Many entrepreneurs aim to improve wellbeing in the workplace but do not have the tools to achieve it. Entrepreneurs need to improve work satisfaction, but understanding the root cause is only one component. It's actually being able to have the ability to foster change within your business. So what can employers do to invest in workplace happiness through the business side of things? 

Creating Career Pathways

One of the main reasons people leave their job is due to a lack of career progression. Nobody wants to feel under-stimulated and stuck in a role. Establishing a solid career pathway can solve this problem. But when a business is on the smaller side, it can prove difficult to establish. Investing in your workers' education is one approach that could help.

It may take a business loan or two to establish the right courses within the environment, but this provides a short-term solution for employees who are considering jumping ship. Investing in your employees' development will help them to view themselves within the framework of the company. 

Prioritising Work-Life Balance

It's something that we all know needs to be part of the fabric of our company, but we invariably encourage our employees to prioritise their work at the expense of living. However, this is very harmful to both sides of the equation. If you overwork your employees they are going to run the risk of experiencing burnout. However, employees that have a good work-life balance will work harder. And investing in flexible work schedules is one of the best approaches to achieve better work-life balance.

But this is not the be-all and end-all, it should be about the people in charge leading by example, and ensuring that they finish work at an appropriate time. Many businesses are now encouraging their workers to stay at home whereas others are chomping at the bit to bring them back. If there's anything we can learn from the last 18 months, it's that employees will need more flexibility in their lives so they can deliver the goods at work, while also having a proper life if outside of the company. 

Providing Benefits That Go Beyond the Basics

There are many ways that you can support your employees to make them feel valued. Benefits are few and far between with many businesses, especially start-ups, but offering health and wellbeing benefits such as gym memberships can help your employees to enjoy life more and have better relationships and a greater sense of purpose. 

Investing in a Nurturing Workplace

Because of the pandemic, we now have to give employees reasons to come to the office. An office environment that helps your employees work better is important, but it should also be an attractive prospect. You want your employees to come into the office because they can do some work while also socialising with other employees. When we redesign a space to create a more collaborative culture, employees are going to feel that they'll get more done in the office rather than at home.

If your office space still has remnants of old open-plan designs, it's important to start thinking about all the little components that will make your employees feel happier in the workplace. This can mean focusing on comforts, such as ergonomic chairs or standing desks, while also stimulating the senses in the right ways, such as having the right colour schemes and breakout rooms for mental downtime. 

Creating a Positive Culture

Happiness will inspire productivity, and when people are more positive, they will have an advantage over the negative individuals and will be better employees. Investing in certain changes that will rewire your mindset is important. For example, exercises can be beneficial, however, we don't need to invest in gyms on-site if we don't have the finances. Instead, we could invest in an instructor to come by and teach office isometrics, which can be done intermittently.

Additionally, having someone teach employees how to meditate can allow us to focus our minds. But we could also so do it by paying for it ourselves. Some people say there's no such thing as a free lunch. If we offer our employees a free lunch, it is the very embodiment of gratitude. When we say “thank you,” it will go a long way. 

Workplace happiness is about ensuring your employees are productive, but also making sure that the work doesn't impact their lives. It is certainly possible to buy your way to workplace happiness, just as long as you do it in the right ways.