We’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that happy employees are more engaged and productive. They are also less likely to miss work and will stay in their position for longer, as well as provide better representation for your brand and push your business forward with dynamic and creative thinking.

The bad news is, your employees probably aren't happy. 85% of people are reported to be unhappy in their current role, which is supported by a study that states 82% of individuals would be willing to accept another job.

Keeping employees happy is a constant uphill battle; one that requires a regular investment of resources and a commitment to better working practices. Many of these processes require long-term thought and strategy, but there are some simple changes you can make now to see immediate benefits.

Improve Cleanliness for Happier Workers

Dirt, mess and clutter make us unhappy. It’s a simple fact.

Repeated studies have shown that intrusive objects can impact productivity, cluttering our minds — not just our workspaces. Actual dirt and mess can also make our environment unpleasant, and while this may impact some more than others, the majority of people — 90% in fact — say that mess makes them unhappy.

Maintaining a clean and tidy work environment, then, is an incredibly simple yet effective way of improving employee happiness. Actively keeping mess out of the office, decluttering and making sure everywhere is spotless, from office cubicles to bathrooms, really can have a dramatic impact.

A clean workplace also has a knock-on effect on brand presentation. Workplaces that see a lot of footfall outside of their employee range, such as retailers or agencies that operate face-to-face meetings, stand to benefit from keeping their spaces tidy.

Unclean working environments can influence the perception of professionalism, affecting how clients and customers view your business.

Create a Sense of Purpose

These days, for many, a job is more than a job. The modern worker wants to feel more of a connection to their role than just simply clocking in and clocking off to earn a living. Many seek out a sense of purpose beyond that of financial gain.

Jobs that don’t provide that aren't going to support employee happiness. While this may seem like a very personal and subjective problem, there are actually things you can do as a business owner or manager to create that sense of purpose at work, or at least develop an environment that produces deeper meaning when it comes to task completion.

But what exactly can you do?

Charity — Getting involved with charitable campaigns and causes has been shown to have a direct influence on employee engagement. Being part of meaningful change helps to develop a sense that work has an impact on more than just profit margins.

Passions — Incorporating personal passions into an employee’s work life gives their employment purpose beyond your own business goals.

Examples include giving an accountant with a passion for music musical clients or allowing an individual who likes to travel the opportunity to take business trips. Engage in personal interests wherever possible and employees will be happier as a result.

Progression and Training — One powerful way of demonstrating purpose behind a role is providing clear paths of progression, alongside additional training that supports career development.

Show your workers they can go further and give them the tools to do it. Nothing destroys a sense of purpose more than feeling like a job is a dead end.

Focus on Work-Life Balance

Stressed employees are not happy employees. That’s not a surprising fact. What might be more surprising, however, is that striking an effective work-life balance can be the key to happier workers.

According to reports, jobs that allow more time for family, friends and outside interests result in a rise in performance and satisfaction, thanks to reduced stress.

Being in a position that enables development and engagement with other lifestyle aspects leads to better mental health, which in turn creates more appreciation of a role.

Enabling better work-life balance in the modern day is all about workplace flexibility. Many people no longer work typical hours, and conflicting schedules and other commitments can create barriers for social and personal opportunities.

Essentially, the world doesn’t run on the archaic nine-to-five system anymore, which means if you force your employees to carry on this way, they’ll face factors that can negatively affect work-life balance.

Giving your employees the ability to work to flexible timeframes — be that the development of the four-day work week, the introduction of work-from-home schemes or the ability to move their working hours around their personal schedules — can be a powerful method of reducing stress and boosting happiness.

Build a Workplace Community

Loneliness can be an unfortunate part of the workplace environment. If your employees become disconnected from their colleagues, or never build relationships in the first place, they’ll suffer as a result.

A lonely employee is unlikely to be a happy employee, reducing retention rates and overall job satisfaction. Cases aren't isolated either. Around 60% of people say they are lonely in their current role.

So what is the solution? Your employees may not feel confident building relationships or creating a community, which means it is up to management to foster a healthy workplace environment and bridge gaps in communication. Effective methods of creating community at work include:

• Put people together in order to complete tasks. This might mean bringing them together on projects to acquire clients, sending them out on jobs in pairs or teams, or creating situations where workers are reliant on their colleagues for certain things.
• Organise corporate events, such as internal conferences, team-building days and travel opportunities.
• Organise social events outside of the working environment, including evenings and meals out, company-wide sports teams and other recreational activities.
• Create in-house spaces for community, such as social and recreational areas.
• Invest time in community-building activities at work. Workshops and training that encourage employees to integrate with one another are great ways to achieve this goal.

Article provided by FastKlean. Cleaners in London, FastKlean are experts in the provision of commercial property services, such as office, retail, restaurant and entertainment venue cleaning.