4Cs Blog: Happy Employees = Happy Customers

 According to a ConnectSolutions Survey, 77 percent of workers reported greater productivity working off-site in a 2015 study. And it's not just workers who report feeling more productive while working outside of the office. A study from Stanford Business found working remotely actually increased productivity by 16 percent. 

The days of grappling over whether or not employees would just lounge in their pajamas and do nothing while working from home are gone, and we’re ushering in an era of high productivity and efficiency with remote work. But that doesn’t mean all companies have created a cohesive virtual workplace culture to meet the growing demand. Fortunately, the marketplace is full of robust tools that can transform your workplace culture from office bound to a team of highly productive virtual workers. Here’s how to get started:

 When it comes to living space and work culture, people often think bigger is better and less is more, but just how big do our homes need to be and how much should our working hours shrink to make us happy?

By analysing the happiest countries in the World Happiness Report by the United Nations, AnyJunk looks at whether the size of someone’s home has a direct correlation with their happiness, and how work-life balance and other daily norms can have a major impact on well-being.

Meet Some of the Happiest Countries in the World

1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. Finland
6. Netherlands
7. Canada
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Sweden

Companies need collaboration. With more employees working remotely and satellite offices a viable opportunity for SMBs and enterprises alike, continued growth demands the ability to quickly and easily connect team members across locations and time zones. The solution? Collaboration tools.

The challenge? Many companies now face "collaboration-tool overload." With both startups and established vendors offering their own take on employee-driven digital cooperation, how do you single out tools that offer the biggest boost to employee impact while still keeping costs and complications under control? Here are three toolsets that fit the bill.

Inside/Outside

The goal of collaboration tools is to enhance staff ability to interact, cooperate and complete projects. But these tools don't always hit the mark. While over 80 percent of professionals say that collaboration solutions play a "very or extremely important role" in meeting business objectives, 46 percent are frustrated that these tools don't allow them to make contractors, consultants and other third-party providers part of the collaboration loop, a CIO survey reports. As a result, it's a good idea to look for a tool that allows external users but also supports the security of two-factor authentication. Here, it's a question of balancing inside and outside needs. While internal collaboration is critical, business opportunities don't exist in a vacuum. Going beyond corporate walls is now a requirement.

 As employees researchers one of the most common comments we see from employees when asked what they like best about their organization is that it ‘feels like a family’. Given we spend the majority our lives either at work or with family it is not surprising that there are parallels in the way we view these two parts of our lives. Many of us think work should feel like family and we assess our happiness based on the presence or absence of that feeling.

After all, our co-workers are like family because we don’t get to choose who we work with just as we don’t choose our siblings. We also spend more time with our co-workers often than with our immediate families. Our relationships with our co-workers, by virtue of the amount of time and interactions we have with them, will impact our work and our attitude towards the place we work in good and bad ways so it is important to foster the kind of relationships that benefit our work most.

Yet it may actually be dangerous for employees to function as a family. Consider that when we develop close bonds with people, we are more willing to do whatever is needed to help. Doing whatever it takes to help a co-worker can backfire especially if some employees take advantage of others and don’t pull their own weight. If this happens, overtime bad feelings develop and this family feeling can become an “inefficient and demoralizing way to work”.

 The proliferation of digital devices mean that we’re constantly connected to the office, wherever we might be. It can become difficult to switch off from works.

Whether it’s a two week holiday or a twenty minute respite at work, taking a break and disconnecting from all things digital and work-related has a number of important benefits.

The statistics

According to a survey conducted by the Chartered Management Institute, only half of UK managers booked a summer holiday this year, whilst 35% put their annual holiday plans on hold. 69% of those not taking a holiday cited their workload as a reason why.
Even for those taking some time off, 12% planned to check their email daily, 19% said they would check their mail most days, and 26% planned to check at least once or twice a week.
Furthermore, holiday time led to people putting in extra hours of work prior to taking leave – 25% of those surveyed said that they worked an extra 8 hours the week before their holiday.

In the US, the situation is the same; 61% of employees said that they planned to work during their break. 38% planned to spend time reading emails, 32% said they would access work-related documents whilst on holiday, 30% planned to take work phone calls, and 20% would complete work tasks if asked by a colleague, boss or client.

If so, your work life must experience some difficult and challenging moments and we can empathize because we frequently hear about jerks in our research.

A jerk is a person who is unlikable, cruel, rude, small minded, who talks behind other people’s backs, and basically treats other people badly. Perhaps you work with some ‘prima donna’ employees who appear to get away with every trick in the book because they excel at their jobs. They can be life sucking and toxic so it is no wonder researchers study jerks to better understand the impact they are having on our work experience and how that impacts productivity, and job satisfaction. As employee researchers, we often see the impact jerks have on overall organizational performance and how they can wreak havoc on productivity and morale.

What the research shows is that people who spread their bad energy to others are often the squeaky wheels or ‘de-energizers’ in your organization. In a study from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business researchers found that what ‘managers may not realize is that this type of behavior spreads a dark cloud over everyone else, and the whole organization suffers’.

If you are not sure if the problem is you or your colleague, ask yourself if when you interact with that person do you feel:
a. Deflated or depleted?
b. Rejuvenated and energized?

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.

 Instant Offices’ Head of Marketing, John Williams, weighs in on boosting employee satisfaction and happiness in the workplace.

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.
However, in 2016 UK Workplace Survey published by US-based design and architecture firm, Gensler, emphasis is placed on the huge influence of the office environment, and how to align design and functional elements in an office with productivity and job satisfaction.

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.

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