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Five Ways a Company can Increase Worker Satisfaction
Increased autonomy
More autonomy in the workplace has shown to have profound effects on a person’s attitude and worker satisfaction. It allows for more freedom and creativity, and many large companies which have invested in their workers’ free time have already reaped the benefits. In 1948, 3M created the 15 percent rule, which gave engineers the ability to devote 15 percent of their workweek to whatever they wanted. This lead to the invention of Post-It Notes, which yields $1 billion in annual revenue. In 2004, Google tried the same experiment, and as a result, Google Maps, Gmail, Google News, and Google Earth were created. Essentially this provides Google employees with an entire day of the week to devote their time in whatever fashion they want. Many other companies, like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Patagonia, have tried the same thing, and also experienced similar innovation and increased worker satisfaction.
Stop micromanaging
This form of management is consistently proven ineffective. It produces unnecessary pressure, and creates unrealistic goals for employees, which can stifle their creativity, result in lower morale, and ultimately can lead to a higher turnover rate. Micromanaging also leads to more mistakes, when workers feel an urgency to get something done at all costs.
