By Lisa Cohn, PHR

It’s important to remember to treat your employees with respect and dignity, and they will respond, both personally and through productivity.  It seems reasonable to treat others the same way that you want to be treated, but sometimes employers forget about the value of human capital.  Employees who are engaged and happy are appreciative, hardworking and productive.

In a recent LinkedIn article, author Brigette Hyacinth stresses the high worth of employees at an organization, and argues they should not be taken for granted or ignored.  Hyacinth explains, “Employees are a company’s greatest asset. They are your competitive advantage. They are your best brand ambassadors. Your brand position is determined by the customer’s experience. The experience is delivered by your front-line employees. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the business.”

In addition, Lockwood Companies points to research from The University of Warwick which used statistics to tell the story.  “Employees who were happy were 12% more productive than their coworkers, while employees who were unhappy were 10% less productive.” This clearly demonstrates that productive, loyal employees are the best resource a corporation or company can have.

So, what can you do to improve the happiness of your employees?

Consider these tips:

• Lead by example with your team
• Show kindness and fairness
• Give praise when praise is due and reward good behavior and hard work
• Pay employees fairly
• Offer career growth and work schedule opportunities when feasible
• Provide training and advancement opportunities for employees to improve or gain new skills
• Take time to have one-on-one meetings with your team to get to know team members on a personal level and find out what motivates them

Rewarding employees in a variety of difference ways allows the men and women who work for you to feel more valued and respected.  Those feelings should directly affect the company’s bottom line results.  This is a win/win solution. The better you treat your employees, the better they will perform at work, and the bonus is that they will spread the word about the great experience they had working at your company.

Lisa Cohn, PHR is an Account Representative for the Ignite Career Center.

Whether you are new to the job market or a seasoned professional, the Ignite Career Center, a program of Jewish Community Services, can help you go farther and get there faster. Our highly experienced Career Coaches provide individuals of all backgrounds and abilities with the customized services and tools they need to stand out from the competition.  For information, call 410-466-9200 or visit ignitecareercenter.com.