With the increased focus on employee engagement and retention, employers have never been more important to show they care. Research has shown that when employees are happy with their company, there is an increase in productivity, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. The following are the eight effective ways employers can show they care about employees.

1. Listen More

Employers need to listen more and talk less about the company. When you talk, you are trying to convince people of your opinion. Constant listening will allow employers to develop solutions that address daily problems employees face. Listening can also help them notice when employees are struggling or unhappy, and making adjustments accordingly will help build a positive work environment.

2. Have Air Ducts Professionally Cleaned

Placing filter and air duct systems in the workplace, especially if you have allergies, can go a long way to building employee morale. While this might not seem like a huge expense to your employer, most companies don’t put a lot of extra money into maintaining air ducts. When this money is put into cleaning the air ducts and filters while employees are away from work, it shows that your company is concerned with the health of its workers.

3. Offer Recognition

Recognizing great work is a way of showing employees employers care. This can be done in various ways, including using social media, monthly special meetings and events, videos on corporate intranet sites or webpages, or emailing a few well-chosen words each week.

4. Provide Development Opportunities

Employees want to see their careers growing and have fun in the process. This makes their work more enjoyable since they know their skills will be used in new ways. Companies can offer internships, apprenticeships, and even training to employees from diverse backgrounds. Successful training will ensure the employee’s career development.

5. Be the Bigger Person

When employees feel like the employer is out to get them, it puts a bad stain on their reputation and makes them less productive and effective in what they do for work. What is the best way for employers to show that they want to be less corporate? Practice empathy by sitting in a different part of the office when you have meetings with your team members and listening without interrupting or offering opinions.

6. Know Your Goals

Employees want clear expectations, so they need to know what they are being asked to do. While it is not always possible to state every detail in a job description, employers should state high-level expectations. Employees can then work toward those goals and objectives. When those specific goals are accomplished, the future of the employee’s career will be more secure due to having increased job security and a desire for a promotion.

7. Give Positive Feedback

Positive feedback is one of the most effective ways employers can show employees that they care about their well-being as workers. It can be done by offering a promotion, bonuses, or additional paid time off. This doesn’t cost employers anything but will make employees feel like they are valued, which will lead to increased productivity and job security.

8. Encourage Communication

Employer-employee communication (both good and bad) has a huge impact on an employee’s well-being at work. When there is a way for those two entities to communicate openly, it will increase the trust between the two parties and make employees feel that they can express their concerns without fear of consequence. Those two factors will increase employee engagement, productivity, and loyalty.

When employers emphasize giving employees the resources they need to be successful, the relationship between employer and employee will increase employee loyalty, increasing productivity. By following the eight tips above, employers can show their employees that they care about them and their well-being at work effectively.