How can you regain employee commitment?

Are your employees having as much fun at work as they think they should be? Probably not if your work environment is like that of the more than 500 human resources professionals who responded to the Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) Fun Work Environment Survey. According to the survey, 76 percent of respondents indicated that the level of fun in their organization is less than what they think it should be. And 99 percent stated that fun should be incorporated occasionally to very often at work. Employees who have fun at work may be more committed to the organization.

Why should working be fun? The majority of respondents (84 percent) agreed that companies that promote fun at work are more effective than companies that do not. A large majority also stated that workplaces that endorse a fun work environment are likely to experience increases in several key areas, including a moderate to substantial increase in:

• ability to attract new employees (95 percent);

• employee enthusiasm (95 percent);

• group cohesiveness (94 percent);

• communication among employees and employee satisfaction (93 percent); and

• employee creativity (92 percent).

Other possible consequences of a fun work environment include more friendships at work (91 percent), a greater level of employee commitment to the organization (88 percent) and increased customer satisfaction (86 percent).

The survey also revealed that many respondents think a fun work environment would result in decreases in:

• employee anxiety and stress (84 percent);

• complaints of boredom (82 percent);

• turnover rates (79 percent);

• absenteeism rates (72 percent); and

• interpersonal conflicts (72 percent).

Barriers. Although employees strongly support opportunities for fun in the workplace, managers and supervisors may be resistant to creating such an environment. Eighty-three percent of respondents stated that time constraints would be a likely barrier to managers favoring opportunities to have fun at work. Seventy-two percent cited financial costs as a major concern. Other top reasons reported by more than three-fifths of respondents included fear of support from above, fear that the department's work won't be taken seriously, and the unproven impact of fun at work.

How to make it fun. If the barriers to fun can be worked around, there are several actions employers can take to create a fun work environment. Eighty-three percent of respondents cited both employee recognition and awards and casual dress days as actions that bring fun into the workplace. Company-provided food and refreshments also are popular ways to influence the work environment, with 82 percent of the respondents indicating their organizations participated in this activity. Other actions used to create a fun work environment include:

• bring your child to work day (44 percent);

• costume days (39 percent);

• release time for community projects (34 percent); and

• photos and funny captions, such as most beautiful baby contests (2 percent).

Other findings. The SHRM survey also asked respondents to rate the importance of various factors employees may seek at work. While some of the factors are not directly related to having fun, they do reveal the type of work environment employees prefer. One significant finding was that 82 percent of respondents felt that it was extremely important to feel listened to at work. In addition, 62 percent cited receiving personal recognition at work as extremely important. Fifty-seven percent said feeling freedom to engage in laughter at work was extremely important, and 38 percent said being able to relax, have fun and enjoy oneself at work was extremely important.

SOURCE:SHRM Fun Work Environment Survey, www.shrm.org/research