your most dedicated marketers,” she writes.
Your employees represent your business to your customers, so naturally, happier employees, through their clear loyalty and love for your brand, will inspire the same feelings in your customers. Happy employees thus can ensure your customers keep coming back to your business again and again.
In a sales environment, happier employees tend to make more sales because they’re viewed as less pushy than an unhappy salesperson who’s only goal is to make a quick sale. “A happy workforce translates to a company full of brand advocates who will sell without being prompted because they believe in what the company has to offer,” Clarke suggests.
Social Selling
With the massive growth of social media in the last few years, social networks like Facebook and Twitter are offering a wealth of opportunities for businesses to market their products and services, and happy employees can be a gold mine of untapped content ideas. Ask them to share those ideas, and then use them to help you develop content that showcases your brand’s best attributes.
Consider letting your employees write on your company blog, too, suggests Clarke. “Consumers often identify with employees more easily than with those in higher corporate positions, and you can make that connection work for you,” she writes.
As you can see, creating a workplace that encourages employee happiness and their participation as brand advocates can only benefit your business.
If you need help developing marketing and communications strategies that include input from your employees, PPR Strategies can help. Call us today at 304-876-8321 or email info@platinumpr.com.
One Response
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post.