Every HR strategist knows this: A happy employee is a good employee. Productivity rates soar when employee satisfaction is kept high. For businesses to succeed, the key lies in keeping your employees happy. But how do you tell when your staff is not, especially in an Asian context where people are reluctant to voice out dissatisfaction?
Sluggish attendance
This is often the first warning sign. When employees regularly come in late for work, often go absent or take longer lunch breaks, it could very well be that your staff is disinterested in the job. When others have to constantly fill in for them, resentment can build up and dampen the mood at the workplace. Such behaviour may arise from personal problems, but it still is important that hirers take the effort to understand the employees’ situations, and listen to what they have to say. This is more so if their unhappiness stems from work.
Shoddy work
The most productive workers are usually those who are happy at their jobs. Poor and tardy work is also an indicator that the employee has disconnected from the job or lacks guidance in how to put in good work. It could also be that the employee has problems integrating with the rest of the staff, and find it difficult to communicate with them. Employers should step in to help ease workplace dynamics, and act as a moderator to facilitate internal conversations.
Read Also: Wondering How to Retain Staff? Keep Them Happy
Lack of initiative
Passionate workers are often enthusiastic about their work and are always looking for ways to better themselves or their jobs. A lack of ideas or initiatives suggests a lack of engagement. This could arise from a mismatch of skills, or when the employee feels that his or her strengths are not fully utilised. Engage the staff member to better manage expectations and responsibilities of the job; the reasons must be identified and addressed before the resentment goes south.
Feeling undervalued
Often, the top factor contributing to staff unhappiness is the lack of appreciation. When people feel they are being undervalued, they start to become more disconnected from their jobs, colleagues or bosses. In fact, employees start to look elsewhere when feeling that they are not seen or heard within the company.
Take note of these signs and act swiftly to identify and rectify the feelings of unhappiness that any staff member may have. The best HR strategists will also take the opportunity to implement effective solutions to improve overall employee satisfaction, which will ultimately help the company grow in the long term.
This article is contributed by JobStreet.com.
