How To Create a Positive Working Environment

There’s a lot to think about when cultivating a positive working environment. Employees want to feel respected and important to the business, and when they do feel this, productivity is increased! A poor working environment can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and employees thinking about leaving and moving elsewhere – so it is important to want to create and maintain a positive environment where employees feel valued!

Here are some the ideas to get you started.

State specifically who does what

Clearly defining the roles of employees can be not only encouraging, but also demonstrates that everyone in the workplace is being treated fairly. It removes the assumption that only the “hard workers” of the workplace will do more, and gives everyone a shared amount of responsibility.

Additionally, by having a clear definition of roles, each employee knows what is expected of them, and can ensure that even if there is a task that needs doing that no one wants to do, that someone will be responsible for it.

Don’t Micromanage

The roles and  responsibilities of the employees have been laid out and implemented – so take a step back. Give them a chance to carry out their duties, and trust them to get their work done properly and efficiently without constantly checking up on them.

That isn’t to say that checking up on your employees isn’t warranted - it is important to know what employees are up to, and quick check ins to see how your employees are doing and seeing if there is anything they need can help foster a positive working environment.

However, just don’t overdo the progress reports and staff meetings to the point where they get in the way of your employees doing their work. Micromanaging staff can make them feel as if they are not trusted, and can hinder opportunities for them to learn – trust them to do the work, and if they make mistakes, show them how they can learn from it!

Communication

Keep the lines of communication between yourself and your employees open. Sometimes there will be problems that arise that you may not know about – such as a conflict between two workers, or a lack of resources. It is important that your employees feel comfortable coming to you with their concerns whilst they’re small issues, when they are most manageable. If employees don’t feel comfortable coming to you, issues may fester and start to affect productivity and employee satisfaction!

Straight forward and honest communication will build a team’s foundation, and create a community within the workplace. It will help to create a supportive environment that employees will feel happy to work in!

Appreciation

Praise is always appreciated by employees, and certainly contributes to a good work environment! It helps to motivate the team to do well, and keep doing well as they will feel that their work is valued and that they are appreciated. Employees do not want to feel as if they are being taken for granted – so let them know that what they do for the company is appreciated.

You can do this by letting them come in late or leave early if they have stayed late the previous day, treating them to a monthly lunch, a weekly free coffee, and even by telling them that the extra effort is appreciated. This will help promote a positive atmosphere in the workplace!

Opportunities for Progression

Employees want to have the opportunity to learn and improve their skills! Encouraging your employees to grow will not only help engagement, but also boost employee retention rates. In addition to this, as employees learn and develop their skills, they will be able to take on more responsibilities and handle more complex tasks – meaning you can increase the scale of your business!

Employees will thrive with new opportunities for personal and professional development. It can be easy to focus on the things that will make teams more productive in the short term – but by providing employees with opportunities to grow in the long term you are future proofing the success and growth of your company and the quality of your staff.

Perks

Company perks have become so important to the workforce in recent years. They can be used to improve your employees lives in numerous ways, and they can make a positive impact on the workplace environment!

Perks such as a learning and development budget will show commitment to your employees that you want to help them develop their careers, and offering mental wellbeing support is another good way to provide personal support to your employees. Mental health support can look like an Employee Assistant Programme that has on-call counsellors available to your employees, or even regular group meditation and mindfulness sessions!

Other perks include free cinema tickets, days off on their birthdays, a cycle to work scheme, and discounts on local restaurants and shops!

Having perks in place will help contribute to a positive workplace environment as not only will it help employees feel appreciated, but will also give them opportunities outside of work to blow off steam and improve their mental wellbeing!