The importance of keeping staff engaged and satisfied at work is touted by many business leaders; engaged employees are more productive and loyal, and therefore bring more revenue into the company. Focusing on employee motivation and happiness can also help to improve company culture to attract and retain the best talent.

There are various ways to ensure your staff achieve job satisfaction – and it’s not all about spending money on reward and incentives. Some simple implementations and a noticeable effort from management is all it takes to improve engagement. Here are some top tips to boost engagement and productivity in the office.

Invest in the Workspace

Employees can’t work properly in an environment which is not fit for purpose. If the office is cold, has dirty washrooms or the furniture needs replacing, then staff will never reach their potential. Workers need a clean and pleasant working environment in order to be productive and feel comfortable at work. By investing in the office and keeping it clean, an employer is showing staff how much they are worth.

Address Work Life Balance

Introduce a policy to improve work life balance, to make sure that your staff have a fulfilling life outside of work. If you want employees to be motivated and productive while at work, they need to have sufficient rest outside of work and enough time to spend with family and relax. Consider setting rules about working weekends or offering extra holiday days as an incentive.

Recognise Achievements

For the most part, people don’t leave a job because of money – they quit because they don’t feel appreciated. Getting recognition from the boss is a big deal, even if it’s just a simple thank-you. Reward employees who are high performers in team meetings and awards presentations, to let them know their hard work does not go unnoticed.

Create a Clear Progression Path

Ambitious employees don’t like ‘standing still’ in their career – they want to move up the ladder fairly quickly. That’s why it helps if you organise the company in a way which allows for fast progression. Set out a clear progression path for each job role, and add extra responsibilities with every step up. Again, don’t worry about adding huge leaps in terms of salary – this is more about the sense of responsibility and opportunity to progress to management.

A happy workforce is an engaged and motivated workforce – so spend time discussing a range of strategies to improve engagement throughout the business. Remember, if your managers and leaders aren’t engaged, then how can their teams be?