It’s probably safe to say most of us realize that low job satisfaction causes negative business outcomes.  But to what extent? According to a Gallup report, the estimated cost of America’s disengagement crisis is $300 billion in lost productivity -annually.

Another study, shared in The New York Times article, “Do Happier People Work Harder?” shows that workers perform better when they are happily engaged in what they do, often the result of making progress in meaningful work.  Managers can support this motivator by removing barriers to productivity, providing help and acknowledging strong effort.

The article concludes, “Work should enoble, not kill, the human spirit.  Promoting workers’ well-being isn’t just ethical; it makes economic sense.”

To read more on this subject, check out DiversityUniversity.com’s post on, “Employee Happiness Proves Influential Over Business Success.”

What simple actions can make a big difference to your organization’s culture?

The Inc. Magazine article, “7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction,” suggests encouraging social interactions. At our corporate office in Cincinnati, many team members eat lunch together daily and we celebrate special occasions with potlucks, like baby showers, bridal showers and holidays. The positive energy it creates could be one contributor to our turnover being below 2% for the past five years

What practices can your team, department or company start integrating to help encourage engagement?