The happiness programme

Pooja Bajaj Chadha, Founder and CEO, Extra Mile, an employee engagement start-up, MumbaiEmployees need to be kept engaged. Take a look around your office. How many of your employees are enthused with their work? It may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but if you look closely, you’ll notice how most of them are detached. A Gallup report estimates that global engagement levels are just 15 per cent today. This level of commitment and loyalty is what your company’s future depends on.But how to recognise what engaged employees look like? For starters, they are the ones that go the extra mile without being asked. They give their all, with passion and a smile on their face, as they enjoy the work they accomplish. Their productivity and performance are reflected in the work they do. So, how can you keep the workforce happy, engaged and motivated? Inculcating a sense of belonging in employees requires more than free lunches or perks at work. It’s real work for the human resources department. Here are eight practices to keep the workforce happy. Laying the groundwork Setting a base with your employee is very essential even before the beginning of their journey with the company such as pre-onboarding through interactive, creative and digital mediums. Once they’re brought on board, inducting them through unique gamification such as a KBC quiz or Monopoly further builds this relationship and gives them an insight into the firm while you get to know their potential better. Engaged employees are born when they feel valued, heard and safe at work.One team, purpose and vision Getting the employees to innovate and work as a team while painting a masterpiece or putting them in a futuristic state to get the firm on the cover of a magazine are engaging ways to make them one with the company’s vision, mission and overall purpose.Skill-building formula Investing in employee development and skill building makes them future ready while carving a pathway to employee happiness, engagement and retention for the firm. Cross-training programmes, offbeat programmes to gamifying learning and expert workshops keep the employees at the forefront of global innovations to embrace tech-driven age.Motivating future leaders Experiential initiatives such as the Amazing Race, PUBG Battle or Building a Township and Colympics give the leaders and owners among your employees a chance to shine out. Empowering your workforce through team bonding activities brings them from a position of responsibility to a position of ownership.Stay connected When employees observe the firm views their families as an extension of their workforce, a bond of trust and loyalty is created between them. Celebrate the families of your employees by involving them in workplace events such as a Bollywood themed family day, a Jungle Book themed kids day at work or even an engaging Take your Dog to work day. These fun-filled events bring your teams closer.Workplace wellness Health is a state of mind and wellness is a state of being. While you may not have full control of their health, you can ensure they’re well. Desk yoga, mindfulness sessions, healthy eating workshops, and spa day at work are some of the initiatives acting as stress busters and helping them improve their work-life balance.Revamping human resources systems Create magic with your appraisals, feedback and rewards system for an impact on your employees’ performance. Experiment and go offbeat with a movie-inspired Reward and Recognition (R&R) programme, Bollywood-themed appraisal campaign or even a comic strip policy communication. Try something as simple as a thank you note on their desk. The happiness quotient of your employees is enhanced when the work is meaningful. We all know that people from different backgrounds, cultures and age groups come together to work towards a single objective. Aligning and streamlining their vision becomes the major concern for employers. These activities have the capacity to make wonders in the organisation and create a simulated environment of growth and learning.Published By: Anshu Published On: Jul 18, 2019--- ENDS ---

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The happiness programme

New age workplaces need to create a reproductive environment of growth and learning for the employees

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