Newspapers and magazines seem to have determined the American reading public loves lists, from the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” to People magazine’s “Celebrity Hot List.”
One attention-grabbing list published annually in newspapers and business magazines is a list of top workplaces in a particular region, state or in the entire country. Some lists also break this down into categories such as “top workplaces for women,” “top workplaces for the disabled,” “top workplaces for minorities,” etc.
I assume people find these lists fun to read because they like to see if their workplace made the cut and, if not, where the grass is greener. The lists are valuable not only because they sell newspapers and magazines but because they provide a benchmark for all employers.
For these yearly lists of top workplaces to be valuable tools, employers can’t just skim the company names, but rather read all the comments made by workers whose participation made the list possible. These comments offer insights as to why certain companies made the list and what every employer can do to make things better for their own employees.
But why should employee satisfaction be a priority for your company? In today’s economy workers should just be happy to have a job, right? Maybe. But in today’s economy, or any economy, employers should strive to have happy employees for a number of reasons.
Through extensive surveys, The Gallup Organization has found that highly satisfied groups of employees often equate to above-average levels of:
• Customer loyalty
• Productivity
• Employee retention
• Workplace safety
• Profitability
Conversely, unhappy employees are less productive, have higher absence rates and probably won’t stick around long, which means frequent recruiting and training of new employees.
EMPLOYEE WISH LIST
So, without further ado, here’s my list of factors that contribute to employee satisfaction, compiled from countless “top places to work” articles:
A challenge. Employees reported being more satisfied when they were challenged at work every day and encouraged to do their best.
A common goal. Employees are happier when they feel like they are part of a team and everyone is striving for the same outcome. Workers enjoy collaboration and appreciate knowing exactly how they contribute to the achievement of the overall goal.
Recognition. Not praise for praise sake, but honest recognition when someone has gone above and beyond goes a long way toward employee satisfaction.
Work/life balance. All work and no play makes employees resentful of their employer. Well-rested employees who have time to enjoy leisure activities away from work, on the other hand, tend to be more productive. Allowing flexible scheduling so parents can attend school functions and workers with elderly parents can take them to appointments was frequently mentioned as a common practice at top workplaces.
A feeling of importance. Employees are more satisfied if they know their opinion matters and that management and co-workers will listen to their ideas. They also appreciate the freedom to explore new ideas and ways of doing things.
A family atmosphere. Things like the lunchtime pot luck, birthday celebrations, and secret Santa may seem like trivial time-wasters on the surface, but when workers get to know one another, know about each others’ families and outside lives, they come to care about one another, tend to be happier, and are therefore more productive and more likely to stay long-term.
Leading by example. Employees like to see managers “in the trenches.” Those who won’t ask employees to do anything they themselves wouldn’t do are frequently mentioned as the best bosses.
Positive atmosphere. Happiness is contagious. So is negativity. In workplaces where the glass is half full, workers report more satisfaction. This has a snowball effect.
Ethics. It makes people nervous and unhappy to carry around the knowledge that their employer is less than honest. Employees are happiest when they know everyone in the company conducts business in an ethical manner.
Quality. Workers whose companies provide top-quality products and services take more pride in their work, which creates a better workplace.
THE BEST YOU CAN BE
Your company may already have all of the characteristics of a “top workplace” and still never make an official list in a newspaper or magazine. That’s OK. You would reap the rewards from being really, really sexy without ever being named to People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive” list too. The point of striving to be a “top workplace” is not to be on some list, but to have a more positive and productive company. If, by chance, your company has made this type of list in a local newspaper, let us know at PRO, and we’ll share your achievement with our readers.
