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Developing Employee Satisfaction in Business

You have employees and you want them to be the best so it’s worth developing great relationships. Here’s how to develop employee satisfaction in any business.

The Employer-Employee Relationship

Employer – employee relationships have had a chequered past. For many years the employee was seen as a disposable commodity and the only measure of a business success was the satisfaction of the customer or client. In times when life expectancy was short, wages low and ‘human rights’ and employment law non-existent, there was a constant supply of cheap labor, even in developed countries such as the USA. The employer was in control and were free to dictate any terms of employment..

This began to change only in the middle of the 20^th century. New legislation in the 30s, such as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in the USA, demanded fairer employee wages and safe workplaces. World War 2 dramatically reversed the supply and demand of both work and labor. Labor now became a scarce commodity. Manufacturing of war supplies created plenty of work, but there was a shortage of men. This shortfall could only be met by recruiting women and those who could not enlist and fight. Women stayed in work after the war and attitudes began to change.

After the Western post-World War II baby boom ended couples started to have fewer and fewer children. Increasing affluence led to greater demand but there was a smaller pool of workers to recruit from. Technical skills also became more important in the work place and the balance of power shifted to the worker. Work life balance started to become important to people.

How do I know if my Staff are Satisfied?

Employee satisfaction can be measured by anonymous surveys administered periodically that gauge employee satisfaction in areas such as management and teamwork. These need to be developed, administered and the results analyzed, by professionals who understand how to put questions together that obtain unbiased information.

Many HR consultancy firms will provide this kind of service.

Benefits of a Satisfied Workforce.

A healthy employer-employee relationship can build a successful company. Happy employees are more productive, take fewer sick days and are less likely to leave.

People do not work purely for financial reward. Although money is important, employees need to feel respected and appreciated at work. In almost every survey of factors that motivate employees in the workplace, job satisfaction is at or near the top of the list, far surpassing pay and benefits.

Employees who feel a high degree of job satisfaction:

Believe that the organization will be satisfying in the long run
Care about the quality of their work
Create and deliver superior value to the customer
Are more committed to the organization
Have higher retention rates
Are more productive

Ways to develop Employee Satisfaction

In order to avoid the pitfalls of poor employment relationships employers need to provide the best terms of employment they can. This will engender employee loyalty, reduce turnover and attract more skilled and qualified employees.

Provide training to newly-hired employees and make them aware of the company’s rules and goals
Pay adequately. The federal minimum wage requirement is currently between $5.15 and $8.25 per hour. Failure to observe this can lead to a wage claim or a lawsuit against the employer.
Avoid and prevent discrimination in the workplace. This is covered by federal and state laws
Promote safety in the workplace: Safety standards are also covered by law and violation of any occupational safety or health standard can lead to administrative penalties and civil liability if the event of injury or sickness.
Assign tasks according to the employee profiles and job positions
Offer employee benefits including health insurance, loss-of-earnings compensation
Develop the ability to spot problems before they develop
Have regular meetings with the staff
Deal with staff complaints quickly and fairly. Demonstrate concern for the problems of your employees.
Train your managers to avoid confrontation and conflict
Maintain and develop a corporate identity and culture
Award successful employees

The most important management principle is that the things that get rewarded get done. The only way employees will fulfill your dream as an employee or manager is if they share in that dream. Reward systems are the mechanisms that make this happen and will lead to a high employee satisfaction level in your company, with all the benefits that brings. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.

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