Positive Work Environment: 4 Reasons Why And How It Matters

A company embodying a positive culture yields much higher productivity and outperforms one that does not adhere to a positive work environment. It is critical to influence the employees’ approach towards their job and foster an optimistic and motivating workspace. Building a positive aura is essential to carry the company’s growth further and to greater heights, which cannot be done solely by hiring great talent.

Growth is a two-way street and requires the company to create an emotionally and intellectually sound environment. A healthy workspace will exhibit attributes such as excellence and productivity.

Fostering a Positive Work Environment: A pathway to excellence

• Ensure Effective Onboarding

A good employee experience starts from day one. A survey showed that an unwelcoming office environment deterred 64% of applicants. And unwelcoming staff put off 44% of freshers. Thus, it becomes essential as a recruiter to understand the requirements of an employee to be able to hire the best talent, and as a result, you can get free company ambassadors. 

What can you do? Give a warm welcome by introducing to their department and its work, providing a thorough explanation of their role, and a tour of the company- it can be virtual as well. These measures will make the employee feel welcomed and cared for. 

• Authentic Communication

Involve and encourage the staff to have open and transparent communication without the fear of being judged. This is critical in fostering a positive work environment and empowering the employees to voice their opinions. It lets the workers be vocal about their grievances. 

The employees feel valued, which then empowers them to produce better output. The staff should discuss the organization’s core values and the nature of the environment in meetings or otherwise. This aspect is equally applicable in terms of giving and receiving constructive feedback. A team will only be able to grow when no barriers are restricting open communication.

• Be Respectful

Being respectful is not just the duty of juniors towards their seniors. It is equally applicable that other way as well. Mutual respect, understanding, and empathy form the basis for a positive work environment. These traits help generate a cooperative workforce and bring to force a welcoming space. 

• Acknowledge the Sheer Efforts

Appreciating the hard work of your employees encourages them to elevate their performance level. This is known as positive reinforcement under operant conditioning in the field of psychology.

 It is also used in organizational behavior management: rewarding employees who put in effort for their work will promote similar behaviors in the future. What sort of positive reinforcement can you receive? 

• Work bonuses
• Catered lunches
• Pay raises
• Holiday Packages
• Day off

Though monetary awards are sure to go a long way in making the employee feel valued, simple compliments will do the trick, too, as long as they are meaningful. The inculcation of this mentality is the best to keep the staff motivated and treasured. 

• Socialization

Humans are social animals, and we cherish healthy and genuine connections more than anything. Building positive connections between all your employees is essential in creating a culture of team collaboration, where workers at all levels feel like part of a team.  

This is where a sense of unity is evoked in the team, and employees will no longer just feel that they’re working for themselves. They are now working towards something bigger than themselves and as a team. Instilling this team spirit is imperative as it also teaches the staff to raise above deplorable differences and discrimination groups as they learn to accept and stand by each other.

Some ways to generate this team spirit include- organizing team activities, celebrating achievements and festivals or birthdays. The trick is to stay united but also raise your voice in times of adversity or wrongdoings. 

• Psychological Safety

A positive work environment will naturally take care of the employee’s well-being; that is how significant it is. There is nothing more important than our health as it is our biggest asset. The output generated by a healthy mind will be far better than the one that is in an unsound condition. 

A positive work environment is a key to ensuring quality work that meets your company’s desired standards. According to Workplace from Meta research, Fifty-eight percent of UK employees would consider leaving their job if company leaders didn’t show empathy to staff needs.

To not let the unwanted and the toxicity of the work pressure get to your employees, start appreciating them more. Give them monthly benefits and bonuses. You can hold such as the best employee of the month. But recognizing and appreciating their work daily is more important. 

• Diversify

Take note if your company furthers the factors of diversity and consists of people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, religions, and genders? A miss-oriented team requires innovation to stand out, and diversity is the first step you should ensure in this regard. Research from Glassdoor supports this notion as 67% of individuals said diversity was essential when deciding where to work.

• Workplace Culture

There is a need to build a strong workplace culture to create a positive work environment. According to McKinsey & Company, companies with a strong, clearly defined identity see anywhere between 60% and 200% higher returns to shareholders. That’s because everyone knows and understands the company’s primary goals.

Why Does a Positive Work Environment Matter?

Research from Deloitte shows that 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a positive workplace culture is essential to business success.

1. A Healthy Workforce

A less burnt-out staff is key to getting the maximum productivity and for them to feel they are not considered as robots. According to the UK’s Labor Force Survey, 828,000 employees suffered from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2019/20, resulting in the loss of 17.9 million working days. 

It, thus, becomes critical that you create a safe space where employees can address their issues. 

2. Increased Productivity

The happier the employees, the higher the productivity level. A study by Oxford University into the productivity of BT workers showed employees were 13% more productive when happy. A positive working environment encourages employees to be more efficient and thereby generate higher quality output. 

3. Fewer Withdrawals

This is obvious; when employers feel they are cared for, why would they want to look for other opportunities? A good salary, no doubt, attracts talent but is that enough, and is it capable of sustaining them? If there are no progression opportunities, no positive work culture, people will look for better opportunities, ignoring the annual paycheck. 

To avoid employee turnover, establish a positive work environment. It is second to no other characteristic. 

4. Uplifts Morale

This category includes how satisfied and happy an employee is due to the work culture. High employee morale encourages your workforce to engage and work collaboratively, bringing a positive mindset to the job.

How can you ensure this? By good business communication between employees and management, providing clear and measured career pathways, and celebrating accomplishments and employee successes.

To conclude, there is no alternative to a positive work environment, and it is essential for factors ranging from productivity level to sustaining employees. A positive workplace is more successful over time because it increases positive emotions and well-being.