How to Keep Your Employees Happy and Working Hard

Guest post authored by Jennifer Scott

Create a positive workplace culture that will have your employees love working for you by offering some of these creative benefit suggestions.

Pay for Their Education

Supporting career advancement is a great way to show your employees that you want them to succeed. By assisting with tuition or offering educational reimbursement benefits, you will help your employees to learn new skills and advance through your organization. Consider limiting their course selection to those that are relevant to their job. For example, employees who earn a master’s degree will learn advanced skills in many fields including healthcare, business, education, and information technology. Encourage your employees to attend online school so they won’t have to take time off for their education!

Accommodate Remote Working

According to Forbes, only 9% of employees say they want to work in an office all the time. The rest would like to work from home at least some of the time. Consider taking a flexible approach and giving your employees the option to work from home when it makes sense. Allowing your employees to work from home will give them the autonomy to work in a way that suits them best. For example, some people work much more efficiently in a quiet, distraction-free work environment—which can be hard to find in an open-concept office.

Encourage Time Off

Over half of Americans don’t take all of their paid vacation days. Many employees feel that their workload will not accommodate time off, and when they do take days off, find it hard to unplug from work completely. But using those vacation days is important for health, productivity, and job satisfaction. Encourage your employees to use their vacation days! HRD suggests redefining your vacation policies to limit vacation rollover so your employees cannot hoard their vacation days at the expense of their wellbeing. You can also try encouraging shorter breaks, like taking a couple of Fridays off and extending their weekends.

Offer Health and Fitness Benefits

Offering healthcare insurance is a common employee benefit—many employees would choose health insurance over a pay raise! But you don’t have to stop there. Consider going a bit further with an employee wellness program. Providing a workplace health program can reduce employee absenteeism and increase employee retention. Plus, healthy employees are generally more productive! Consider including health and fitness services as an employee benefit to encourage your workers to practice self-care. For example, you could offer free gym memberships, access to a nutritionist, on-site massages, or coordinate yoga classes for the whole team.

Help With Relocation

Obviously, you want to surround yourself with the best employees you can find. However, the best employees you can find might not already be living in the same city as your business, meaning it might be helpful to offer a relocation package with your contract. Likewise, if your staff isn’t able to find a house within a specified time, you can connect them with temporary housing. That way, you’re demonstrating that you care for their wellbeing while also helping them get to work faster -- which is better for your business and their paycheck.

Support Their Mental Wellbeing

Supporting the mental wellbeing of your employees is just as important as encouraging their physical health. Believe it or not, nearly one-third of Americans reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in the past year. Find ways to help your employees navigate mental health challenges so they can do their best work! Consider offering mental health days, counseling services, mental health workshops, and free subscriptions to mental health and mindfulness apps like Headspace. Do what you can to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and start a productive conversation around mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Being a great leader is all about encouraging your employees to succeed. Offer benefits that foster personal development, career advancement, health, and mental wellbeing. Your employees will appreciate everything you do to support them! And when you acknowledge all the ways you’re excelling in your role, you’ll have the confidence you need to thrive as a woman in leadership!

Hailima I. Yates is the author of Dissolving the Anchor, CEO/Founder of Luv Mrk, transformation speaker, and mindset coach. If you’re interested in participating in coaching to be an empathetic leader to maintain a healthy workplace culture let’s chat!