As a business owner, of course you want your startup to be great and profitable, but if you are like most entrepreneurs, you also want your business to be a great place for the people who work there. When your startup is a great place to work, your employees will be happier, you will be more fulfilled, and your business will be more successful. As an employer, you can make your business the kind of place where people actually want to work.
Follow Great Values
Your values are what set you apart as a business and can guide all of your business decisions. When you have strong values for your business, it will make it easier for you to keep your employees happy and make good decisions for your team. While you may think your values are obvious, it is important to actually take the time to sit down and write them out. That way both you and your employees will always have easy access to your values so you can reference them often and ensure that you always live up to the values you have set for yourself and your business. The values of your business should be guided by your personal value system in conjunction with your business goals.
Mentor Newer Employees
Onboarding new employees is one of the most important aspects of helping them to feel comfortable in the workplace. When you provide strong mentorship for all new employees, they will immediately feel valued and welcome as soon as they start working for your company. You can set up a mentorship system where new employees are mentored, and veteran employees work as mentors. This will help your employees to build relationships with one another and create a strong support system at work. When employees feel supported, they can produce better work and will be happier in their work situation.
Promote Work-Life Balance
While it may be tempting to work all of the time to get your business going, it is important to promote a good work-life balance for you and your employees. When you are constantly working it is difficult to maintain a high level of productivity. This may seem counterintuitive to business owners, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Make it a priority to maintain your own work-life balance and to help your employees to maintain theirs as well. Incentivize your employees to take breaks and reward them for their productivity so they know they are valued and that you respect their boundaries, their families, and their lives.
Offer Office Perks
You can also improve the experience of being at work for your employees by making the actual workplace a more fun place to be. This means building in office perks that keep your employees relaxed and satisfied while they are in the office. A lounge area is one great office perk that gives your employees the space to decompress, especially if there is comfortable furniture. If the lounge is outside, you’ll want to avoid leaving wood furniture in the sun. Offering table games and other fun activities will also improve the workplace and give your employees a chance to bond with one another.
Feed the People
Hungry employees cannot be as productive or happy as employees who are well fed. There are a couple of great options for feeding your employees that can help make your workplace even better. Having a well-stocked pantry and fridge is a great starting point since it can give your employees snacks and the means to create their own meals. You can even invite employees to cook for one another for weekly meals. Another option is to provide catered lunches to your team so they can enjoy lunch together before getting back to work, feeling refreshed and nourished. Make sure to attend these lunches yourself so you can bond with your great team!
Provide Competitive Benefits
While salary is obviously one of the most important things to many employees, having great benefits is equally as essential. Make sure that you provide great health insurance options so your employees can get help if they become ill. Offering good leave packages is also essential since it helps with maintaining work-life balance and also gives your employees the freedom to take care of themselves. Having retirement benefits is another great plus especially if you are able to offer matching services to help their retirement go further. The benefits you provide show your employees that they’re valued and appreciated in the workplace.
Take Harassment Seriously
You never want to imagine your workplace being one where an employee may be harassed, but harassment can happen almost anywhere. The best thing you can do is to work to create a safe environment and take harassment seriously when it happens. Having a strong HR department that truly cares about your employees is an essential part of making your workplace a great place to be. Work to create an environment of openness and connection so that all of your employees know they will be listened to if they have a problem. The more you do to create a safe environment, the happier your employees will be.
Have Fun
Your startup has the best possible chance of being a great place to work when you are having fun running your business. This means choosing an industry that you are passionate about and working to build on your passions. There are tons of options available for starting a business, so you may as well choose one that you actually like. Running a business takes time and effort but if you love the work your startup will be a better place for you and all of your employees.
The best thing about running your own business is that you can make it a great place to be. When employees are excited about going to work instead of dreading workdays, they’re more productive and happier. You have the power to make your startup one of the best places that anyone could work.
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