How to Keep Employees Happy
To keep your employees happy, trust that they're going to do a good job and avoid micromanaging them. You should still supervise their work, but do it using occasional check-ins and performance reviews, which is also a great way to communicate with your employees and ask how they're doing. Also, try to show your employees that you appreciate them by doing things like bringing in food for everyone, hosting fun events, and giving out prizes for good work.
Take an employee satisfaction survey. This can be done anonymously and voluntarily. Invite your employees to share what they like and dislike about their jobs and their work environment. Ask questions like, “Do you feel you have the tools and resources necessary to do your job?” or “Does your work give you a personal feeling of accomplishment?” or “Are you satisfied with your involvement in decisions that affect you personally at work?” or “What might we change to increase employee satisfaction?” Pay attention to the survey results. There might be some things you cannot do anything about right now, such as providing raises or better benefits. However, pay attention to the things that will cost nothing, such as a dress code that includes casual Fridays. Either way, make sure you follow up with your employees' feedback so they stay updated about any progress. Continue to invite suggestions from employees. A suggestion box can go a long way in keeping your staff feeling like they can provide ideas for a more positive working environment. Hold regular reviews. Even if a salary increase only comes annually, supervisors and managers should provide performance reviews at least every few months. This gives your employees a chance to engage with you about their performance on the job and how they feel about working there. Praise the staff who are doing well. Hearing they are doing good work will motivate your best employees and keep them happy. Conduct weekly one-on-one meetings with your employees to help encourage open communication so they can discuss what's going well for them and what they think could use improvement. That way, you're less likely to get surprised at a regular performance review. If an employee is doing well, try saying something like, “We are very pleased with your overall performance, especially in such and such area.” If you feel an employee needs to improve in a certain area, handle the situation delicately by telling them, “We appreciate all of the hard work you're doing here at the company, especially regarding your increasing sales. But we believe that the company would benefit if you paid more attention to tracking the invoice.” Communicate openly. Your employees will be happy when they are getting accurate information directly from the company. They do not want to hear about news or developments from the media, your competition, or other people. Hold regular meetings or send out newsletters informing employees about important company changes – whether related to business or internal policies. If your company is planning a merger with another company, hold a meeting in which you inform your employees. You don't want them to hear about it from sources outside of management. Telling them personally what is going on will also help allay any fears they may have regarding their job stability with the upcoming changes. Say something like, “We wanted to let you know that some company-wide changes are happening in the near future that we are very excited about.” Provide some specific details and allow time for questions. Include employees any time policy reviews are made. Staff will be happier if they feel like they have input when it comes to making changes or improvements in the way the business is run. Invite a few employees to work with your benefits department during open enrollment. This will help you provide benefits that everyone appreciates and that truly reflects the interests of the employees. Recruit employees from all levels to serve on committees. Engage your staff when it comes to strategic planning, holiday planning, hiring, and annual reviews. Establish predictable and consistent schedules and routines. This is especially important when you have employees who do shift work, such as at factories or hospitals. Keep employees on a single shift, either day or evening, and rotate the number of weekends and holidays that people are required to work. No employee is going to be happy if she has to work on Christmas every year or every Saturday night shift. Encourage a creative and pleasant environment. People will appreciate displaying family pictures or their kids' artwork in cubicles. Simply request that they keep it professional. Being able to customize their space will help your employees feel like they belong there and that the management wants them to feel comfortable while they are at work. You might also consider enacting other office-wide perks that can increase employees' satisfaction like allowing a more casual dress code on one day per week. Train managers and supervisors to exhibit the desired company culture. To maintain a positive environment, it is important to make sure that your managers and supervisors understand the company culture and know-how to help individual employees reach established work standards and competence. Include a section in your employee onboarding to discuss the company's core values, purpose, and how each staff member contributes to achieving them. Make sure that your managers and supervisors are people-oriented, not process-oriented. Communicate with the rest of your team when you have a new hire so they know about the new employee's start date, background, and what position they'll work. Make sure the managers and supervisors are all on the same page about the company's goals, objectives, and management expectations so they don't confuse your employees. Trust your employees. Most human resource professionals agree that employees do not like to be micromanaged. Allow them to do their jobs and trust that they will do good work. You can supervise your employees' work without making them feel like you are constantly looking over their shoulder and waiting for them to make a mistake. Give your employees the responsibility they need to complete their tasks. If you assign an employee a job, don't keep checking in on them about their progress or double-checking their work after every step they complete. Create specific and measurable goals for each employee role to eliminate the need for micromanaging and teach employees what needs to be done to be successful. Promote work and life balance. Employees are happy when their employers understand their responsibilities and lives outside of work. Introduce flexible working schedules. Some of your staff might work better in the mornings but mentally check out by 3:00 p.m. Others work better later in the day. Make it easy for employees to work from home when they need to. Caring for a sick child or staying home during a snowstorm instead of fighting their way into the office will keep employees a lot happier, especially if they can stay on top of their work while at home. Provide gifts and giveaways when you can. Some companies offer concert or sports tickets to their employees. Others hold drawings for restaurant gift cards. These kinds of perks can go a long way in making your employees feel satisfied at work. This can also be a fun way for employees and management to interact and create stronger bonds. Bring food. People respond well to food encouragement. Show your employees you appreciate them by providing them with a little refreshment on the company's dime every now and then. Consider bringing in bagels for breakfast once a week, or hosting a pizza lunch for high performing departments once a month. Encourage your employees to socialize. A great way to make sure your employees are happy is to make sure they are creating bonds with their colleagues at work. Facilitate this kind of social engagement between coworkers by hosting company events. Host a happy hour, hold a company picnic in the summer, and celebrate the holidays as a team at the end of the year. Promote professional development. Whether you provide tuition reimbursement or a chance to train for a new role, employees who see opportunities for growth within a company are more likely to be happy and stay where they are. Happy employees stay at jobs longer than unhappy ones, which will save your company money in the long run. Consider offering professional training courses, management grooming opportunities, or options to transfer departments/locations more easily. 
Take an employee satisfaction survey. Hold regular reviews. Communicate openly. Include employees any time policy reviews are made. Establish predictable and consistent schedules and routines. Encourage a creative and pleasant environment. Train managers and supervisors to exhibit the desired company culture. Trust your employees. Promote work and life balance. Provide gifts and giveaways when you can. Bring food. Encourage your employees to socialize. Promote professional development. 