4Cs Blog: Happy Employees = Happy Customers

There are so many balls to juggle when running a business, but keeping your employees in line and working productively tops the priority list for many. But as your company grows, it can be difficult to maintain the level of oversight that you wish to have to keep your company operating at top speed. The following three high-tech tools can help you get employees to curb bad habits and make for a more productive, safer workplace: 

Security Camera System  

Not only is a security camera system crucial for helping to protect your office from intruders, but it can also help you keep an eye on your employees to make sure that everyone is safe. Opt for a system that records to a DVR, like Lorex security camera systems, so that you have plenty of space for recording footage. When reviewing the many options, look for a camera system that has a remote viewing capability from a corresponding smartphone app so that you can check in on things at the office anytime from anywhere.

Everyone wants to be compensated well for the work they do, but is money alone the most effective motivator? While there’s an obvious link between salary and job satisfaction, studies suggest that there are other, far more compelling and effective ways to reward and inspire employees, and work space is high on the list.
Happiness at work has a significant impact on life outside of work, and employees are generally happier when they feel valued in business. Rewarding employees can be done in various ways, whether it be allowing them to be involved in company decision-making, monetary incentives, extra benefits like company cars, gym memberships, or by offering them flexible hours.

Employees who complain openly and freely are often referred to as ‘squeaky wheels’. They make their dissatisfaction no secret so you know who is unhappy and what the issues are. But what about the employees who don’t speak up? How do you know what, if any, struggles or issues they might be experiencing?

As employee researchers, we tell our clients that one of the key reasons for doing an employee survey is because it gives everyone a chance to express themselves so you aren’t just listening to the squeaky wheels. You actually get to hear what everyone is really thinking.
And that is important because employees who don’t speak up could be seething inside and what you may discover is that they are acting out in passive aggressive ways that have serious consequences in workplace settings. 
By definition passive-aggressive behavior is the indirect expression of hostility, such as through procrastination, stubbornness, sullen behavior, or deliberate or repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is (often explicitly) responsible.

If you’re an HR manager or the head of a company, you’ve likely given some thought to rewarding your employees. After all, giving gifts and offering perks to the most hardworking individuals on your team is a surefire way to improve morale, increase retention and make your team members feel appreciated. But sometimes company gifts fall short. Not all employees get excited about receiving a new computer mouse, a coffee shop gift card or even a watch. The art of making gifts meaningful is approaching them thoughtfully, and designing them based on the recipient’s personality type. So here’s a quick guide to get your wheels turning about how to properly pat your best staff members on the back.

We all want performance reviews to be fair but biases exist and we know that too. All of us have biases and it is human nature to show a preference for people that share similarities and reject people with characteristics that we are unfamiliar with.

Bias is of particular interest to us as employee researchers because of the way it plays out in the workplace between employees and their supervisors. Performance reviews offer real insight into how biased opinions trickle down from supervisors towards their staff. And for this reason, it is essential that companies that do annual reviews work diligently to reduce or eliminate bias from the process so that every employee is given a fair and accurate review.

Many HR managers are aware of our human tendency to be biased so they adopt and implement programs they believe are free of bias. Even with this awareness though they still fail to address unconscious biases. These are almost impossible to overcome because they are implicit; we ourselves, are unaware of them. Even if you try to get people to explore their own hidden biases they cannot as it can be difficult for people to acknowledge that their biases even exist.

Many of our clients here at Insightlink gleaned from their engagement surveys that employees often express a strong desire to feel connected to their work. One way to meet this need, and retain employees, is to give them a voice in how they do their jobs. In other words, asking employees for their suggestions can increase connectedness. “Employee suggestions can have a significant impact on productivity, turnover and overall organizational performance says Robert Gray, President of Insightlink Communications based in Palm Springs CA.. Other experts agree that "People need to be listened to even if their ideas don’t work or don’t make sense," explains James Campbell Quick, professor of organizational behavior at the University of Texas at Arlington. "By not listening, it makes people psychologically withdraw and you may miss … the million-dollar suggestion."

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