5 Ways to Have Fun While Getting Work Done

Being a productive employee who's engaged in your work takes effort in itself. Part of that is creating an environment which is enjoyable to be a part of. Having fun at work is a great way of keeping your spirits up, your productivity high, and staying engaged in the work. You spend the vast majority of your waking-hours working, so why not make it enjoyable? Happy people tend to be more productive, less prone to burnout, and are even sick less often. Being happy at work also means you'll get more enjoyment and fulfillment out of your job. As a result, you'll find it easier to stay motivated, be creative, and get on with the great work you know you can do. But how do you make your job enjoyable? Let’s take a look at five strategies for making and keeping work fun.

1. Get involved in extracurricular events

The main source of fun in the workplace is often all around you: your coworkers! Look for fun ways to increase your interactions together. Organizing events, office contests, and day trips can inject some fun into your day-to-day routine. If it’s someone’s birthday-- celebrate it! Be careful, though, that fun events don’t become a distraction. Keeping these events short and concise is the key— if they take up too much time, this will make your work more stressful as you’ll have to catch up on the work you missed— not fun at all.

2. Take the time to work on creative projects

Every employee has a list of tasks they need to get done, but they also have those longer-term, bigger-picture projects that require some creative thinking and brainstorming. When you’re in the midst of the daily grind, it’s sometimes a good idea to take a break and work on something else. These alternative projects give your mind the opportunity to expressive itself a little. Without fun mind exercises like these, it’s easy to get bogged down in the more straightforward work your job entails.

3. Gamify your work

Gamification is a term you might have heard without necessarily understanding what it’s all about. Basically, it involves turning everyday tasks and activities into a game. In a work setting, this would involve adding attributes to your task that make completing it more like a game. Try coming up with a system of points and rewards for the accomplishments you need to get done— the bigger the accomplishment, the bigger the reward. There are also plenty of apps out there that can help you with gamifying by enabling you to set reminders and track your points.

4. Be kind to yourself at work

It’s all very well working hard and getting a lot of things done, but part of making your job fun is taking care of yourself. Be sure to step away from your work at consistent times throughout the day. Short breaks enable you to give your brain some space to relax and give you the opportunity to refocus on the tasks at hand.

5. Customize your workspace

Transforming your work space into a more personalized, comforting area can be a great way to have fun while getting work done. Try bringing in some pictures of your loved-ones from home to create a personal touch to your desk. People also decorate their desk with all kinds of knick-knacks and toys they enjoy looking at. Some workplaces do have limitations on what you can and can't decorate your desk with, so it's always advisable to check with your HR department before undergoing any drastic redesigns. Most companies are fine with how you keep your workspace as long as it doesn't become a distraction to other employees. Think carefully about how you can make your work area more fun, and go wild-- even the process of decorating can be fun!

Having fun at work means better work

Part of being a productive, valued employee is putting yourself in a position to get things done. By adding fun to your work environment, you can not only improve your mental health but improve your ability to be productive as well. While you should take care not to have so much fun that it becomes disruptive to your work, a little fun can go a long way.

Ready to find a fun job where you can be productive and produce your best work? Click here to upload your resume and let J & J Staffing Resources find you your next position!

10 Employee Retention Strategies to Improve Your Company's Performance

Five years into the U.S. Economic Recovery, talented employees once again hold the cards when it comes to choosing where to work. With employee bounce rates reaching their highest levels since 2008, companies are in a vulnerable position that may leave them understaffed and falling short of their goals.

Why is Employee Retention so Important?

The reduced pool of qualified talent combined with increased employee acquisition and turnover costs have an exceptional adverse impact on your bottom line. The loss of large numbers of talented employees will have a long-lasting negative effect on your profits and the cumulative performance of your employees.

Employee retention is better for everyone - employers and employees - because high retention rates equate to shared goals, improved performance, and competitive advantage. So why do top employees quit? The two most common factors are lack of job satisfaction and more appealing career options.

How to Insure Your Talent Acquisition Investment

The days of retaining employees by dangling a cookie filled with a good salary, paid time off, medical benefits and a 401k are over. Don't get me wrong - talented employees expect all of the above - but they want MORE. In order to retain your talent, commit to an employee retention program - TODAY.

10 Tactics You Need to Include in Your Employee Retention Strategy

What matters more than than money to the knowledge workforce?

1. Recognition: A pat on the back goes a long way. Give praise for a job well done. How about an improved job title? Appreciation is a fantastic and free employee motivational tool.
   
2. Break the Sandbox: Encourage employees to use their imagination and move outside of the box.
3. Keep Things Spicy: Forget the humdrum - push your employees to reach their full potential with a challenging variety of tasks. Variety is indeed the spice that turns a bored employee into an engaged employee. 
4. Be Transparent: Keep job descriptions accurate and up-to-date so employees have a clear understanding of what is expected in their current role and have direction on areas to build skills as they aspire to transition into other roles.
5. The Magnetism of Employee Empowerment: Let your employees plan, perform, and evaluate their own tasks to lock them in for the long haul. 
   
6. Do Some Yoga: When it comes to paid time off, be flexible to improve employee work-life balance. Your employees will be loyal for it.
7. There's No "I" in Team: A teamwork culture increases employee productivity and retention.
8. Communicate: Set realistic performance standards and 360-degree performance reviews.
9. Lifelong Learning: Employees stay motivated when they have the opportunity to keep learning. Employee development initiatives can include formal company training, certification incentives, and tuition reimbursement. A learning organization will be more agile during imminent times of change.
10. Perks: From employee stock options, quarterly performance bonuses, and health club reimbursements to happy house and free lunch - employees appreciate fringe benefits.

Hierarchy Matters

When designing your employee retention program, keep in mind what motivates employees will typically vary dependent upon their position within your organization.

Top, Middle, Bottom

• High-level employees are motivated by praise and development opportunities.
• Mid-level employees are motivated by opportunities to learn and like open door policies with their direct managers.
• Low-level managers are motivated by competitive salaries and perks.
• Entry-level employees are motivated by bonuses, performance-based raises, and pay for working additional hours.

In order to retain talent, employees must feel like their goals are in line with the company that they commit to. A comprehensive employee retention program will give your company the highest ROI because motivated, engaged, and loyal employees are more likely to reach their fullest potential which will naturally increase your organization's success. Check out Philly.com's top workplace list for more employee retention inspiration.

J&J Staffing matches top employee talent to your company's temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire needs. Click here to learn how J&J Staffing can help you meet your short-term immediate hiring needs and long-term staffing goals.