Sensational Staff: Simple Ways to Keep Your Workforce Happy

building a freelance business

You might be the genius behind your business, but your staff are extremely important too. You can't run things alone, not if you want to continue to expand and grow and so you need fantastic workers who can fulfil each role and do their work to the highest standard. Your workforce are what literally make your entire venture work, and so not only do you need the right people but you need to be keeping them happy too. Here’s how you can go about it.

Allow them to work from home

You might not be able to have a completely remote workforce, for whatever reason you might need staff in the office for at least some of the time. However, are there days when your employees could just as easily be working from the comfort of their homes? Providing all of their daily work gets done then this won't affect you or your productivity, but could make them much happier. With no commute and the opportunity to have pyjama days now and again this could really be something that employees approve of. Now that so much of business is being conducted in the cloud, it’s easier than ever to allow your staff to work remotely, even if just some of the time. You just need to ensure you have the right programs, for example you will need to decide between Google Drive vs. Drop Box. You will need to migrate your data and documents online, as well as programs like Office 360 to ensure everything is streamlined. Once all of your software is in the cloud, essentially staff can work from anywhere in the world since data sharing is easy and can be done securely and to any computer.

Provide them with a good office

If you do have staff working in your office, even if it’s just some of the time, then the space should be up to scratch. Have it deep cleaned and redecorated, and update the lighting and window treatments so that if feels bright and makes the most of the natural daylight. Add living plants which have been shown to boost productivity and mood in the workplace. Make sure they have the equipment and right technology to do their job to their best standard.

Listen to them

This sounds like such a simple thing but it’s so important. Listening to your employees can make them feel happier and more valuable to you and your company. These people are very important to your business and you want to know that they are valued and respected, so as well as getting to know them you should really listen to what they have to say. Whether it’s a comment, query or complaint, make sure this is dealt with efficiently. When your staff feel comfortable speaking to you, chances are you’ll hear about any issues that you’re unaware of far more quickly. Maybe something isn't working in your business, but it’s flown under your radar since you’re managing things from the top. Perhaps there’s workplace bullying or harassment going on. The quicker this is brought to your attention and resolved, the quicker productivity will return.