Companies are looking at employer branding in improving their recruitment process in order to “fish” for the best ones in the sea of talents. For employer branding to work it needs to be employed on a constant basis and requires the use of various resources, much like how a product or service is marketed. But there is one effective and economical way companies can do to greatly enhance its employer brand – keeping employees happy.

Some might think that keeping employees happy sounds too trivial to even be considered a “work” in itself; however even the best named companies have employees whose self-esteem at work are extremely low, resulting to lack of motivation to make a good contribution to the organization. The attributes, of course, are the highly destructive competitive culture, lack of superior mentorship and lack of inspiration to grow professionally. The better talents who are mindful of their growth would eventually look for better opportunities, leaving the company with the rest of those who’d rather rot where they are than make bold professional decisions. What then awaits a company with workforce of such nature?

There’s really no secret to keeping your employees happy other than just making it sure the good ‘ol golden rule is very much built in the corporate culture.

Trust your hires: When you put trust in your employees it gives them a sense of pride that you value their work and contribution; it forces them to try their best so as not to fail you. In that sense, allow them complete freedom to work on their projects with little supervision as possible. Even if it comes out with little failures try not to magnify them but instead improve on your communication to avoid repeated mistakes.

Get to really know your people: Wasn’t this the core topic of a Dale Carnegie bestseller in 1936? Based by a proven study, relationships improve when people take a genuine interest of other people; listening to what they have to say and talking to them to make them feel important. When you make your employees feel good, they will do the same for you.

Allow work flexibility: Different employees mean different personalities. This goes without saying that each employee has his own effective way of doing things; you can’t force a night owl to be a morning producer or vice versa. What is important is the job gets done on time and right. By allowing this flexibility you acknowledge yet respect their differences.

Encourage their career growth: Nothing makes an employee feel more valued than to have an employer that continue to encourage him/her to grow professionally. This promotes healthy competition among workers without fear of others wanting to steal on somebody else’s job. Likewise, the more you encourage them to learn a new skill or tool the more they will engage in their work.

Reward their significant contribution: This will push them to go beyond what they’re originally hired to do, with always “improving the company’s bottom line” in mind. By encouraging healthy competition among workers you give the positive impression that whatever their contribution is, big or small, is relevant to the company’s overall growth.

Here are also 6 Tips to Manage Your Employer Branding.

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Article Contributed by HR in Asia‘s Team.