It’s simple—if you keep the great employees you have, you won’t have to spend a bunch of money finding new ones. But how to do that? One part of that means keeping them happy and motivated.
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- Have fun every day.
Creating an enjoyable environment isn’t just about game rooms and off-site field trips; it’s about infusing joy into each day. At Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Server Joy (yes, that’s really her name!) Tanjuakio enjoys being part of customers’ daily celebrations, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or simple family dinners. Equinix is so committed to fun that it employs a Chief Fun Officer who drives initiatives to make work fun and to improve employee satisfaction.
YouEarnedIt’s Create Happiness core value reminds everyone that it’s our job to infuse joy into the lives of others every chance we get, whether it’s through our sales process, how we onboard a new hire, or if someone is personally helping the sales team reign in the quarter with a rain dance. Yes. That happened.
- Make sure leadership listens.
These top performers also united around another key idea: Good managers invest in their employees, and the more leaders listen and invite feedback, the better. At MedSpring Urgent Care, Medical Staff Scheduler Natasha Bhimji appreciates that her managers and company leaders are always willing to listen. She knows they hear her and appreciate her opinions.
For Tanjuakio, Karl Strauss Brewing Company’s open-door policy makes her feel connected with managers and leadership. To start, consider encouraging employees to provide feedback—good and bad—across many channels so everyone listens and knows what’s important. Bonus if leadership takes the feedback, creates an action plan to address needs, and presents to everyone at the right time.
- Encourage employee-driven recognition and rewards.
People work harder when their work is appreciated. But, appreciation doesn’t have to come from the top. Creating a democratized reward system that encourages each employee to recognize a good job builds connections and gratitude.
Karl Strauss Brewing Company uses the YouEarnedIt platform for its “Beer It Forward” program, which allows employees to recognize one another and earn rewards. Tanjuakio turned that peer appreciation into two Park Hopper tickets to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. At MedSpring Urgent Care, Bhimji appreciates how a flattened system of recognition delivers feedback from team members who work in other locations or at the corporate office.
To read each of these top-performing employee’s full responses, check out the e-book here.
Opening the conversation to this superb pool of employees offers a fresh perspective on what it takes to attract great talent, create employee engagement, and turn organizations into exceptional places to work. What will your company do to attract and retain high-performing employees? Your employees probably already have the answer—all you need to do is ask.
Autumn Manning is the CEO of YouEarnedIt.