How to promote job satisfaction

Franchisee Lynette Truter understands how crucial the human factor is in her business and how happy employees can lead to loyal customers.

She is an ardent proponent of encouraging job satisfaction among her employees and knows that workplace morale can make all the difference to the success, or failure, of her business.

“You can control costs and put out the perfect product, but the human factor is so unpredictable. In this business, finding the right people is so important, but it is also my biggest headache.”

Ms Truter has the following advice:

Take time to develop and then maintain a variety of strategies that encourage loyalty, enthusiasm and job satisfaction among staff — and higher retention rates are bound to result;

Training that allows staff to learn new skills that can be used in the workplace should be high on the list of programmes used to promote staff engagement and ensure greater loyalty;

Alongside any strategies, ensure that staff are kept motivated by treating them with respect and taking their needs into account when setting schedules; and

Managers must be visible and make themselves available to workers. This must be backed up by attitudes and policies that encourage open communication to remind staff that they are all working together for the same aim: the company’s success. 

• This article was first published in Sunday Times: Business Times