What's a small thing that your employer or manager has implemented or changed that has made the experience of work easier/better/less sh**ty/less of an exhausting nightmare slog?
That’s the question BuzzFeed senior culture writer (and author of the widely shared article "How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation") Anne Helen Petersen posed to her Twitter followers late last week. And, boy, did they have some thoughts to share.
From flexible work schedules to managers that helped them with development plans to bosses that were excellent communicators, thankful employees called out the practices that have made their work—and often, personal—lives significantly better.
We’ve included some of the most poignant responses below!
Number three on Jay’s list below was one of the most commonly praised decisions among participants. And it makes sense for businesses as well—a Gallup State of the American Workplace report found that employees who spend just 20 percent of their time working remotely are more engaged than in-office employees.
Not everyone craves a cubicle-free existence. Despite the design format’s recent popularity, several studies show that ambient noise can increase stress level and a lack of privacy can negatively affect employees. If it’s not possible to change the set-up, it’s worth figuring out helpful solutions for workers who need more of a quiet space.
3) Creating a Development Plan
Employees want to know their bosses are invested in their future, and helping them to craft a development plan does just that (while simultaneously ensuring that the right employees are in place to fill key company roles down the road). By implementing a continuous review process, managers allow workers to take charge of their own goal setting and increase their autonomy at work, which Gallup research notes as one of the key ways to increase employee happiness.
4) Simply Saying Thank You
Yes, employees want great pay and benefits. But it’s easy to overlook one of the smallest motivational tools at a manager’s disposal: simply saying thank you. Workers genuinely appreciate the acknowledgment of their hard work and it’s likely something their managers were already thinking.
There’s nothing worse than a pointless meeting. Employees have plenty to get done during their workday, so managers should be sure every meeting on the books is necessary and as efficient as possible. Find out three helpful ways to do that here.
Header image: Creative Commons
