5 Simple Ways to Keep Agents Happy

It is no secret that happy agents work harder. Here Kristin Hodgkinson reveals 5 simple things you can do to help keep everyone smiling.

1. Maintain good facilities to make your employees feel comfortable

There are some very basic human needs that should be catered for, such as toilet facilities and drinking water.

However, just having them isn’t enough; you need to ensure that they’re of a high enough standard for your employees to feel comfortable and looked after.

Ask yourself… Are the toilets cleaned daily or not? When the water cooler runs dry, is there another barrel at hand?

2. Hire a catering company to cover lunch in-house

How much money do your employees spend on lunch every day? How far do they have to walk or drive just to pick it up? If the round trip to get food at lunchtime takes up the full hour, you’ve not really given your employees a break. And trust me, employees need a break.

If your business is of a moderate size, consider hiring a catering company to cover lunch in-house. You don’t have to pay for every lunch, but employees will really appreciate a subsidised fee. It will save them money as well as a journey.

If that’s too costly, at least provide a space for employees to store and make their own food at lunch.

3. Keep your agents warm in winter and cool in summer

Consider the thermoregulation of your office space. Modern offices have large windows that only open a fraction because of fire safety – it’s a recipe for disaster in the summer.

Your employees will develop a negative attitude if they are made to work in what is essentially a greenhouse, so ensure you have an air-conditioning system in place for the hotter months, and decent heating in the winter.

4. Give your agents the flexibility to avoid rush hour traffic

Giving employees a greater sense of control over the way they work can significantly increase their happiness because it helps establish a greater work-life balance.

Make it known to employees that if they have to make long commutes that are interrupted by traffic at peak times they can work from 10 to 6 rather than from 9 to 5.

Kristin Hodgkinson

This kind of flexibility can significantly reduce stress, especially if you previously had a very strict policy on lateness.

5. Forget about ‘pulling rank’ and take your team out for a few drinks

If an employee feels valued by their boss and colleagues, and – one step further – genuinely likes their boss and colleagues, they’ll be more productive, especially when it comes to teamwork.

Hierarchies are important for when you need to pull rank, but sometimes taking the guys out for drinks after a great week for the company sets you up for a more productive month.

With thanks to Kristin Hodgkinson at Direct365, a company who specialise in supporting the workplace.

Author: Megan Jones