by David Dourgarian, CEO of TempWorks Software

Numerous articles explain how company Culture changes the way employees operate, and have been largely based on speculation and personal opinion—until now. In December 2016, a study conducted by IZA World of Labor showed that happy and motivated workers are more productive in the workplace. In addition, Surrey Business School released a study that claimed people’s energy towards their colleagues has a major influence on how likely they are to leave their job voluntarily.

Today, Millennials are concerned with organizational culture when searching for their dream job. This emphasizes the need for businesses to shift their focus inward. By spending more time developing their day-to-day workplace culture, organizations can create an environment that engages their employees and encourages them to be creative and productive—and not because they have to, but because they want to. More importantly, by focusing on internal culture, organizations can help employees shift their mindset from the “just a job” mentality to desiring a long-term career with the company.

Employee Happiness Leads to Workplace Productivity

In the IZA World of Labor study, Dr. Eugenio Porto of the University of Warwick’s Economics Department states that the causal relationship between employee well-being and company performance justifies spending corporate resources to make the workplace a happier environment. He also notes that employee well-being should be at the core of company culture strategy because motivated employees are more likely to go above and beyond daily tasks, as well as want a long-term career with the company.

Following Dr. Porto’s advice, business leaders should invest in a worker wellness program, flexible job options, and professional development opportunities. Businesses can also benefit from organizing a volunteer day to support an existing community service program, which will provide workers with supplementary occasions for personal development. When an organization provides programs that help their employees better themselves, it motivates staff to perform their best in all circumstances.

By showing a true concern for employee growth and contentment, business leaders will motivate workers to spend more time on their work, and more time producing results that bring more ideas to the table to share with the team.

The Surrounding Energy in the Office Has an Extreme Influence on Employees

Replacing employees comes at a great cost in terms of recruitment fees, training, and a loss of organizational performance. This makes keeping retention rates high a huge organizational goal for any business. For this reason, businesses need to develop innovative ways to keep their employees engaged, loyal, and happy.

Organizations should aim to create a sense of loyalty in their employees to help them feel like they are building a career and not just doing a job. These factors are both heavily influenced by the attitudes of their surrounding coworkers.

The study conducted by Surrey Business School shines light on the importance of maintaining a positive atmosphere in the office. When employees feel high energy among colleagues, they are less likely to leave the organization voluntarily compared to those who experience negative attitudes. In essence, the study emphasizes the importance of building relationships with employees and encouraging them to build relationships with each other.

Businesses can achieve this by creating and organizing lively interactions between leaders and employees. For example, leaders can encourage employees to cross-train or pick up skills from a different team in the office. Also, planning fun social activities outside of work hours such as happy hours, meals, or company excursions is a great way to get the team interacting with one another. By getting employees away from their computers and the stresses of daily life, leaders can build an environment focused on teamwork, innovation, and personal growth.

These two studies reinforce the positive outcome for business leaders who think about and implement ways to make their employees’ lives better on a daily basis. When a company takes the time to improve the workplace atmosphere and employee satisfaction, they are taking strides towards increased employee success and performance at work.

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