Assessing how happy and fulfilled employees are at their jobs is important for small business leaders to determine the health and strength of their business. The more satisfied employees are, the more likely they are to stay with the company for the long term and the higher their productivity will be. But how do you know if your staff appreciates their work, especially if they don’t feel comfortable expressing their true feelings with their superiors?

To help you, 10 small business experts from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) answered the following question:

“What is an effective method that small business leaders can use to assess the happiness and growth of their employees?” Why is it so important to do this regularly? “

Here are some of the best strategies they recommend.

1. Ask them in a safe environment

“Be simple and just ask. Create a safe environment for team members to provide feedback to you at any time. You will be amazed at what they bring to you, the personal responsibility they hold for the success of the business, and how quickly the team will grow. Stop treating employees like subordinates; they are the members of your team and you are the coach. ~ Steven knight, Mosaic Home Services Ltd.

2. Be authentic while interacting with them

“Talk to them authentically. The problem is that an environment that encourages forced responses is an environment in which it is difficult to assess happiness. When a boss accepts and is genuine with their staff, staff will also feel the ability to communicate authentically. ~ Nicole munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting, Inc.

3. Measure productivity and well-being twice a year

“Small employers need to act like large employers when it comes to measuring the productivity and well-being of their workforce. Productivity and well-being build a resilient, engaged and hardworking workforce and help attract and retain your top talent. Measuring these factors twice a year is easy for any leader to do. ~ Tom finn, LeggUP Inc.

4. Perform regular checks

“Building relationships and fostering a culture that encourages both feedback and open dialogue is essential. We sometimes exchange weekly team calls for recordings of all the teams where each team member has the space to share how they are really doing, personally and professionally. No one is obligated to share, but more often. It is a good way to get a quick temperature check on where people are. ~ Danielle Allen, Building impact

5. Examine levels of initiative and innovation

“Evaluate the level of initiative of your organization. If your employees are leading new projects, adding new things to their jobs, and finding new solutions to problems, then you have a winning company culture. If they only do what they are told, then you have a stale environment without any creative energy. He’s a major moose killer. So encourage innovation and initiative. ~ Tyler gallagher, Royal assets

6. Watch how often they are late

“It might sound simple, but monitoring employee delays can give you a clear idea of ​​what employees think about their jobs. Being late for work can mean a lot of things, but if it’s consistent then the employee may have a hard time balancing work and life. This in itself may imply that they are not happy in their work. ~ Ishmael Wrixen, FE International

7. Look for consistency in performance and attitude

“You can ask any questions you want, but a disgruntled employee won’t tell you the truth anyway. Actions speak louder than words, and the best way to really tell if an employee is still happy with you is to check for consistency in an employee’s performance, attendance, and attitude. It acts as a check and balance for you and your employee to improve both of you. “~ Marguerite Jing, Banish

8. Provide a comment box for anonymous opinions

“Small business leaders can assess the happiness and growth of their employees by creating a comment box, which gives the team the ability to remain anonymous and provide more transparent feedback on improvements that can be made. It is crucial to receive regular feedback so that you are aware of what is going on behind the scenes and can make informed decisions for the future. ~ Stephanie wells, Terrific shapes

9. Give periodic employee surveys

“Every quarter, every year or every month, send out a quick questionnaire or survey to track and gauge employee satisfaction. A great question to ask in your assessment is how likely they are to tell their friends and family about working for the company. It’s a quick way to find out if they’re happy at work and proud to be an employee of your business. ~ Matthew Podolski, Florida, PA Legal Consultants

10. Assign a new task and review their response.

“Periodically ask an employee to do something for you that would require a little more effort in addition to their daily tasks. If your request is met with enthusiasm, you have a happy and motivated employee to grow with your business. If you encounter resentment, that employee is probably not happy or fulfilled. It is a good exercise to measure the development and motivation of your teams. ~ Matthew Capala, Alphametic

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