It’s widely known that a happy workforce improves employees’ outcomes and is key to raising the productivity of a company. Workplace happiness isn’t a one-size-fits-all model – it’s all about knowing your employees and helping them to achieve happiness in their own way.
Employee happiness is a crucial ingredient for any franchise success. Franchisees who adopt this mindset and make efforts to enhance the happiness of their employees in the workplace will reap the benefits.
Chris Wootton, Managing Director and franchisee of Poppies, share his advice on how to create a happy workforce and what franchisees should do to ensure happiness is a top priority for their business.
A study by economists at the University of Warwick found that happiness improved productivity by 12%, while unhappy workers were 10% less productive*. Even though we may not realise it, being unhappy can be seriously damaging to performance, causing disengagement and reducing the ability to think critically or creatively.
Reward and recognition
Everybody wants to feel valued and to know their work is appreciated in the business. When employees achieve great results, put in extra effort or do outstanding work, they need to be praised. This not only motivates them to work harder, but it will also increases the franchise’s productivity levels. Employee reward and recognition is important as it contributes to a supportive work environment.
Employee engagement
Employee engagement and happiness is intrinsically linked with finding purpose and meaning in our work. Employees look for the bigger picture and want to know how their role contributes to the overall success of the company. Expectations between employer and employee must be clearly defined at the interview stage, otherwise conflict, resentment and disagreement will begin to fracture the relationship.
Invest in your team’s development
Improving your employees’ skills is the best thing you can do for them and for your business. By investing in employee training, your employees will feel respected and this, in turn, will lead to a positive work environment, which increases employee motivation and fosters individual growth amongst employees.
Team building
While you can’t force friendships at work, you should instead encourage closer working relationships. Team activities like sport, paintballing and go-karting are great ways to encourage interaction, build trust and respect among colleagues outside the office environment. Or if you’re looking for something a little more low key, you could consider team lunches or after-work drinks.
Employee benefits
Employee benefits are extra incentives provided by employers, serving as a win-win for both your franchise and staff. They’re designed to help promote employee satisfaction and wellbeing and could include anything from healthcare plans and gym memberships, to flexible working hours and family-leave support programmes.
Our employees are the heart and soul of Poppies. We genuinely care about and place the highest value on each and every single one of our employees, which is why we’re so passionate about giving our staff a working environment that is safe, secure, flexible and rewarding. All good franchisees know that positive staff deliver positive results, but to keep them happy you need to recognise their hard work and reward them. It’s simple!
The wellbeing of our Poppies team is a key factor in our organisation’s long-term effectiveness. To be successful, you need to maintain a positive balance on your emotional health as well as being aware how the business integrates into your whole life. To help us take charge of our own fulfilment and happiness, we invited Positive Living Coach, Lizz Jones, to attend one of our bi-annual conferences. It was a huge success and allowed us to take some time out to understand what steps you can take to lead happier and more accomplished lives.
A happy workplace brings huge benefits, not just for people but for organisations too. People who are happy at work tend to enjoy life more and have better health, stronger relationships and a greater sense of purpose. Investing in the happiness of your team will not only improve morale, focus and productivity, but it will help you build a more stable and, ultimately, more lucrative franchise business.
* University of Warwick paper ‘Happiness and Productivity’ by Andrew J Oswald, Eugenio Proto and Daniel Sgroi
