Although you want your office to happy all year round, the New Year gives you a great opportunity to start thinking about what worked well last year, and what you can do to improve the overall happiness of your employees.
Whether you create a space people can relax in or redecorate the office in a creative way, keeping your employees happy is vital to your company’s success.
With that in mind, here are 12 ways to make the office a happier place in 2019:
- Have Snacks Available For Staff To Take For Free
This is something a lot more companies are starting to do and it makes such a difference to everyone’s productivity. Whilst it doesn’t have to be something that costs the companies loads, it makes employee’s feel like they are much more appreciated – and gives them some to keep their energy levels up as they start to dip! As most people would normally bring their own snacks, it’s a great way to show that you care.
- Create A Space For People To Relax
Although having a break room technically counts as a place to relax, often these spaces are not very relaxing. Instead, it tends to be a kitchen with a lot of hard seating and bland walls. Making this space much more comfortable and colourful will mean people will feel 100 times more relaxed, helping them enjoy their time at work that little bit more.
- Hire People With Happy Personalities
It’s true that happy people make people happy! Whilst ultimately it does need to come down to their skill, hiring people that have a happy personality will help make the office a happier place.
- Redecorate The Office In a Creative Way
Most offices tend to have a standard way of being decorated, including dull furniture, plain walls and lots of closed doors. Rethinking the way your office space looks is the perfect opportunity to get much more creative. Let your staff have a say in what they want, but also go for a design that inspires and encourages creativity among your staff.
- Offer Rewards For Hitting Targets
If you are an office that has to regularly work to targets, finding a way to reward employees is a great way to encourage people to hit their targets more often. Whilst sales commision works great, often it’s the extra benefits that make people enjoy their job.
If you have people that are not on the sales team regularly performing well, it’s also a good idea to start rewarding them for their hard work. Often other teams get forgotten, when the company wouldn’t be able to run without them. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to reward the whole team, you can view these fantastic group employee benefits here.
- Start Office Traditions
Having office traditions gives your staff something to look forward to each month. Whether it’s a free pizza lunch on the last day of the month, a beer after work on Friday or having an employee of the month award – these kinds of traditions keep motivation high!
- Go Out For Regular Team Get Togethers
Having regular team get-togethers with everyone at work is a great way for people to get to know each other without all of the stresses of work surrounding them. It’s a more relaxed environment and the best place for people to form long-lasting relationships.
Although the more events you hold for your team the better, these don’t have to be every single month. Having a get together at the end of each quarter is a great way to show your thanks for everyone’s hard work.
- Be Open And Honest About Everything
Often, when there are big changes happening in a company, the owners tend to keep people in the dark. Whilst it may seem like this is the best thing to do, in some cases, it’s better to just be open and honest. If there are lots of meetings going on, have a meeting your employees to also let them know what’s going on and if there are any big changes about to happen. They’ll appreciate your honesty and work much harder.
- Give Each Employee A Personalised Christmas Gift
As Christmas is coming up, it’s the perfect time to show your appreciation by giving each employee their own personalised gift. Whether it’s a notebook embossed with their name, a personalised pen or a hamper filled with lots of Christmas goodies – your employees will really love your kind gesture and will come back in 2019 feeling appreciated and happy.
- Start The Year Off With New Stationery
Gifting everyone with their own new stationery is a great way to get people excited for the new year. Whether you give it to them as they leave on the last day of the year, or leave it as a surprise when they come back – they’ll be dying to get to work to use their new stuff (well, if they’re stationery lovers, that is!).
- Take Part In Charity Events And Days
Taking part in charity events and fundraiser days not only shows that you care about outside issues, but it gives your employees a chance to be creative and have fun. They can take part in bakes offs, challenges and lots of other fun activities that encourage them to raise money for some incredible charities.
- Encourage A Great Work-Life Balance
Whilst sometimes employees may feel they have to work late to get everything finished, this kind of mentality will have a negative impact on their lives. Try to encourage everyone to leave work on time every day, making sure they have the best possible work-life balance they could have. If they do have to work late, reward them with a bottle of wine, some vouchers or even just a simple thank you card to show they’re appreciated.
With 2019 approaching fast, what will you do to make the new year happier for your employees? Let us know in the comment section below!
