Creating a Workplace That Employees will Love

What goes into fostering a workplace that is both happy and productive? At the 2011 Benefits Forum and Expo, HR leaders from four of Fortune’s Best Places to Work shared their thoughts:

  1. Make sure that employees know what their benefits are. One way to do so is to include a total rewards statement along with their paycheck. This can include information not only about pay and employee benefits, but also about rewards that are not as tangible, such as flexibility in work arrangements and learning opportunities. Employees should also have the benefit of being supported at work. Activities that let employees share parts of their personal lives can help them feel as though they are cared about in the workplace.
  2. Have an “open door policy” at your company that addresses both concerns within the workplace as well as what the company does. Employees should feel that there is a flow of information between themselves and other members of the company, and that openness can be used to quickly resolve problems. Likewise, employees should feel as though they can contribute to the flow of information about what the company does. Blogs and other social media tools allow employees to participate and share their knowledge.
  3. Let your employees have a balance between work and life. This might include allowing more employees to work remotely, as it takes away from the personal time they need to spend getting to and from work and thus allows them to be more productive workers overall.
  4. Show that you really do have an interest in employees’ well being and making sure their questions are addressed. Sponsoring challenges that encourage workers to get fit display a shared interest in their health. Likewise, if a big change or event occurs within the company that effects workers, having a company leader personally respond to questions demonstrates that decision makers really are aware of what concerns employees have.

By implementing some of these strategies, or using them to create your own ideas, you can start towards a workplace that your employees will love.

New call-to-action