Running a successful business doesn’t just come down to how many profits you are making or your customer base.  Without a strong and happy staff, you won’t have the team that you need to keep your business sustainable.  Behind every great company is a great team of employees who do their jobs because they are happy doing it.

You are only as strong as the team you have behind you so keeping your staff happy and satisfied is crucial as a business owner.  An employer-employee relationship is similar in many ways to a friendship in that you have to have mutual respect and be willing to make adjustments for each other for the good of the relationship.  If only one of you is setting the terms then eventually the relationship will dwindle and someone will feel cheated.  Here are the keys to making your staff happy for the good of your business’s strength.

Communication Is Key

Communicating with your staff means keeping the lines of communication open and being willing to talk about pressing issues.  If there is an upcoming deadline or something that needs to be put on the table then you should not put off talking about it as a team.

When everyone’s voice is heard you create a community atmosphere rather than just a boss and their worker bees.  Sometimes being a boss feels more like being a psychologist than an employer which is unfortunately just part of the job description.  As a leader, you have to encourage things to be discussed and dealt with through communication.

Pay Should Be Fair

It is important that you compensate your employees in a fair way.  If you have high expectations of them than the pay should reflect that.  It is unlikely that you will be able to retain a good staff if they are being treated poorly and paid under what they deserve.

Take a look at the market which you are in and do some pay comparison. You should be able to gauge what kind of pay is fair and expected.  If an employee puts in overtime or has shown a strong performance reaching all of their incentives, then bonuses and raises are highly encouraged.

Build a Relationship

Building a rapport with your staff is important.  This doesn’t mean that you go out for beers together or have to invite them to your Christmas parties, but humans tend to be happier in a work environment when they feel comfortable and at ease.

Make sure that you are greeting your employees and know them all by name.  Encourage good work and don’t forget to be friendly.  By leading as an example you will show them the attitude which you which them to reflect as well.