This document summarizes 11 strategies for making workers happy: 1) providing opportunities for growth and advancement, 2) offering training programs, 3) giving bonuses even as small as $25, 4) allowing worker autonomy, 5) improving the office environment, 6) supporting remote work, 7) reducing email overload, 8) promoting work-life balance, 9) offering benefits like childcare, 10) implementing wellness programs, and 11) permitting short breaks to boost productivity. The strategies are aimed at increasing employee engagement, retention, and productivity.

1. 11 Things That Make Workers Happy
What strategies are you overlooking
to keep your employees productive?
By: David Mielach, BusinessNewsDaily Staff Writer

2. Strategy Index
1. Employee Growth: Good or Bad?
2. Training from Within
3. Just how big does a bonus need to be?
4. Offer Autonomy To Workers
5. Tricks to improve your office living
6. The Home Office
7. Cutting the Waste
8. Give Workers Balance In Their Lives
9. Offer Unique Benefits Package
10. The Fitness Program
11. The Productivity Break

3. Offer room for growth
Employees are unlikely to be happy if they continue
to come to a job that offers no room for growth
and advancement.
New studies have proven those who felt there was
a lack of advancement opportunity began searching
for a new job.
Maria Kraimer, co-author of one of these studies
mentioned that by providing developmental
support and career mentoring, you are able to
reduce the amount of employees preparing to
leave your organization in favor of better
opportunities.
For more information on increasing employee productivity in 2013 check out our latest countdown.

4. Offer a good training program
Greater engagement between the organization and employees has
been found in companies where a sponsored training session or
mentorship is already in place.
Socialized by Default vs. Socialized by Design: Helping new hires
adjust to the corporate culture is key for productivity. According to
Professor Jamie Gruman at the University of Guelph, in
Guelph, Ontario who conducted research into this experience, by
reducing the “fend for yourself” mentality, newcomers to an
organization can become empowered and leads to greater
engagement and productivity for the future.

5. Just how big does a bonus have to be?
A new study reveals that 60% of
workers would be happy with a
bonus of just $25. Would this
work in your organization?
With businesses continuing to
struggle in this economy, this is
positive news for employers
hoping to retain loyal
employees despite their
financial situation. This may be
a simple solution to help
maintain a productive workforce
and competitive business.
For more information on increasing employee productivity in 2013 check out our latest countdown.

6. Waiting for Approval?
Motivate your employees from within. Research has found that
performance, engagement and confidence will spike if employees have
the freedom to get the job done in their own way.
Approvals should be used sparingly to show that new hires have the ability
and trust from their senior managers. This boosts productivity and
streamlines the reporting function so that employees won’t waste time
waiting for an approval from management.
For more information on increasing employee productivity in 2013 check out our latest countdown.

7. Tricks to improve your office living
It’s shouldn’t come as a surprise but employees are happier if they like
where they work. Here’s some quick ideas that may be able to boost
morale and recognize a job well done:
Providing Food during breaks Playing Music
Reduce Meeting Length Recognizing Employee Achievement
Communication is key with employees as it helps to alleviate many
concerns they may have about their job. It doesn’t matter how you
communicate - in person, in an email or with a handwritten note all
helped to make workers feel better at work.

8. The Home Office
Many workers today believe that a
home office could become the
wave of the future as it allows you
to still be productive while
achieving that level of comfort
that so many organizations are
striving for in hopes of retaining
talent.

9. Cutting the Waste
Allowing workers to keep focused on their jobs without constant
interruption is another way to keep employees happy and productive.
Employees were found to spend 100 hours a year dealing with pointless
emails leading to increased stress and inbox overload.
Many employers are considering email blackout periods or timeouts to
help deal with this overload and keep levels of productivity on the rise.
With pointless emails eliminated, workers can focus only on relevant items
related to work. That can lead to employees who are happier since they
will not need to deal with pointless and time-consuming issues.

10. Creating the Ultimate Work-Life Balance
Just how important is your own work-life balance and would you accept a
new opportunity that only focused on career benefits?
Balancing the work-life relationship presents an opportunity for companies
trying to keep their workers happy. Research has shown that employers
who excel at this balancing act are able to retain employees who feel
connected to the organization which in turn boosts morale and levels of
output.
Something to consider: Over 67% of workers said they would stay at a
company because of the balance that it offers them in their lives.

11. Benefits that make sense
Companies can help workers improve their work life balance with the perks that
they offer. Benefits that now stretch beyond traditional vacation days and 401K’s
include:
Child Care Tutors
Senior Care Housekeepers
Pet Care Personal convenience providers
Care.com offered solutions like these above and the feedback was overwhelming:
"Across the board, the feedback we get from our clients is that Care.com really
helps them manage their personal and professional obligations," said Chris
Duchesne, vice president of workplace solutions at Care.com. "The net benefit
there to the employee and the organization is increased productivity, work hours
and decreased absenteeism. Workers were also more loyal and engaged at work."

12. The Fitness Program
Keeping workers healthy is key to their overall
happiness and productivity. Many companies now
included programs to help control health care costs
and keep employee stress at all time lows.
Program advancements in employee health can now
include biometric screenings, health risk
assessments, on-site clinics and pharmacies and
employee assistance programs.
Workers who participated in this research were
found to be less stressed and therefore happier and
healthier at work. Though many of these programs
are in their infancy, workers are beginning to look to
them as an attractive option to keep healthy.

13. The Productivity Break
New research is showing that there is a value to employees that take short
breaks during the course of their workday .
Many companies are now loosening their perceptions on break times for
employees. Whether its surfing the internet or taking a quick walk outside,
employers are seeing increased productivity and better morale through these
experiments.
Workers, however, should not get overly excited about long breaks from work to
use social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The research
suggests that breaks of just 10 minutes are enough to elicit positive benefits.
For more information on increasing employee productivity in 2013 check out our latest countdown.

14. Thank You
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