Today we’ve got a little bit of a different blog post for you…

Employee engagement can often be an underrated factor of a workplace. Engaging employees in different ways is essential to creating a happy workplace, and a happy workplace is something everybody wants; it makes getting up in the morning a little more enjoyable and the days go a lot quicker! Let’s not forget about the business benefits creating a happy workplace can bring… a happy workplace = higher employee engagement = higher productivity = better results for your business.

Creative agencies are often known for having a happy workplace… we’ve all heard about #AgencyLife! At All Things Management, we pride ourselves on creating a workplace that our employees look forward to coming to and we really see the results it brings to our business, and our clients. So, we thought why not share our top tips with others? Here’s a few of our tips for creating a happy workplace and boosting employee engagement.

Tip 1: Team Building Days Out

Team building days out are a fantastic way to create a happy workplace. Organise an activity that everyone will enjoy to get staff out of the office and in a different environment socialising with colleagues. Not only will they enjoy the day, but it also creates a great atmosphere leading up to the activity with everyone getting excited and after the day with them talking about how it went and laughing about personal highlights.

Team building days out are something we take advantage of at All Things Management as we’ve really seen the benefits of them. Recently we’ve taken part in a team building day at Wyboston Lakes, in addition to completing the summer Wolf Run with each other.

Tip 2: Give Recognition

Something so simple, yet often forgotten in many places of work: giving recognition. Has someone at work done something really great? Tell them… and make a big deal about it! Receiving positive feedback is extremely motivating for a lot of people and makes them want to work even harder to keep receiving it and being recognised for it.

Some employers are quick to say when an employee has made a mistake, but forget to give them praise for all the other jobs they’ve done well. This lowers staff morale, thus lowers staff productivity.

Always praise your staff, and if you want to make an even bigger deal of it, introduce an employee of the month/week incentive!

Tip 3: Encourage Work-Life Balance

If you want to create a happy workplace, encouraging a good work-life balance is essential. Allow your staff to make the split between work and home life. Avoid contacting your staff outside of working hours unless absolutely necessary.

Be as understanding as possible when it comes to aspects of an employee’s personal life that may clash with work such as doctors appointments or child care. Whilst it’s not always convenient, we’ve all been in that situation ourselves, and it will really stick with your employees when you’re understanding.

If you haven’t heard about flexible working, where have you been? Flexible working is a hot topic in the working world at the moment and many businesses are introducing it as a way to create a happy workplace. It’s the perfect way to be supportive of your employees creating a good work-life balance.

Tip 4: Workplace Treats

Nothing says happy workplace quite like an office that has treats on the regular! Treat your staff to goodies like cakes and biscuits. Bring in breakfast on a particular day of the week. Let staff bring in home baked goodies to share with the team.

At All Things, we all love bringing in treats for the team and we definitely find that it boosts employee engagement. From breakfast Fridays to “bake off” weeks, any excuse to have a treat, we’ll find it!

Tip 5: Get to Know Your Colleagues

Take an interest in your colleagues’ lives outside of work. By this, we don’t mean find out the ins and outs of their personal life, it’s as simple as asking them what they’re doing for the weekend, or what they’re having for dinner tonight. It might seem like an odd tip compared to our others, but don’t overlook it. Taking a bit of interest into what your colleagues like to do, is the perfect way to lighten the work atmosphere and create a happy workplace.

You can stay updated with how the All Things Team is making our workplace an enjoyable atmosphere on our social media channels, particularly on Instagram.