Recent findings show that only 21.6% of office-based workers are happy with their work environments. That’s compared to 28.3% of hybrid employees, and 35.4% of people who are fully remote. Even for this last group, the rate of employee satisfaction remains low.
But it gets worse.
Just 17.1% of in-office employees are happy with their work-life balance, compared to 25.1% of hybrid workers and 33.2% of remote employees.
Ouch.
If you’re looking to boost employee satisfaction in 2023, look no further. These tips will help your employees feel more satisfied in their roles regardless of your business size.
Send an employee experience survey
Employee experience surveys help you identify issues impacting team members.
How do they feel about what’s happening in your business? What’s their day-to-day experience? What improvements would they like to see?
The more often you send them, the more useful the results will be (as long as you keep them short!).
And, if you automate the process of analyzing the data, you can take action sooner, too.
For example, a tool like Workrowd sends short feedback requests after every event or session your company organizes, along with quick, intermittent pulse surveys. The software combines this with activity tracking and usage data (e.g. RSVPs) to give you real-time dashboards showing employee satisfaction levels.
Make them feel included in discussions and developments
When big changes happen within a business, employees are often the last to know. This can lead to them feeling betrayed, let down, or invisible, even though they’re the ones the changes affect the most.
Being transparent about what’s happening, whether it’s good or bad, helps them feel included.
Even if you don’t take every piece of their feedback, ensuring they have a voice shows you value them and their contributions to the organization.
Give employees the chance to be themselves
Four out of five employed Americans report that they feel seen at work for who they really are, rather than just a stereotype. However, this number is heavily skewed by the fact that 93% of white men agreed with this statement. In contrast, only 73% of BIPOC women feel the same.
Similarly, LGBTQ+ employees rank where they work 6% lower than non-LGBTQ+ peers. Transgender employees rate their employee experience the lowest, at just 3.43 out of 5.
Many employees from underrepresented communities feel the need to hide, mask, or code-switch in the workplace. It’s exhausting and an additional source of stress.
To improve this result at your company, you need an open culture. One where employees feel comfortable being themselves, whatever their background. One where people aren’t assumed to be one thing or another, and are accepted for who they actually are.
As a leader, it’s your job to set that example. Learn how to be a real ally. Share your experiences and get involved.
The more you show that you really do care, the more likely your employees will be to feel comfortable.
Encourage workplace friendships
60% of employees believe their colleagues make the biggest difference to their workplace happiness. That means if you’re not facilitating coworker relationships, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to increase employee satisfaction.
It’s not just about forced socializing within a team. It’s also about helping employees find people with similar interests they can connect with. This makes them feel like they belong in the workplace and increases the likelihood they’ll stay.
Set clear career paths
Telling an employee they deserve a promotion is one thing. Creating a path to that promotion shows you’re serious about them progressing in their role.
A vague plan is unlikely to ever happen because nobody knows what steps they need to take to get there. It’s also easier to forget.
A clear path, meanwhile, shows them you value them and want to keep their skills and knowledge on the team.
Offer mentoring opportunities
Sometimes an employee needs a little guidance to help them get to the next step in their career. Mentoring is a great way to help them achieve this because they can learn from someone who’s been in a similar situation.
Being a mentor offers a lot of benefits, too. It’s a way for people to give back to their colleagues, build confidence, reinforce knowledge, and feel good about helping someone.
Make breaks a priority, not an afterthought or reward
Breaks shouldn’t be treated as a reward for achieving something. They should be a vital part of getting things done!
The longer we work without a break, the more our productivity and ability to concentrate suffers.
Even a quick, 40-second micro-break helps us recharge and perform better in our roles. 40 seconds!
Ideally, it’s best to take longer than that a few times a day, though. You can’t eat your lunch or drink a coffee in 40 seconds.
Ensuring employees eat their lunch away from their desk is one way for them to get a longer break. Or they could go for a walk to a local park, play with a pet, or read a book. Anything that’s not work-related can help clear their head and increase employee satisfaction.
Reward them
A little reward goes a long way. It doesn’t have to be anything big, or even something that holds monetary value.
A simple and genuine ‘thank you’ when someone’s done a great job can have a major impact on employee satisfaction.
Grow creative skills
The more creativity and control we have in a role, the happier we’re likely to be. These things can only happen in a supportive, inclusive environment. They’re like muscles; the more someone uses them, the better they get at doing so.
If someone has never experienced control in a role before, they’re going to need some guidance to help them manage that control.
If they’re not used to their ideas being accepted and encouraged, it’ll take time for their ability to generate ideas to develop.
Walking meetings are a good way to get the mind and body going, and can lead to more ideas and better conclusions, too.
As there’s often a set duration or path for a meeting, it can help attendees stay on track and come to better solutions at the end, too.
And, since you’re not talking face-to-face like you would in a meeting room, it can feel less confrontational, making it easier to talk about more challenging topics.
Conclusion
A little bit of support can make a big difference when it comes to employee satisfaction. This could come in the form of changing how you communicate with employees, offering more opportunities to grow their skills, or letting them do something good for themselves and their community.
In order to effectively increase employee satisfaction over time, you need the right tools. Workrowd makes it easy to connect every team member to the best your organization has to offer, no matter where or when they work. Plus, with real-time analytics, you’ll always know where you can improve.
If you want to do more in less time this year, send us a note at hello@workrowd.com. Our lightweight tool suite is a snap to set up, and will have you on the road to higher employee satisfaction in no time.
