Employees are the backbone of every business, but many managers often underestimate them and neglect their needs. Which is a very bad policy, because the unmotivated and unhappy employees can destroy your image and cost you a lot to replace. On the opposite, when people feel motivated, they go the extra mile to ensure their company’s well-being and prosperity. Balancing the happiness of your staff and the goal to strive in this economy can be tricky sometimes. You need to be a good politician and a good leader at the same time. Here are a few simple tips, which will help you win the hearts of your team and make them work even harder towards achieving the company’s goals.

Allow a flexible work environment.

Recent studies among small and medium businesses show, that many employees would feel more motivated to work, if they had a flexible schedule. This would give them the opportunity to balance their personal lives with their professional ones better, which would make them happier. There are many ways in which you can implement flexible working hours – you can make a shift schedule, you can move people’s hours to different days, you can allow them to exchange shifts, and a lot more. If your work field allows working from home, you can try that too. People would feel much more comfortable at work if they know they can also do it in their own homes. In today’s digital era, we can allow ourselves some flexibility.

Make meetings productive.

In many companies, the word “meeting” is associated with lost time. Many employees feel this way, because they don’t learn anything particular during most group meetings. If you want your staff to be better oriented and informed, you need to make sure the meetings are productive. You should organize weekly meetings, create a strict schedule and use this time to inform everyone of things happening in the company, important events and everything else you find useful. Start a meeting with the most important news from the past period, and then continue with the tasks that need to be done for the week. In the end of the meeting, you should give your employees the opportunity to give their feedback, opinions and concerns.

Allow them to grow and evolve.

Nobody likes to be stuck in one place, without any chance to grow, change and evolve. Some people are OK with staying on one level, but most prefer to learn new things and expand their list of abilities. Therefore, you should organize company trainings, provide your employees with reading materials and make sure they are qualified enough for the work they’re performing. You should also be aware of the personal interests of each staff member. This will allow you to navigate their carrier development better. Of course, keeping detailed records for each employee will help you a lot with that.

Make them feel valued.

One of the main reasons people quit, is because they don’t feel valued by their peers. Encourage your employees when they perform important tasks, and praise them accordingly when they do a good job. Don’t be afraid to thank them when they do well and tell them how much you appreciate their hard efforts. When they make a mistake, don’t punish them, but point out the mistake, explain it and tell them how to do better next time. Being a leader means to work on solutions and improvements, so that both your staff and your clients are happy.

Provide them some entertainment.

People are not programmed to work all the time. They need some distractions from time to time, to help them clear their mind and gather more energy to continue their work. You, as their employer, have the important responsibility of providing them with the opportunity to unwind during their breaks. You can start by creating a common area, where employees can eat their lunch and spend their free time. Some bigger companies even provide their staff with a playground, where they can not only eat their lunch, but also have some fun playing various games. For instance, at Fantastic Cleaners we have table soccer, table tennis, backgammon and some other games to help our employees loosen up. Studies prove, that relaxed and entertained people work faster and are more efficient.

Get them involved.

Trust is pivotal when it comes to working in a team. This is why you need to trust your team. Hanging over their heads and correcting every little thing that doesn’t go your way is not a good policy. Nobody says to leave them to do whatever they want, but you can give them some space and monitor the process from a distance. This way your employees will feel more included, accepted and capable. Which will motivate them to work harder. Be the kind of leader you would want to have, and the positive results will follow very soon.