This text is based on an article published by CareerBuilder.
Three things to do
- Be authentic. Don't try to imitate someone else. Strive to design workplace improvements that reflect your company culture and the preferences of your employees.
- Consider the real needs and preferences of employees. Reflect on what makes your employees unique and what they genuinely need. Proceed based on these findings.
- Keep in mind that different employees have different approaches and priorities. You may tend to listen primarily to the most vocal employees. However, it is important to recognise that work teams are heterogeneous, each person has different needs and priorities, and the way you make the workplace more comfortable should suit everyone.
Three things not to do
- Don't force anyone to participate in anything. Shared breakfasts at work or public award ceremonies for the best employee are examples of activities that may be stimulating and motivating for some people, yet a nightmare for others. Don't force anyone to participate, and ideally keep all such activities designed to improve the workplace voluntary.
- Don't assume that what works elsewhere must necessarily work for you. Again, it is essential to respect the specific needs of your company and its employees. What works for another company may meet with considerable failure at yours.
- Don't improve the workplace at the expense of basic priorities and employee needs. If whatever ideas you have in mind to make the workplace more pleasant would, for example, result in employees receiving smaller bonuses, then it is better not to introduce such items at all. Bear in mind the main reasons why people come to work in the first place and don't take any steps that would compromise these priorities.
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