The extent to which a person is happy and content within their job will have an effect on their ability to carry out that role and the efficiency in which they do so. It is also a key factor in determining other parts of their lives such as relationships and personal lives outside of work. Not only does it require each individual to carefully apply for jobs in companies they believe in and with environments they enjoy, but it matters how much effort the employer is willing to put in too. Many business owners neglect this and it shines through in the results they see and the turnover they produce.

An employee satisfaction report can be used to begin the process of understanding how each team member is feeling in their current role. Employers who take pride in looking after their people and working to improve the work environment, as well as the company culture, will see far more productive and happy workers. It’s one of the ways you can show respect and understanding towards their hard work. It also displays your acknowledgement of their lives outside of your business. It is important to remember that what happens while they’re under your time will affect other aspects of their life.

What is an employee satisfaction report?

This type of survey allows you to ask specific questions tailored to your company that will help you understand how many of your employees are happy working for you and enjoy what they do. It is a chance to think about the benefits you offer, the day to day running of the business and the procedures the team have to go through during their working week. You could also dive into the more social side of the business and ask about their relationships with colleagues. Do they feel part of a team and are they content around whoever they work with? 

The key focus of these surveys is to find out what you’re doing well and what needs to be improved upon to make your team’s lives better. We understand that you might be a little apprehensive to read what gets back to you – but think about it in a positive light. A lot of the things mentioned will probably be easy to adapt. Small changes can have a huge impact on people’s wellbeing, resulting in a more confident and positive work environment. While not everything may be able to be actioned right away; the things that can show individuals their concerns are being noticed and respected. 

How can you bump up staff morale?

Measuring morale and fulfilment through an employee satisfaction report will inevitably benefit both parties if it is acted on correctly. People don’t come into work purposefully in a bad mood or unwilling to carry out their role. But if they are in an environment where they feel ignored and unwanted – they won’t have the drive needed to produce top quality results. So for your sake, it’s key we measure these factors and implement new strategies accordingly because you’ll notice:

• Increased productivity
• Employee retention
• Engagement increase
• Advocating

But let’s have a look at things you can do right away that will help you bump that morale and give people plenty of reason to come to work every day. While these will not satisfy every person, it’s a great place to start even before you’re put together a survey.

Prioritise work-life balance

This is so important to remember because many people will focus so highly on deadlines and workload, they forget to enjoy their life outside of work. Or it may even get to the point where they physically can’t enjoy anything else because their world revolves around a career. This is when you start to see people burn out, lose focus and lose the ability to work productively. Whereas, someone with a healthy balance can come into work each day knowing what they need to do to produce the best results and then leave it at the door on the way out. They’ll be much more efficient and will be far happier in their role.

So as an employer – you need to remind people of their work hours and lay down expectations. While it’s reasonable to expect deadlines are met and the work gets done, this should not mean having to work overtime every day and accumulating 10+ hours each week where they should be switching off. If it does, something needs to be addressed. Are expectations too high? Are targets unachievable? Is it something more than that? There should be a mutual understanding that if projects are completed and the standards are high, the team shouldn’t be working beyond their contracted hours. 

Offer business perks

We don’t want you to break the bank here, but when working for you comes with extra benefits, it often gives people a little more incentive to go above and beyond. Things like early finish Fridays could be implemented if realistic targets are hit or goals are achieved. The same goes for social events. People build up a sense of community in a business, so why not celebrate that alongside your month or quarter’s successes and all enjoy a night out on you? Not only does it reward their hard work, but it gives people something to look forward to and talk about afterwards. 

Proposing certain perks to work towards will make their goals a little clearer. It provides a sense of why they are doing what they’re doing. It also helps them collaborate better as a team because if they don’t pull together, the joint effort won’t get them their rewards. At the same time, having benefits that are guaranteed will sweeten the deal too. This helps for months where targets are a little higher and business may be slower. If they know they still have a birthday bonus coming up or some time off a Christmas – they won’t get disheartened. 

Understand who they are

While it is easy to get caught up in what they do for you and how they fit into the business, don’t forget to spend time getting to know what kind of person they are. Firstly, this will make them a lot more comfortable in discussing things with you. They are not a cog in your machine, so don’t make them feel like that. Instead, chat with them and find out what they believe in and what they excel in. This way you can tailor their goals a lot better and set them up for success effortlessly. 

Not only that, but once you realise their potential they will begin to thrive in your work environment. Help them to do so by offering development opportunities to do with their interests and put some new responsibilities on the table that you believe will better them as well as benefit the business as a whole. It is a two-way street once you start implementing morale boosters and chances for development. The more you offer, the more and better quality results you will get back. 

Get rid of the hierarchy approach

It isn’t appreciated by employees and it doesn’t get you anywhere fast. Many large companies have a clear sense of hierarchy whereby the new staff and those in small departments will rarely see the director or even their own managers. This creates a very toxic environment in which no one feels like they can share innovations or voice their opinions. For a business to work smoothly, you need all of these things to be possible – otherwise, the people formerly at the top of that hierarchy will never understand what goes on underneath. As a result, you don’t notice glaring issues and ineffectiveness. 

Instead, set an example of inclusivity. Every individual should feel confident to voice concerns and approach whoever they need to in different situations. Once you’ve made it clear that everyone is equal within the company – they will start to relax and gain confidence in the impact they are making. Your part-timers and interns are still vital contributors every day. But it is people like this that often get lost within that hierarchy. That is when you start to lose people and lose your positive culture. 

Make your changes today 

In order to see the answers you want on that employee satisfaction report, you need to start making changes now. Begin by understanding where people stand in the company and how much they enjoy what they do. After you know this, it will be easy to find ways to better their work lives and implement new strategies to help them achieve their full potential. The results you see on their general wellbeing and happiness will be reflected in your quantitative results too. Keeping your team happy is the best way to keep your business running as best it can. 

If you want some more advice on implementing surveys or what to do when you have the results, get in touch. Speak to one of our dedicated Azimuth experts today by contacting us at enquiries@azimuth.eu.com or call 01483 24 33 81. We’ll be more than happy to discuss how we can help you and with over 20 years of experience across a range of industries, we have the innovative, proven tools that can help you unlock the true potential of yourself – and your business. What are you waiting for?

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