by Sharon Jones

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You probably don’t make your employees unhappy on purpose, but there may be any number of reasons why coming into work each day causes them to think negatively. If you have spotted the following signs, then you do need to consider how they might be feeling.

- Your staff take regular sick days.

- Productivity is at an all-time low.

- There are hushed whispers whenever you walk into a room.

- You are losing your staff to other companies.

- They sit at their desks crying.

Okay, so that last one is unlikely, as most staff members try and put on a brave face at work, despite the way they are feeling. Still, if they aren’t crying on the outside, they may be on the inside, so you do need to monitor your workforce and consider the reasons why they may be unhappy. The following reasons are particularly common.

1. They are frustrated with technology

This is twofold. For starters, they may not be trained up in the technology you are asking them to use. This can cause them stress, and they won’t be able to perform the jobs required of them to an acceptable standard. Secondly, the tech you use may be outdated. Productivity will be at a low when the archaic tech screeches to a mechanical halt, and your employee’s frustration levels will rise. In both cases, your employees will struggle to engage with their workloads and will have difficulty meeting deadlines for both you and your customers. Job satisfaction will be low. Therefore, you need to help them. Invest in training to enhance their abilities. Then support your employees with better technology, and improve their relationship to customers with retail pos systems. Productivity, profits, and employee mood will rise as a result.

2. They don’t feel appreciated

Your staff members don’t need a slap on the back every time they do something well, but from time to time, being recognized for their good work is important. Show them how you feel by rewarding them occasionally, remembering what is good for them is good for you. So improve the workplace, listen to what they have to say, thank them for work well done, and consider monetary or other physical rewards. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, so remember to acknowledge them, no matter how busy you are in the day.

3. They are too busy

Your employees are there to work, so a level of busyness has to be expected. However, as you will understand yourself, there are times when they may feel overwhelmed. By imposing tight deadlines on them, or by adding yet another project to their already packed workload, you are adding to their stress levels and causing them unhappiness. So put yourselves in their shoes, and consider if you’re asking too much of them. If so, consider ways to relieve their workload. Delegating responsibilities to somebody with less to do is a start, but you might want to ease the load by hiring new staff. Then consider the work you are giving them to do. Is it part of their job description? Does it have to be completed to a deadline? Should you be responsible for completing some of those tasks yourself? See the bigger picture and give your staff a break, literally and metaphorically!

Conclusion

None of us are happy all of the time. However, you can boost your employee’s happiness levels by considering the points made above. Remember to talk to them too. You may never find out the real reason behind their unhappiness unless you hear their point of view. A happy workforce leads to a happy and profitable business, so take steps to achieve that on a daily basis.