We were recently surprised and honored to learn that SkyWater will be the recipient of a second award as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Minnesota. This award comes from Minnesota Business Magazine for businesses that “excel in employee well-being.”
We believe that a positive working environment not only increases employee enthusiasm and productivity, but is vital to our ongoing success and ability to build cohesive and committed teams.
Research by the Corporate Leadership Council reveals that happy employees are more committed to their employer and are 87% less likely to quit their jobs, but how can companies achieve this? We’ve outlined our recommendations below:
Encourage a sense of ownership: It’s important for your employees to feel that they belong. One of the most effective ways of achieving this is to encourage your team to suggest ideas for improvement and take responsibility for their individual projects. Teams with a sense of ownership go that extra mile to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.
Share your company vision: Employees become actively disengaged when they feel like “bit players.” At SkyWater, all of our team understands our company goals and vision. They know where we are going and we all work together to achieve those goals. Empowering your team in this way increases their motivation and encourages a culture of collaboration. High achievers in particular are motivated by seeing the bigger picture.
Career development opportunities: Today’s career path is not necessarily linear but employers can still provide clear career development opportunities. The lack of potential for career advancement is consistently cited as one of the top reasons employees leave a company. In a flat structured organization, you can still establish processes to help your top talent to develop their skills and fulfill their potential. A step forward doesn’t necessarily mean a “step up.” Allow them to work on unique, one-off projects or work in different areas of the business to expand their knowledge base.
Keep the information flowing: An informed team is generally a happy team. If you have new products planned or potential challenges ahead that will require a shift in strategy, be upfront and get buy-in from your employees. Keeping your teams in the dark does not benefit anyone. Sharing successes, opportunities and concerns will strengthen their belief that they play a key role in your long term success. Treat them like adults, they will respect you for it.
Encourage interaction: Encouraging social interaction and collaborative work will result in enhanced job satisfaction and subsequently higher productivity. Management consultants Sociometric Solutions suggest that simple strategies such as larger lunch tables and moving coffee stations can lead to a 25% improvement in employee morale and productivity.
Get fit! The positive psychological effects of exercise are well documented. Rather than eating lunch at their desks, encourage your employees to take a walk or offer subsidies towards a local gym membership. Healthy and fit employees are more productive, optimistic and motivated.
Recognize achievements: Acknowledge individuals and groups when they’ve completed projects ahead of time or pulled out all of the stops to fulfill a commitment to a client. A simple “thank you” goes a long way. If you can’t remember the last time you congratulated your team on a job well done or recognized the contributions of an individual, it’s time to make things right.
