5 Simple Ways to Keep Your Employees Happy

Smart companies know that the most effective, productive employees are the ones who truly love their jobs. But there's more to an employee's job satisfaction than simply enjoying his or her daily tasks. The way workers are treated by their employers plays a huge role in how happy they are.

"People are a company's biggest asset," said Sydney Sloan, senior director of customer and social marketing at social business software company Jive. "Invest in your employees' unique talents, and they will be more invested in going above and beyond for the company, too. [Leaders should] praise good work often, encourage employees' strengths, and give them space to spread their wings and create."

Are you doing all you can to make your staff love their jobs? Sloan offered the following tips to help you improve your employees' happiness at work. [The Happiest Jobs in America]

Give your employees mobility. Offer BYOD (bring-your-own-device) policies that allow workers to use the technology they want to get work done, as well as offer the flexibility and freedom they need to stay connected while on the go.
Make employees feel connected. Encourage management to communicate openly and often about what's going on in the company. The transparency will go a long way toward creating trust, and employees will feel more personally connected to their superiors.
Cut back on emails and meetings. Many employees feel that a flooded inbox and a constant string of meetings waste time and hinder productivity. Replace some of those emails and meetings with technology that helps them save time and collaborate more efficiently.
Have fun at work. Set aside time for office-wide activities that allow people to get to know one another better and connect in a nonwork capacity.
Let employees do what they were hired to do. You hired your employees to create, develop, code, write, sell, design, etc. Instead of weighing down their day with meaningless tasks, let them spend as much time as possible doing what they're passionate about.

Originally published on Business News Daily.