Do you have two or more employees? Do they work great together, or do they loathe being in the same room?
If they don't enjoy working together, you have a big problem.
It's critical that your domestic staff works as a cohesive team because their camaraderie affects how happy they are at work. In turn, their level of happiness affects their productivity.
"Employees who have positive workplace relationships are happier at work (in fact, good workplace relationships are one of the most important sources of workplace happiness) and we know that people who are happy at work are more productive, more creative and more successful overall," explained Alexander Kjerfulf, an international author and speaker, to Jacquelyn Smith, a Forbes contributing writer.
A University of Warwick England study, led by Dr. Eurgenio Proto, also showed that people who feel happy are more likely to make a positive impact in the work environment.
"We have shown that happier subjects are more productive, the same pattern appears in four different experiments," said Proto. "This research will provide some guidance for management in all kinds of organizations, they should strive to make their workplaces emotionally healthy for their workforce."
As you can see, it's critical that you pay attention to how well your staff works together. Those who collaborate effectively are more likely to be happy, and therefore more productive.
The question now is: What can you do to improve your employees' happiness? Here are several thoughts:
- Be transparent: Talking with your domestic staff on a consistent basis could help reveal problems. If you feel like you don't have the time to solve these problems, we suggest hiring an estate manager. Estate managers are leaders, and they can manage large crews of employees.
- Host events: The best way to bring your crew together is by regularly hosting fun events. You could host a few large events during the year and small weekly events (such as Friday barbecues) each week.
- Meet consistently: Talking with your staff on the job is fine – like we suggested – but we also believe it's critical you meet with them one-on-one at least once a month. This time is best spent discussing goals, problems and areas that need improvement. This kind of meeting can also give you an idea about how to improve your team as a whole, especially if you notice many of your employees complaining about the same issues.
- Build trust: Everything we just described here will help you build trust with your employees. This should help them be more open about discussing any problems.
If you're looking for domestic jobs and to work with a domestic staffing agency, contact Colonial Domestic Agency today!