Employee satisfaction is an important topic to take into account within an organization. It often does not happen automatically and must be paid attention to keeping employees satisfied and involved within the organization. This guide shows several steps that must be taken into account.
Read more: Performance Reviews time? Or not?
What is satisfaction?
Employee satisfaction is more than many people think, not only the degree to which the staff is satisfied with their work plays a role in this, but it is much more extensive. As soon as you like the work you do, you can already be satisfied, yet real employee satisfaction is about increasing development, involvement and the feeling about the organization. An employer can do a lot for employee satisfaction. Thus, this guide intends to assist in this process.
Benefits of satisfaction within an organization
Having satisfied and committed employees within an organization is of great importance and therefore has many advantages. First, people are more motivated and productive when they are satisfied and engaged. Their will to achieve something will lead to better results. Besides, committed employees will also dare to take more initiative and give more input. In addition to higher productivity and more independence among employees, the workplace is of course much more pleasant if it consists of a group of motivated and committed employees who want to achieve goals together and help the organization further.
Download the free ebook: How to give feedback to 16 different personality types
Satisfaction through goal setting
To start with, you have to be clear for yourself what you want to achieve with the organization and then transfer this to the employees. Do not think of “making a profit” or “efficient production” but the deeper purpose for which everyone goes to work every day. By giving a clear reason and purpose to do the work you do every day, you give employees a direction that they can steer themselves in. Consider, for example, what problem you want to solve as an organization, what you can offer the customers or what you are committed to as an organization. This goal is also known as a “mission statement”. By conveying this mission to employees, they also get an idea and a feeling of what they are committed to and this motivates them to work towards it together.
Communication for satisfaction
Both within and outside organizations, communication is the key to successful collaborations. Since organizations cannot function properly without good communication, this also relates to employee satisfaction. As an organization, you must always communicate openly and clearly to employees. This leads to a committed and appreciated feeling among the staff. Besides, communication between different people within the organization also has an influence, when everyone communicates correctly with each other, the ties between the different employees are better. As a result, people feel more confident in the workplace and are therefore more satisfied in general.
Good communication does not happen automatically within an organization, which is why you must have a clear communication plan and facilitate employees with the right means of communication. A few points to consider in a communication plan is that communication can always go both ways so that everyone hears and is heard. Furthermore, make sure that all issues are openly discussed, so that confusion is avoided.
Read more: Happiness at work – What are the effects and how to implement it
Satisfaction by promoting health and fitness
Employee health and fitness is very important to organizations as illness and absenteeism can incur many unnecessary costs and hassle. By cooperating as an organization and thinking about the health of the staff, you, therefore, get a win-win situation. Research from flat magazine Gallup shows that employee engagement affects their health. 62% of the people who feel a committed employee indicate that this has a positive effect on their health, on the other hand, that of the employees who feel completely unengaged, only 22% think that work has a positive effect on their health and even 54% say that work has a negative influence. It is beneficial for both the employee and the organization to provide care from the organization, resulting in more involvement and satisfaction.
Ideal workplace for satisfaction
Since employees often spend a lot of time in the same place, the layout of this place is important for employee satisfaction. Therefore, provide the ideal workplace depending on the work being done and the functions that everyone fulfils.
