The International Week of Happiness at Work, the week of satisfied employees, whichever you prefer, highlights the thing we should always bear in mind and set as a priority. After all, employee satisfaction brings contributes to success and culture of an organisation and it is important to look back and review objectively what it is that makes us happy and motivated at work and how we keep our employees satisfied.

In addition to communication, Represent Communications finds inspiration in people. Our team is optimistic, always facilitating collaboration and ready to adapt. This year has definitely been challenging for all, and we have invested efforts in maintaining our unique relaxed and family atmosphere. We have proved that can function exceptionally well when working from home as well, and that physical distance does not affect our connection, productivity and final results. Meanwhile, we have developed new products and form in the Education Sector, welcomed new colleagues, promoted some employees and continued to grow and learn.

There is no big secret. It is about efforts, responsibility, engagement and listening. Many organisations think that they will resolve everything with an annual bonus – money does matter, but it is not crucial. It is far more important to identify what else employees deem important and to really commit to them. Here are the five ways to do it:

1. Building trust

Show that you are really there for your employees, listen to them and be honest. Give them freedom on projects and a timely feedback. Thus both parties will learn a lot, and you will boost employee individuality. Communicate regularly and share relevant information.

1. Flexibility

All phases of work we underwent during the coronavirus epidemic have confirmed that flexible working hours and shifts are sometimes inevitable. This is actually related to the story about trust and the notion that you simply know your employees will do the job in all circumstances. Less formal forms suit younger employees in particular, and work-life balance is another growing trend, reminding us of the importance of caring for employee health and wellbeing.

1. Atmosphere at work and organisational culture

Consider how much you actually pay attention to little things that make daily life at work better. How you spend your breaks, whether you organise Friday afternoon cocktail gatherings, celebrate shared and individual achievements, how much you really know employees and whether you let them be who they are. Your organisation’s energy is something that will be visible to everyone, and bear in mind that internal always gets to external.

1. Employee growth and development

Employees find it important to have room for advancement and learning. Care about a career path of employees is another thing that affects their happiness and motivation, and it is also important to offer new challenges and specific goals. Evaluations, performance tracking and mentorship programs are helpful here. A clear structure shows that you have invested time and that employees are part of a bigger picture, which leads to the growth of the organisation and new opportunities.

1. Gratitude

Do your employees feel recognised and respected? It is not difficult to say ‘thank you’, and it definitely means a lot to remind employees that you find them precious and that not everyone is dispensable. There are many creative ways to do it, and sometimes it is enough to express it via email or a sticky note and make someone’s day better.

The happiest employee is the one doing the job s/he likes. It is great when we theoretically know what it takes to increase employee satisfaction, but what really matters is implementation and therefore no delays are acceptable.

How will you mark #InternationalWeekofHappinessatWork and bring happiness back to the workplace?