What leads to a happy employee at work? Benefits and a good salary are great to have, but employee satisfaction is equally important. In an age where employee retention is becoming difficult, organizations need to step up their game in providing a healthy work environment.

An average American spends about 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime. Hence, work is a significant part of a person’s life. If you’re not satisfied with your job, it can lead to degradation of your well-being, which is accurate for 80% of the US workforce.

It means that a company needs to make changes to its work environment so that employees can experience a healthy culture that leads to a happy life. A high level of employee satisfaction translates to high productivity, increased sales, and better performance, which impacts the organization positively.

Top 10 companies with the best work environment [2019]

According to Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, here are the top 10 companies in the list:

1. Hilton
2. Salesforce
3. Wegmans Food Markets
4. Workday
5. Kimpton Hotel and Restaurants
6. Cisco
7. Edward Jones
8. Ultimate Software
9. Texas Health Resources
10. The Boston Consulting Group

It might come as a surprise that many tech companies haven’t made it to the list. The companies mentioned here offer a wide variety of services. These include hospitality services, retail, information technology companies, financial services, professional services, and even health care.

In determining the Fortune 100 best companies to work for, the employees’ day-to-day experience at work was considered. The company’s value, the workers’ ability to contribute new ideas, and the effectiveness of the leader were also important factors in coming up with the list. Moreover, the employees in each organization filled out a survey.

Reviews by employees of the companies mentioned above show that a company’s culture and practices influence employee satisfaction. A culture that promotes learning and growth at work have higher employee retention. Moreover, any company’s values are an essential factor, because if they don’t align with employees’ personal values, they may not be comfortable working for that organization.

A culture that promotes a sense of community and interaction between employees makes employees happier and more involved at work. Hence, an organization that empowers its staff is bound to see exponential growth.

In addition to this, these companies reward employees’ efforts. If employees feel cared for, they wouldn’t have a reason to leave their job. Hence, a diverse and inclusive workforce is a necessity. People belonging from different backgrounds can impact organizations positively because a diverse workforce brings their own experiences to the table. Hence, it creates a knowledge-base and a broader pool of skills that are vital for a company.

These companies not only focus on making profits but also focus on improving the lives of people that come in contact with their product or service. For an employee, this matters because it allows them to view their job as meaningful. It gives them a sense of purpose and increases loyalty with the organization.

Why culture matters at work?

According to a survey by Deloitte, 80% of the US workforce is dissatisfied with their jobs. With such high numbers, one must question what are organizations doing to improve job satisfaction?

Hence, a company’s culture comes into question. Culture matters because it shapes the work environment and the day-to-day activities of an organization. An employee is confined to the office for about 40 hours a week, sometimes even more. The culture in the workplace either creates a pleasant atmosphere or a hostile one. No one wants to work in a place where they may face stringent managers, poor working conditions, and disgruntled employees.

On the other hand, a healthy culture allows the employee to enjoy the work they do. It reduces absenteeism, improves productivity, and lessens employee turnover. It also promotes creativity, thereby allowing an organization to grow.

What leads to a good work environment?

Positive Company Perception

A company’s perception is critical for employees. How the staff views the company determines their loyalty to the organization. Moreover, an employee should have faith in the product or service that the company offers. For a great work environment, the employee must feel a sense of purpose in their job role. Only then can an employee feel like their contribution to the organization is meaningful and that it has a positive impact on the customers/clients.

Employee feel valued

A manager must note an employee’s hard work and effort. Hence, employees should be appreciated, given due recognition, and positive reinforcement for their contributions. Companies could do this by granting bonuses for the extra effort. Without such measures, it may lead to underperformance and dissatisfaction.

Team building

Companies with the best work environment promote team building because it creates a sense of community, which is vital for every organization. Employees must feel like they belong. Hence, inclusion and embracing diversity are necessary. Team building activities such as scavenger hunt with apps such as Goosechase, can help accomplish this. A strong team sticks together, supports one another, and weathers out even the toughest days.

Ability to grow

A healthy working environment pays attention to the growth of an employee’s skill set and promotes an environment that focuses on learning. Managers can assist by overseeing day-to-day tasks until employees become proficient. An organization that helps the employee build their career will witness less employee turnover.

Hence, organizations that want to tap into the potential of their employees must invest in training. Training should be for hard skills as well as soft skills. Training for hard skills develops job-related skills and enhance the productivity of employees. Soft skills, on the other hand, improve interpersonal skills that help an individual become confident, open to sharing new ideas, and collaborate with others.

Employee health

Good organizations take care of the well-being of their employees and invest in wellness programs. An organization that cares for its employees is bound to have a high retention rate. Moreover, it creates loyalty and a level of trust between the employer and the employee.

Work-life balance

Work-life balance is necessary for a healthy life. Companies can support by providing employees paid vacations, maternity, and paternity leaves. It allows employees to focus on their family life as well. Hence, it creates job satisfaction that is on the downward trend currently. In addition to this, the employee should be encouraged to pursue self-growth.

Communication

Employees must be able to communicate with higher management without hesitation. Employees must be able to communicate with the upper management and higher hierarchy, without hesitating. Open channels of communication ensure that an employee can talk to management without being judged. It helps in building trust as well. Popular software tools such as Slack and hardware tools such as AxVoice allow teams to communicate, without burdening the organization with huge bills. With job satisfaction levels at an all-time low, organizations need to look for practices that keep employees engaged. Companies with a high level of job satisfaction are those that focus on their employees. Other companies have a lot to learn if they want to grow and expand.