* Home * My Feed * Saved The Telegraph (BUTTON) * News * Politics * World * Sport * Technology * Business * Money * Opinion * Obituaries * Travel * Culture * Lifestyle * Women * Family * Health and Fitness * Fashion * Luxury * Cars * Free Mobile App * Jobs * Financial Solutions * Rewards * Events * Dating * Offers * Shop * Garden Shop * Bookshop * Tickets * Puzzles * Fantasy Football * Voucher Codes * Work at The Telegraph * Telegraph Corporate * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe now * My Account My details My newsletters Logout Upgrade to Premium * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe - 30 days free * Login * Register * Search * Video * Rewards * My Account My details My newsletters Logout The Telegraph * Home * News * Sport * Business (BUTTON) ALL SECTIONS * Business * SME Home * SME Home * SME News * Quick Guides * Security Risks * Innovation * Insights * Money * Wellbeing * HP Products (BUTTON) More Premium * Telegraph * Business * SME Home A happy office is a productive office Brought to you by hp logo * * * * * Shares Save woman with headphones in holding smartphone smiling at camera Sound moves: think about the small improvements you can make to the lives of staff Credit: Getty Images * Rebecca Burn-Callander 28 September 2015 • 3:40pm (BUTTON) Follow Follow the author of this article * Rebecca Burn-Callander There is one simple thing that small businesses can do to hang on to talented staff and it is not what you might think Pay rises, flexible working and social gatherings be damned. What workers really want, it turns out, is a few tunes in the office. Music has topped the bill in a new report, which looks into the best workplace moraleboosting tactics, followed by flexible hours and “chatting with colleagues”. The research shows that it really is not that hard to make workers happy. Just a few tweaks to the workplace environment could help you keep staff turnover down. About 44pc of the small business workers surveyed said that playing music would improve their working life; 41pc wanted flexible hours; and 40pc sought a sociable work environment. Sage One, the payroll software business, found that more than a quarter of the UK small business personnel would be happier at work if they were offered treats. The research goes to show how relatively small sums of money can go a really long way in staff retention. By letting your people play the music they want during their working day, you are not only likely to hang on to them for longer, they could actually be more productive as a result. Replacing good people is time-consuming, costly and can put emotional strain on small teams Separate research, conducted last year by Mindlab International, found that nine out of 10 workers perform better when listening to music. During the study, 88pc of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81pc completed their fastest work when music was playing. Of course, music tends to work better in environments where staff are involved in data entry, creative projects or on sales floors. It is less helpful for work that requires high levels of problem-solving. The Sage One study also debunked a few myths about what staff really want at work. Just 12pc cared about pictures, plants or other decorations, showing that office surroundings may not be as important as the interior design experts would have us believe. What the report does not talk about, however, is all the free measures that small business owners can take to boost morale. It is easy to say “well done” when someone has done a great job. It is free(ish) to give loyal workers their birthday off – and this is a strategy that has paid off for fast-growing companies such as Timpsons, the keycutting chain. Make sure that you have a policy of promoting staff from within to show your people that they are not going to be stuck in a career rut, and that hard work is rewarded. Take some time to think about the small, incremental improvements that you can make to the lives of staff. Replacing good people is time-consuming, costly and can put emotional strain on small teams. It is easy to make a start: consider a team playlist on Spotify or any of the other streaming networks, buy in some decent cakes, and push flexible hours up the work agenda. It is the way forward for having happy staff. For more advice on preparing your business for the tech challenges of the future, visit HP BusinessNow * * * * * Shares Most recent 1. Happy colleagues working 11 Apr 2017, 10:00am Investors want more than cash - it's all about chemistry Premium 2. A woman going through her accounts in a workshop 30 Mar 2017, 1:00pm How small businesses can gain control of their finances Premium 3. Miso tasty food 29 Mar 2017, 12:45pm When would you throw the towel in on your startup? Premium 4. Contemporary artist and designer Heath Kane 07 Mar 2017, 9:00am Sweating the big stuff: business talking politics Premium 5. Two models wearing Rose and Willard clothing 14 Dec 2018, 9:00am How a fashion entrepreneur tried resizing her business Premium 6. 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