4 Ways Happy Employees Are Good for Business

Posted on Aug 28, 2023

Your staff keeps your pharmacy running. Between processing scripts and interacting with your patients, your employees serve as the “face” of your store. As a result, their level of engagement and happiness has a direct impact on nearly every aspect of your business, from productivity to profitability. That’s why it’s essential for independent pharmacies to ensure their staff engagement is high. Not convinced? We’ll explain employee engagement and four ways happy employees are good for business.

What is employee engagement?

Simply put, employee engagement is the level of connection your employees feel toward your pharmacy and the work that they do. Engagement is directly related to a staff member’s level of motivation and commitment, which stems from alignment with your store’s values and goals, as well as resources and level of communication you provide.

How are employee engagement and happiness related?

When employees are happy, it creates a better work environment. The more positive the work environment, the more collaborative and productive your staff will be.  Plus, when staff members feel connected to your store and their role within it, they are not only more reliable, but are more likely to go above and beyond for patients as well.

How are happy employees good for business?

Less staff turnover.

Happy employees are less likely to leave their jobs, which saves you the time and expense of having to recruit and hire new staff. Alternatively, frequent turnover can have a negative impact on the morale and productivity of your remaining staff. This can also affect your customer experience as well, whether it’s caused by delays processing scripts or their interactions with your over-worked, frazzled staff.

Increased Productivity.

Happy, engaged employees are typically more enthusiastic about their work and quicker to complete tasks. They take pride in performing their job duties well and are also more likely to do more than what is required of them. This means pharmacies with higher employee engagement operate more efficiently overall, which ultimately leads to higher profits for your pharmacy.

Enhanced Customer Experience.

Employee engagement and happiness also directly impact your customer experience. When your staff is engaged and happy at work, it shows in their interactions with patients. They will be more friendly, compassionate, and helpful. In turn, this will create feelings of satisfaction in your patients. This can transition into customer loyalty overtime, which means more repeat business and referrals.

Better Profitability.

All these factors play into your pharmacy’s overall profitability. In fact, between the amount of money you’ll save by NOT having to recruit and train new staff, and the increase in productivity and customer loyalty, the financial impact can be significant.  

Now you’re probably wondering, how do I boost employee engagement and happiness?

There are several ways you can ensure that your pharmacy staff is happy, including:

• Using clear, frequent communication.

This provides transparency, direction and eliminates confusion among your staff. It ensures that everyone understands their individual role and is aligned on the pharmacy’s goals and priorities as well.

• Recognize and reward hard work.

Simply saying thank you when someone goes out of their way to help a colleague or patient can go along way. Additionally, providing a shout out during a team meeting and/or rewarding someone’s efforts are great ways to build a positive, collaborative culture and team morale.

• Simplifying workflows.

Leveraging pharmacy software and other automation tools can eliminate many of the manual, repetitive tasks in your daily workflow. This not only makes your staff happier by saving them time, but it enables them to shift their focus to more important things, like patient care instead.

At the end of the day, happy employees create a positive, more productive work environment. That positive vibe will help you retain your staff and carry over to your patient’s experience at your store, leading to better business outcomes in the long run. Request a free demo to learn how BestRx’s user-friendly software can help you build a happier, more efficient work environment for your pharmacy.