It is often argued that a happy workforce is a productive one and the secret to contentment in the office may be only four simple steps away, according to new research conducted among more than 3,000 Australian and New Zealand employees. When RedBalloon for Corporate asked participants what they desire to see at work, ‘More praise’, ‘Better managers’, ‘More time with friends and family’ and ‘Greater trust’ emerged as the biggest factors and here is why:
Desire number one: More praise
One in five employees do not receive any praise or say, at best, it happens once per year. They want their managers to praise them more often, and more specifically. Although some bosses argue that employees only work for the money, it is far more than that. Staff feel more motivated when their efforts are noticed.
Desire number two: Better managers
More than half of the employees surveyed, 52%, would leave a role because of their direct manager, and two thirds are convinced their managers don’t know what motivates them to be more productive. Everyone wants to work with a motivating, supportive manager and not having one may be one of the reasons that employees leave a job.
Desire number three: More time with friends and family
With an abundance of laptops, iPhones and Blackberries on hand, it can be difficult to ‘switch off’ from work nowadays. The boundaries blur and employers need to recognise this. Business owners have a responsibility to shore people against burn out, and more time with friends and family plays a vital role in this. As the saying goes, ‘work hard, play hard’.
Desire number four: Greater trust
There’s a lot to be said for treating people like grown ups and trust should be a given, not something that is earned. You trust that you have been given a role to do your best, and your boss trusts he has chosen the best person for the role. This ought to happen right from the outset because it’s empowering starting from a place of trust.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
