We all want our employees to be satisfied with their jobs and careers — after all, when employees are happy, they do their best work. The question is this: How can you tell whether your employees are happy, and, if they’re not, what can you do about it?
Here are four under-the-radar ways to determine if your employees are happy on the job.
Look for Smiles
It may seem obvious, but one of the easiest ways to determine if your employees are happy is to look for smiles. Glance around the office and take note of the facial expressions you see — do employees look grim, dejected or depressed? Or do they appear focused, driven and engaged? When employees interact with one another, are there smiles and laughter involved? If most people don’t look very happy, it’s a safe bet they aren’t!
Pay Attention to Absenteeism
Keep a close eye on absenteeism rates. Employees who are frequently absent from work or taking more vacation days than usual may have a reason for staying out of the office. Either they’re avoiding work entirely, or they’re searching for another opportunity elsewhere! If you’ve noticed an employee’s absenteeism numbers tick up, it’s probably worth talking with them one-on-one to find out if they’re dissatisfied.
Consider Complaints
Have you noticed an influx of complaints, either from customers or other employees, about a specific individual? This is a red flag, not only for poor performance but as an indicator the individual in question isn’t happy. It’s time to speak with the employee directly — most likely, a solution can be found involving different work responsibilities, a change in hours, etc.
Hold Anonymous Surveys
Last but not least, the simplest way to find out whether or not your employees are happy is to ask them. Try distributing a survey to your team — with the option of taking it anonymously — that asks questions about their satisfaction with the job. This is a great way to notice patterns involving your employees’ happiness levels; perhaps there are things you can change office-wide to keep everyone in better spirits.
Do you need help finding and hiring happy, motivated and driven employees? We’re here to help with that. Visit High Profile online or give us a call at 972-991-7900 to learn more about how our staffing service can improve your team.