How to Create a Workplace Your Employees Love

As February nears and brings Valentine’s Day and love to our minds, many leaders remain confused about what employees love in the workplace. They may ask themselves how to establish a better work environment and what offerings will attract more talented job candidates. Understanding these aspects of employee satisfaction is crucial, especially in the interiorscaping industry, where the blending of creativity, nature, and workplace dynamics plays a significant role.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR EMPLOYEES?

At a fundamental level, employees want clarity regarding tasks and expectations but also need the proper time, materials, and resources to produce quality work. For interiorscape professionals, this means understanding the unique demands of integrating plant life into various environments. If essential elements are missing, nothing will entice them to do their best work daily. And it’s important to understand that expectations extend far beyond the details of a deliverable or task. How to dress, when to arrive, how to interact with co-workers, and methods of communication are all part of the culture. The problem; however, is these details may never be stated and can even contradict a policy. People love to understand and be understood, and it starts with better clarity of expectations in the workplace.

Going a step further, employees love when their purpose aligns with the company’s purpose. Can their employment help them achieve their individual goals in life? Does a supervisor or co-worker care about their lives outside the office?

Here is an easy way to test how well you are delivering on this need for your employees:

• First, write the names of three direct reports or close co-workers in your company. 
• Next, write the three most important personal goals they each have—not goals in their job or goals assigned to them, but goals they have for life outside of work. This may include buying a house, finding love, having a child, raising money for a cause, spending time with family, pursuing a hobby—or some other financial, social, or community endeavor that makes life worth living.

It’s harder than it should be, right? Employees love to feel valued, but if we can’t name what’s most important to them, how can we deliver on the emotional and psychological needs they love to have met in the workplace? This concept is particularly relevant in the interiorscape field, where understanding the preferences of both employees and clients can greatly impact the success of a project.

MAKE WORK A PLACE EMPLOYEES LOVE

For the past six months, I have been helping one of my current direct reports find a summer internship. It’s important to her personally. We look at job postings together, discuss interview strategies, conduct industry research, and debrief job search activities. Recently, she expressed unhappiness with an interview—they offered her $15 per hour, while she had an expectation of at least $20 per hour.

Interestingly, she makes less than $20 per hour working for me, yet loves her job and intends to continue, regardless of any additional role she finds. Our weekly coaching calls, in which we discuss her personal goals and work to achieve them, are far more important than the pay rate. “The coaching makes the difference, so it doesn’t even really matter what the pay rate is set at,” she stated.

SPREAD THE LOVE

Do you help your employees enough with their personal goals? If not, show them more love. Ask them to tell you more about themselves and the growth they’d like to see outside of work. Doing so will ensure they feel valued and satisfied—even with higher-paying opportunities available elsewhere.