Businesses operating in a world evolving at lightning speed must keep pace with technological and cultural changes to meet organizational goals and satisfy employees. Fortunately, doing what’s good for a company and what makes employees the happiest aren’t always mutually exclusive. It’s a matter of striking the right balance.

Balance can mean the middle ground between two things that work closely together, but could involve different paths and goals.
It’s important to find a reasonable balance between business needs and employee satisfaction. It’s impossible to achieve profits without clearly defined business goals, happy and engaged employees working with purpose and organizational buy-in on every level.

A culture of trust must be established to deliver business goals through purposeful unity. Leaders must set the example of financial transparency, goals and vision to clarify how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. The more employees understand the company, the more they’re engaged in its successful operations and the more they realize their own passions and aspirations. Everyone wants to feel they contribute in significant ways to the overall success.

Culture changes constantly and requires continuous nurturing to remain fresh and alive. Check in with employees on a continual basis to reinforce commitment and sustain engagement. Brainstorming sessions with teams and managers keep employees engaged. Happy employees are your most important asset in achieving business success. The fact joyful employees tend to be more productive should be reason enough to invest in their happiness. Since recruiting and training new employees are among the most expensive activities in which a business can engage, retaining happy employees affects the bottom line.

Once a fantastic culture has been established, how do you keep it in check? Here are some considerations:

Expectations: It’s imperative to know what employees do and why they matter. Employees should represent your company’s values in a diverse and inclusive environment that fosters satisfaction. Ensure employees’ expectations are clear, but assure them they have the freedom to be creative and suggest improvements. Employees who feel safe to take risks and offer creative ideas promote innovation. Encourage flexibility and focus on outcomes, not tasks. Many senior leaders take it personally when they believe their people are unhappy. In reality, middle managers and supervisors exert more influence over employee satisfaction and are best equipped to address it. Inviting employees to participate in making decisions that affect their work reinforces ownership and engagement. This creates a community of pride and purpose.

Work environment: Maintain an organized and comfortable workplace. This decreases anxiety and stress and increases productivity. Allow employees to solve problems to show your confidence in their work. Allow flexibility with work times or environment if possible. The organization will reap rewards for allowing employees the freedom to best achieve their goals in an inclusive environment. Recognize employees in both big and small ways to show how much you appreciate them.

Comprehensive salary and benefits: Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits are essential to attract and retain employees. Paying your employees what they’re worth is important to their happiness. It demonstrates you value employees and care about their well-being.

Training: Invest in your workforce and provide opportunities for employees to learn and grow. Offer soft skills and task-related training. Offer interesting challenges and projects to boost confidence and productivity. Learning and development are not only important for employee happiness, but also crucial to retention. As employees grow with your organization, career development can help them gain skills and advance professionally. When they increase their skills and experience, the company benefits as well.

Technology: Use technology to drive culture and productivity by creating a sense of community. Messaging apps can increase ease of communication. Maintain a modern workplace with the latest technology.

Strike a balance in your organization and reap the benefits of a joyful and engaged workforce.

Pamela Drake works at Lighthouse HR Support as an HR business partner. The Grand Junction firm offers a range of human resource management services to small and medium-sized businesses. For additional information, call (970) 243-7789 or log on to www.lighthousehrs.net.