It is not a secret that companies whose team members are happy people are more likely to see success rather than companies filled with stressed employees. In recent years, businesses have begun to pay more attention to employee engagement and happiness in the workplace. There are multiple ways to improve employee happiness too.
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One of the most effective ways to maintain high employee happiness levels is by facilitating their hobbies. Hobbies can help employees in many ways, including in maintaining a high level of productivity at work.
A Boost in Morale
One of the main advantages of supporting employees and their hobbies is that it is a huge boost in morale. After dealing with work tasks all day, employees need ways to unwind and refresh. This is also the reason why many modern offices now have better break rooms and even an on-site gym and other facilities.
It doesn’t have to be a particularly complicated hobby either. Facilitating employees who love to vape by offering a room with good ventilation, a subscription box of new flavors from companies like Auster, and some extra time for the employees to relax, vape, and have discussions are all great ways to boost morale.
The impact of facilitating employees’ hobbies can be seen almost immediately. This impact can be amplified further by getting mid- and top-level management involved in hobby-related activities with other team members, particularly when the management team shares the same hobbies as other members of the company.
Better Time Management
Studies have shown that employees who have hobbies in their spare time are better at managing their time in the first place. The hobby acts as an extra reward for working efficiently since that would mean they have more time for the leisure activities they love so much.
Again, the company can play a more active role in supporting employees’ hobbies. Letting employees form a book club at work, for example, is a great way to facilitate an existing hobby while helping employees manage their time more efficiently.
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Better time management will easily translate to better work productivity too. Employees will get better at prioritizing the tasks in hand so everything is completed in time before the next book club meeting.
More Energy at Work
It is also not a secret that certain hobbies such as cycling promote a better lifestyle. These are the kind of hobbies the company needs to back in order to motivate employees to live enhanced lives. An initiative for those who love to bike or jog to work is a good example of how hobbies can help employees be more active and energized at work.
Once again, the company only needs to do simple things to support this type of hobbies. Setting up a shower at the office where employees can freshen up after cycling to work is a great start. That gym we talked about earlier is another great way to promote an improved lifestyle among employees.
It is clear from these examples that hobbies can really help employees perform better at work. Companies need to play a more active role in supporting their employees’ passion and leisure activities in order to maintain a high level of happiness among team members.
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As mentioned, I think this works best when employees within a company share hobbies. Trying to cater to a wide variety of hobbies would be a logistical nightmare! But you’re right, there are some hobbies that are more universal than others that could easily be supported by employers.