You may think that your employees disposition is of no consequence to your bottom line, but nothing could be further from the truth. Happy employees are not only important to your business, they are important to every other employee as well. Happiness, or the lack there of, is a contagion that can spread like a wildfire.

Your business is undoubtedly your baby. You nurtured it from the very start. You spent countless sleepless nights up worrying about what would happen to it. So why would you then turn it over to people who are unhappy with it? The chances of them caring for it like you do and taking care of it are nil.

Trusting your baby to happy people is just smart business. Therefore, understanding the benefits of happy workers and knowing how to keep them happy are extremely important to both your business and the well-being of your team.

The Benefits of Happy Employees

There are several benefits to having happy workers, some of which may surprise you. One of the most impressive benefits of a happy worker is that they are, on average, 12% more productive than people who didn’t identify either way. On the flip-side, unhappy workers are 10% less productive. An increase of 22% efficiency simply by being happy is pretty impressive, the possibilities are mind-boggling.

Another thing that might surprise you about happy employees is that they are great marketing tools. If your team is happy and love their jobs, they are going to tell everyone. They are also going to treat your customers better. Your customers will then tell their friends and colleagues and before you know it, everyone is talking about how great your company is.

Happy workers are not only more productive; they are more creative as well. When your team is happy, they are more likely to share their ideas and be receptive to new ones. Happy people have an easier time freeing their minds which allows them to come up with new and innovative ways of doing things.

The list of benefits that comes with having happy employees is endless. In addition to being more productive and creative, they are also more sociable and generous. They are also healthier and more energetic which translates directly into better work habits and less sick days.

Happy employees are also more likely to stay on the job. In most businesses, the cost of on-boarding and training a new employee can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, so it pays to keep employees as long as possible. I could go on and on about the benefits of happy workers, but the bottom line is this. Happy employees are more reliable and better at their jobs than unhappy ones and we should make a decided effort to keep them happy.

Ways to Keep Your Employees Happy

You may think that the only way to make or keep your employees happy is to give them a raise but this is not the case in most instances. A majority of workers will respond more favorably to perks and rewards than they will to more money. There are several ways to boost team morale and spirit that don’t have to cost a lot of money.

One of the best ways to promote good feelings without spending any money is with hand-written notes. This is something that our Co-founder, Kristi Church is great at. She is always giving us little hand-written notes of encouragement when we need it, or praise when we do something good. Not only that, but she gives us notes of appreciation once in a while that let us know that we are special and valued members of the team. I absolutely love my job and those little notes are part of the reason.

There are so many ways to reward your employees. Everyone loves food. Team lunches and company picnics go a long way towards unity and happiness. Surprise pizza parties and ice cream on hot summer days can spread a surprising amount of good will as well. You could also consider introducing coffee and fresh fruit or Danish to your morning creative meetings. Having food at creative meetings fosters a more open atmosphere and people will feel happier.

The most important thing to remember when trying to decide what to use as a reward for your employees is to keep your employees in mind. Make sure the reward is something that they will give value to. The idea is to be sincere in your attempts to keep your employees happy. If you are not sincere, your employees will see right through it and the whole thing will backfire on you.

Keeping your employees happy is not only easy, it is important to your bottom line. Happy employees are more productive, creative, and reliable than unhappy ones and they are terrific brand ambassadors for your company. With so many ways to keep your team happy and engaged, there is no reason not to have happy employees.