How to understand your employees and keep them happy

If you want to know your employees, you have to realize that a workplace isn’t a collection of job titles, it’s a collection of people. People act for different reasons, they talk differently, and they have different ambitions, frustrations, and expectations. So the manager who wants a healthy team has to look beyond productivity numbers and listen to how people feel about their work.

Listening is one of the easiest places to begin. Employees need an opportunity to discuss what is working, what is causing unnecessary difficulty, and where they feel improvements can be made. Listening doesn’t mean agreeing with every suggestion. That is, creating an environment where people think speaking honestly will not be held against them, per se.

Recognition is important as well.” People want to know their efforts are appreciated. Recognition doesn’t necessarily mean a monetary reward. They feel they matter when they’re thanked, publicly recognized, constructively critiqued, or trusted with an important project.

Trust is also important. If you are constantly questioning every little thing, even the most competent employee can feel like they aren’t trusted to do their jobs. Clear expectations and reasonable independence for managers and employees can result in a better working relationship.

But there’s also a pragmatic side to employee happiness. Workloads must be manageable, communication must be direct, and people must understand their responsibilities in the overall context. Current research on the workplace suggests that meaning, achievement, recognition, trust and belonging are important elements of the employee experience.