Job satisfaction is very important to employees. In fact, many employees quit their jobs every year, some before they have even secured new employment, because they are so unhappy with their current job. Improving job satisfaction and employee engagement, then, is often one of the most important things a supervisor can do. If the employees you manage seem to be unmotivated, unproductive, and have low morale, it may be due to the fact that they are very unsatisfied with some aspect of their jobs. If you’re uncertain how to combat this, here are several tips that will help you improve job satisfaction.

Provide Recognition and Rewards
Employees work hard to complete their tasks, especially those who are given challenging projects with short deadlines. Those who go above and beyond should be recognized and rewarded in some way. This doesn’t have to be a public form of recognition, either—sometimes, simply acknowledging that someone did a good job is enough. Employees feel much more appreciated if they’re regularly told that management recognizes how hard they work. It’s also a good idea to publicly recognize and reward those who really go out of their way, too.

Engage your Employees 
Are your employees actively engaged in your business, or do they just come in to work every morning and expect to simply do whatever tasks you have for them? Employees who feel like they have ownership of their projects and are able to provide constructive feedback to management feel more like part of the team and less like a nameless cog in the machine. This is important for morale and overall job satisfaction.

In addition to this, having employees provide feedback on company decisions and seeking out their ideas makes your business better. The company leadership may not always see things the same way as employees do, so it’s important to gain their perspective when making major company changes. It’s also very likely that employees may have their own ideas about how to improve your business, and those ideas are worth listening to.

Help Employees Develop their Skills
Few employees want to stay in their current position for the rest of their career. Many want to move up the corporate ladder or eventually move into a more specialized position. If your employees feel like you and your company are helping them do this, they’re likely to be much more satisfied with their job. 

Provide your employees with the opportunity to gain additional skills and knowledge by offering continuing education, workshops, and even paying for some college courses or other types of training. Some worry that employees will leave once they complete their degrees, and while that can be a risk, many do not do so because they’re so happy with their jobs. 

In addition to improving job satisfaction, you also improve your overall business since your workforce will be more knowledgeable and more skilled. While some of these skills may be in areas other than what the employee needs for his or her job, you may find employees make use of their education in surprising ways. An employee who is working on a nursing degree, for example, may translate a good bedside manner into outstanding customer service.

Create a Positive Environment
No one wants to work in a dark, depressing office that has an air of negativity about it. When someone walks into your place of business, no matter what type of business it is, you want them to feel welcomed, motivated, inspired, and wanted. If your work environment doesn’t project that feeling, it can be an issue. Employees may feel repressed and that they are just another worker valued only for the work they do.

There are a few things you can do about this. Look at what your employees need and respond to that. Provide them with a fully-stocked break area that is comfortable and allows them to relax. Bring in motivational speakers to talk to them about what job success means and what they can do to make management aware of their needs.

Look at Your Benefits
Sometimes, job satisfaction comes down to salary and benefits. If employees feel that they have to work too hard for too little compensation, they’re likely to look for other jobs. Do you offer a competitive wage for each of your positions? Are your benefits competitive? There are often a number of things you can do to add benefits without increasing your company’s overall expenses. For example, you can offer flexible hours that allow some employees to come in earlier and leave earlier, while others may prefer to start and stay an hour later than usual.

You may also be able to offer the opportunity for some employees to work from home. Those who do mostly computer work and do not need to interact with customers or other employees every day may be able to telecommute, which can allow them the chance to spend more time at home with young children.

Provide Feedback
Employees want to know what they’re doing right and what they need to do differently. Providing regular helpful feedback will help your employees grow and become better workers by addressing areas that they need improvement in. Make certain any feedback you provide is constructive, however, because employees who receive nothing but criticism on a regular basis are going to feel harassed and that nothing they do is good enough. 

Also give your employees the chance to provide feedback to you about how the office is managed. If some are wary of speaking their mind, provide anonymous surveys or comment cards for employees to leave ideas or suggestions on.

Continually Evaluate Your Team
Remember that job satisfaction isn’t something you achieve and then continually have. It can greatly change within a few weeks, and someone who was once very satisfied with their job may become greatly dissatisfied after a new policy is implemented or several new employees are hired on. You need to continually watch the job satisfaction of each employee and of your team overall in order to proactively handle any issues that come up.