Happy employees make for a better work environment and improved work results. Employees do better work and pay more attention to details if they are happy with their jobs. On the flip side, unhappy employees mean more mistakes and the possibility of them leaving your company to find another job.

Develop Company Culture

The culture of a company is one of the main things that will not only keep employees happy, but keep them—period. Being open and honest with your employees goes a long way in any industry. Make sure your employees know they are important to you as an owner, manager, or team leader. The size of the company determines how much personal attention employees can have, but regardless of size, having open communication with your employees and a way for them to make their complaints known and heard will ensure they feel they matter in the scope of your business and their job.

Keep Workloads Reasonable

Giving workers more work than they can realistically handle is counterproductive. The employees will be too stressed out to do the best job they can. When the work of one person falls off, it can often lead to a domino effect and the whole department can suffer. You’ll want to make sure that you adequately plan for circumstances that are out of control so your employees don’t feel too overburdened. The Japanese call this muri. By implementing muri, your employees will feel more respected and that they are more than cogs in the wheel. If someone completes work ahead of schedule, perhaps they can work with someone else on another project to help with completion of that one.

Stop the Gossip

Implement a zero tolerance rule for gossiping and negative behavior in the workplace. The workplace is often no different than school when it comes to cliques. Friends and people with common interests tend to gather in groups. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as employees are not gossiping and spreading negative information about each other. Backstabbing in the workplace will cause low morale and is a major cause of employees leaving their jobs. If employees dislike their boss, they are also more likely to leave.

Working to make the workplace more comfortable and employee-friendly might seem like extra work, but in the long run, it will be worth it. If you want to keep valuable employees, be the kind of employer you would want to have. Openness, honesty, respect, and kindness go a long way to building your dream team.

Looking for more advice? Check out: 3 Tips for Improving Employee Retention.