No one wants to work with a Negative Nancy or a Debbie Downer every day. It’s true that when one team member is in a bad mood, they can bring others down around them.

At OnePlace, we like to increase employee productivity with our online small business organization solution. But we also work to make sure everyone on our team is positive most - if not all - of the time. Here are some other ways to keep employees happy in the workplace

1. Know The Names of Your Employees
It seems simple enough, but there are many companies in which the managers and supervisors don’t know the names of the people working on their teams. Take the time to learn who they are, what the names of their partners and kids are, and what they like to do on weekends. It’ll build camaraderie between you and your team.

2. Give Quarterly Evaluations
Rather than annual reviews, smaller quarterly evaluations can keep employees on track for their growth goals, and give them a positivity boost if they’ve done a good job the last few months.

3. Be Supportive
Rather than being demanding of their time and energy, be supportive of your employees’ needs. Are they overbooked one week? See what you can do to move non-priority tasks out a week or so, so your team feels that you work with them.

4. Recognize Success
Has someone on your team won a new account? Have they been contributing well to a project? Recognize their successes by awarding them a small gift card, or acknowledging them in front of the team for a job well done.

5. Set Goals
Teams work better when there is a goal they are shooting for. Make it big like attaining 10 new client accounts in one day, or make it small like designing a fantastic logo that doesn’t need revisions.

6. Provide Career Growth Opportunities
Just like setting work goals, employees set career goals for themselves. They want to know that in five years, they will be higher up on the ladder than where they are now. Offer these growth opportunities in your company to keep employees happy, and to keep your best employees on staff.

7. Give employees respect
Again, this seem like an easy thing to do, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Make sure you respect your team as employees and as human beings. They will feel much happier coming in to work knowing that they are respected.

And becomes sometimes it’s the perks of the job that keep employees positive, here are some perks you may want to invest in:

1. Casual Fridays or Other Theme Days
Allowing employees to relax and wear jeans on Friday is becoming more and more popular. But if you already work in a casual-dress office, think of other theme days, like Costume Day, Hawaiian Day or Prom Day. This will inject some fun costumes and dress-up opportunities to bring joy to your team.

2. Company Parties
Holiday parties happen at the majority of companies in December and January, but there are other opportunities for company parties too. Try holding a birthday celebration on the day the company was founded, or a summertime BBQ for your employees to enjoy.

3. Flexible Work Hours
With people’s schedules becoming more and more hectic, flexibility in the office is key. Allow your team to take a break in the middle of the afternoon for their kid’s choir concert, knowing they will make up that time later in the evening,0 or by staying late the following day. This builds trust in you team, and makes them want to work harder for you so you stay happy with their performance as well.

4. Company-Wide Competitions
Each month, try holding competitions for your entire company. Hold a baseball game of the creative staff versus the IT staff. Or have different teams plot against each other in a scavenger hunt.

5. High-End Office Supplies
So, you’re giving out the broken hand-me-down office chair again, huh? What a horrible way to start out a new job, let alone every day your employee goes into the office to sit in it. Try giving your team members quality chairs, modern desks and the latest computers and office phones to use. They will feel more valued by seeing that you are investing in their talents.

6. Quality Food and Coffee
Offer nice treats for your employees to snack on each day. It’s just another way that bring value to your employees, by knowing they are being taken care of. And that gas station coffee has got to go - invest in a nice coffee maker and gourmet coffee for your office.

7. Team Field Trips
Bring your employees out on a field trip a couple times a year. Head to an amusement park, go bowling or take a boat out on the water and fish all afternoon. You can even advertise these outings as part of your office culture, and people will want to work for your company to enjoy these trips.

With so many ways to increase employee productivity and keep employees happy, we need to do what we can to make sure all managers and supervisors are working with the Positive Pollys and the Happy Hannahs. Maybe a ping pong table should be set up in every office?

What are some of your favorite ways to keep your employees happy and productive?