As any boss will know, there’s a fine line between being frugal and tight-fisted. Whether you own your own business or you’re simply in charge of a budget and a camp of hard-working employees, you’ll undoubtedly want to appear generous without compromising your money saving strategy.
It can be a tricky balance to manage — after all, not everyone has the budget to create a Google-esque office oasis — however there are ways to encourage a harmonious working environment and keep costs under control at the same time.
From simple mood enhancers to long-term perks, by increasing happiness levels, work satisfaction and productivity, you could even end up making more money in the long run. Here are a few handy hints and tips on how!
Encourage progression
If you’re in charge of a group of young employees, you’ll undoubtedly be looked upon as something of a mentor. If this is the case and you spot someone with potential, encourage them in any way you can — whether this is through personal tutoring, paying for a relevant qualification or conference, or simply words of praise – you’ll be surprised at how much of an impact you could have on somebody’s career.
As a result, you’ll probably benefit too; their growing knowledge and skill-set will only enhance the business in the long run.
Create a comfortable office space
A desk job doesn’t allow for the most pleasant working environment; offices can be stuffy, cramped and particularly claustrophobic at times.
So look for ways you can increase the comfort levels of staff; whether you invest in a few luxuries like a coffee machine, bean bags or just orthopedically-sound chairs, bringing a few home comforts into the office is likely to increase everyone’s general well-being and contentment.
If you’re worried about money or don’t have the funds to spare, try buying when the sales are on – John Lewis are particularly worth checking out, and you can get up to 30% off furniture at the moment.
Provide incentive
Whatever kind of business you’re in, team building days can be a fantastic way to improve morale and drive – so whether you can afford a day of paintballing, a theatre trip or just a working lunch, think of a treat to build incentive.
Better yet, if you set a (realistic) target, they’ll be more inclined to work hard to achieve it. If you don’t have the money to invest here, try to think of alternative ways you could help out your workforce – from sharing your own corporate discounts to encouraging time off.
After all, employees returning from holidays are proven to have a boost in productivity, especially if they’ve gotten up to 50% off summer holidays thanks to a tip off from the boss!
Celebrate the little things
Doing little things to lighten the office atmosphere is well worth a bit of time and expense. It’s important to make employees feel valued and worthwhile, and you don’t have to spend much to create a fun working atmosphere – from birthdays and anniversaries, to Christmas jumper days and sponsored silences – simply marking an occasion or having a themed day can be enough.
Who doesn’t love a slice of cake to help them get through a particularly dull Thursday afternoon?
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However you go about it, keeping your staff happy doesn’t have to mean spending over the odds. Just by taking a thoughtful approach, you’re likely to win friends as well as happy employees.
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