Imagine what happens when you ask an employee about their grand kids or their upcoming fishing trip or their daughters recent wedding. How do they look? Its likely their face relaxes, a smile appears, and their eyes gleam. What youre seeing is joy.

What happens when you ask that same person about their job? Instead of that blissful smile youre more likely to see frown lines etch into their forehead or the muscles in their neck and shoulders visibly tighten. Are these motivated employees? Are they productive employees?

These have not been good times for employees or managers. Whether its rumored layoffs or less money for yearly raises, tough economic conditions will take the wind out of the most enthusiastic staff. But it doesnt have to be like that.

Happy employees are more productive

Happiness boosts productivity. Lets take a minute to think about kids. Imagine giving your favorite 7-year-old a task. I guarantee their only real concern will be whether the project will be tons of fun or a dreadful bore. Theyre not concerned about the outcomethey just want to have a good time. And, if they are having fun, theyll complete the task with joy and enthusiasm.

Now imagine a group of adults given the same task. Theyll start by spending a great deal of time arguing about rules, assigning roles, and debating outcomes. In fact, they might spend so much time on the nuts and bolts that they may not even produce an actual outcome by projects end. Not exactly the picture of motivated employees, is it?

Improve employee retention by making happiness a priority

No matter what you might think, happiness and productivity are not mutually exclusive. Does keeping employees happy mean you need to show Two and a Half Men reruns on the break room TV? Not necessarily. But it does mean that managers should search for ways to bring joyand the productivity that followsback into the workplace. In fact, when joy returns to the workplace you might be surprised to find that youll improve employee retention as well.

The secret to making employees happy?

There is no magic wand that makes employees want to get up and skip into work each and every morning. However, learning more about what frustrates employees the most when on the job is a smart first step. Maybe its the appearance of a double-standard among departments. Perhaps its a supervisors lack of sympathy for extraordinary life circumstances, like when an employee is late because an aging parent suddenly takes ill. On-the-job frustrationsespecially ones that have a solutiondo not help build motivated employees.

Businesses invest so much time into crafting a business plan that details the minutiae of everything from marketing to insurance. Yet few take that same care and consideration when it comes to a businesss most powerful asset: people power. Dont wait any longer to help that asset live up to its fulland productivepotential. Nurture productive employees and manage employee retention by discovering what saps the joy out of your staffs day.

Remember, happy employees are productive employees.