Happy employees make a happy business, and if there's one thing we do really well here at Mesh Direct (besides our premium products of course), it's company culture. Our employees love coming to work, and this is one of the key factors that shines through as part of our brand representation, and makes our business stand out from the crowd.
Employees who are content at their workplace are far more likely to work hard for you, and as a business owner, you have a certain degree of social responsibility when it comes to your employees' wellbeing.
Our director, Andrew Doenicke is especially skilled when it comes to building company culture, having founded and grown Mesh Direct from a team of two into a longterm team of 10+ employees in just two and a half years. So we sat down and asked him his top tips for nurturing employees and creating a fun working environment...
One of the most common mistakes companies make, is not taking an interest in their employees' interests and hobbies outside of work. Even something as simple as asking your worker how their weekend was can begin to foster a solid working relationship with your employees.
Discussing the latest TV shows, sports events or your social lives can often be a breath of fresh air at the office, and it acknowledges that your employees have a life outside the work they do for you.
A major benefit to Mesh Direct has been that our team socialise regularly outside of work hours, it's something that's offered great opportunities for team bonding and building.
Organise a group outing - whether it's happy hour drinks after work one evening, or something more active like go karting or a daytime barbecue, socialising out of the office is a great way to show your appreciation for your employees' hard work and dedication.
It doesn't have to be anything extravagant. You'll find that the mere effort is enough to make your workers feel appreciated.
Another creative way we like to foster a positive work environment and company culture here at Mesh Direct is by introducing team challenges throughout the year.
These can be work goal driven or personal goals, but the idea is that you're all in it together, as a team.
For example, at the beginning of this year, the Mesh Direct team made the decision to try living healthier lifestyles. The company brought in a nutritionist to speak to us about healthy eating and exercising, and now as a team, we're checking in each week with our healthy eating progress. Our director, Andrew has set up a rewards system that keeps people motivated and interested in the challenge over a period of seven weeks.
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These three tips aren't rocket science, but making small changes like these in the way that you interact and work with your employees can make the world of difference when it comes to their happiness in the workplace.
A happier team ensures a much better company culture, no matter what industry you work in, and a better company culture ultimately results in a more successful business.