Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire
What Makes An Employee Happy [INFOGRAPHIC]

Employee Retention 101: Keeping Everybody Happy [INFOGRAPHIC]

Not only is it hard to make everybody happy, but it’s difficult to keep them all happy. As an employer though, that’s your goal. On top of keeping your clients and shareholders happy, you’re working on a daily basis to keep your employees happy. After all, their happiness is the key to appeasing everyone else.

So how do you do that? You’ll find that keeping employees happy happens on a myriad of levels, from benefits to salary negotiation to work life balance, according to the infographic below from Undercover Recruiter. All of this leads to your ultimate goal with your workforce — employee retention.

Work Life Balance

Work life balance comes in a range of packages, from office places that require employees to leave for lunch every day to those with a flexible work from home policy. Companies that boast a strong work life balance also provide paid time off for volunteering, help foster relationships in the workplace and encourage employees to spend their evenings with family and friends rather than at their desk.

Undercover Recruiter found that women have a more acceptable work life balance than men, which could imply that women care more about this type of work environment and therefore recognize it when they have it. On top of that, 76% of respondents said that they would stay with their current employer because of the work life balance.

As you can see, work life balance is paramount to keeping employees happy, and therefore, a key component to employee retention.

Benefits and Salary

Keep in mind when engaging in salary negotiation with new hires that salary is the initial means of happiness, especially amongst older hires. Undercover Recruiter states that 67% of employees ages 35 – 44 cite salary as a reason to stay with a current employer and 66% of those 55 and older feel the same.

While salary is important for older workers, younger new hires are after benefits. According to Undercover Recruiter, 54% believe that the benefits that they are receiving at their current employer are reason enough to stay.

Company Culture

Finally, company culture plays a large role in employee retention and happiness. If employees feel that their company is strong and their job is secure, 70% of workers report happiness at work.

A third of employees in the United States listen to music while they’re at work, and of that third, four out of five employees say that it improves their job satisfaction and productivity, as reported by Undercover Recruiter.

When it comes to relationships at work, women are more likely to stay with their current employer if they get along with their boss whereas men find happiness at work through relationships with their colleagues and allegiance to the organization.

The success of every business is employee retention. Keeping the right people happy can benefit everyone, and it all starts with the environment you create within your workplace.

What else works to improve employee happiness and employee retention? Share now in our comments!

Kathryn Randolph

Kathryn is a freelance writer currently living in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and has five years experience writing for major job search and higher education websites. When she's not writing for the web, Kathryn is hanging out with her new baby girl, traveling, cooking, reading and running. She believes that the perfect job is out there for everyone and hopes to help Spark Hire job seekers discover their career passion and pursue it.