Ways to increase employee happiness from the board

Any board member reading this blog needs to be honest with themselves. There’s been a historical gulf separating a board of directors from its team of employees.

After all, the board calls the shots.

And in generations past, boards’ attitudes were rooted in the idea that employee input and satisfaction were irrelevant. All that mattered was employees executed in a way that the board deemed adequate—happiness and quality of life weren’t priorities.

However, millennials are beginning to rule the workforce. Whereas generations passed deemed staying with a company to be loyal and – therefore – admirable, the current crop of talented professional sees it as foolish. If they’re unhappy, they’ll up and leave.

Beyond the hassle and cost of replacing someone, what happens before disgruntled talent leaves is even worse. When employees believe they’ve been treated poorly, they become disengaged, and their performance suffers as a result.

Dissatisfied staff leads to toxic workplace culture—and word tends to travel. It’ll become increasingly challenging to attract top talent when the workplace in question has a poor reputation.

Let’s investigate how a board can ensure they’re doing everything they can to keep its employees happy.

Tap into the minds of employees

When a board of directors takes the time to get to know employees and understand them on a deeper level, motivating and providing incentives becomes straightforward.

For instance, Walt Disney has spread employee assistance centers strategically across the theme park. This initiative comes with features such as employee discount programs, childcare information, check to cash, and bus passes, etc.

The board of directors at Disney understood that providing a positive work environment involved taking care of its staff with perks. 

Styles of initiatives and methods can vary—perhaps one board’s group of employees would be more motivated by upward mobility and flexible work options. Boards should create a committee focused on gathering the necessary research to figure out what will foster the most positive, upbeat work environment.

Make employees accountable

While the board has the final say, employees should have some form of input concerning their company’s decision. 

How else are they supposed to take ownership?

For instance, a board might be dead-set on establishing a more professional dress-code amongst a roster of programmers. Let’s say in this example that the team really enjoys the perk of wearing what they want—but they’re somewhat abusing the policy.

The board can work towards a shift in this culture by including the employees in the process. Members can ascertain what it would take to make progressive changes towards projecting a more professional environment. In asking for feedback and gaining insight into the various challenges faced by their team, they’re more likely to make a smooth transition.

Conversely, if the initiative is shoehorned out of nowhere, employees are more likely to feel slighted, and it could damage the relationship between talent and employer.

Evaluate job satisfaction

Without asking employees about their job satisfaction continually, it’s impossible to address the challenges they’re facing.

Through surveys and interviews, board members should inquire about levels of morale, engagement, and motivation in the workplace.

We’ve only provided a few ideas to get your board started on an employee satisfaction initiative. The main takeaway is that ensuring the happiness of your employees should be a top priority.