Measuring Employee Happiness

Keeping in mind The Golden Circle concept by Simon Sinek pictured above, answer the following questions about your business:

In his book, The Truth About Employee Engagement, Patrick Lencioni boils employee happiness down to wanting to feel like who you are matters (you want people to know your name), that what you do has an impact (that you’re engaged in relevant work) and you’re making progress (that your work is having an impact and leading you and your organization forward). And how can you promote employee happiness?

It’s what we call validation and it comes in many forms. To show your employees that they matter, their work matters, and that they are making a contribution, you first have to be able to measure their performance. Business management software made for landscaping companies, like Aspire, make this somewhat simple. Assuming you have entered in their roles and responsibilities, running reports on performance will show you exactly how well each employee or department is doing. Once you see a pattern of positivity, it’s time to start validating.

You don’t have to have a Google size budget to offer a positive reinforcement program to your employees. Each employee may feel rewarded differently. While some may crave additional responsibilities and autonomy over their position, others may love a cash bonus or gift. Get to know each of your employees to learn what motivates a continued positive performance and seek to reward in a way that speaks to them. Don’t make it too hard, however. A simple employee of the month program that spotlights one employee and acknowledges their achievements, and a nice lunch with the owner will suffice. Formal programs like this are very effective, but keep in mind that a simple “thank you” or “nice job” right in the moment can also go a long way to showing your appreciation.

In the wise words of Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Performance validation programs are all about making your employees feel valued and appreciated and it all starts with being able to track achievements. Need help getting started? This guide was a fun one to create – Small tips to celebrate your employee’s achievements. Get the guide by clicking the button below.