How happy do you think your employees are? Most bosses assume that everyone views their company with the same rose-tinted glasses they do, but that’s rarely the case. Employee satisfaction is important for every manager and business owner. A happy employee is an employee that works hard and can get things done, and an unhappy one can be disastrous for businesses. Unhappy employees can spread like a virus, their lack of motivation and dissatisfaction can easily spread to others. Don’t write off unhappy employees as not being team players or disposable; learn to identify them before it’s too late. If you see any of these behaviors in your employees, it’s time to schedule a meeting to find a way to improve their situation and save their job (and your company).
Their work isn’t bad, but it isn’t ambitious
A sure sign of an unhappy or ineffective employee is one that does sloppy work, but what about the ones that seem to get their job done, but nothing else? They don’t seem very interested or concerned about doing new tasks, and they actively avoid taking on or suggesting new projects. Employees that love to coast are employees that aren’t engaged in their jobs, and they could be harmful for you in the long run.
They don’t use their connections
When you hired your employee you were pleased to learn that they had a ton of connections in the industry. Despite being at the office for months, they haven’t recommended a single new employee or brought in any new business. It could be that their connections just aren’t interested in your business, but it’s more likely that the employee isn’t talking about your company. Unhappy employees don’t want to bring their friends and business contacts into an environment they don’t like.
They seem antisocial at work
Your other employees always seem to be planning special work happy hours and events, but your one employee never seems to want to go. Some people simply don’t like to socialize at work, and others actively avoid socializing because they’re unhappy at their jobs. If your employee has failed to have a friendly watercooler conversation and seems to avoid people at work, they could be looking for a way out.
They have bad client relationships
Is Jana in sales always complaining about the clients she has to meet with for the week? Could your project manager Jim not be bothered to send out business ecards last 4th of July? When your employees seem to dread talking to clients, it may not be because the client themselves are being difficult. They may resent some of the clients they have to talk to on a daily basis.
