Happy employees and their link to organizational success.

Employee engagement and empowerment represent powerful ways to enhance productivity and profitability. Valued employees are happy employees; and happy employees are what drive business success.

There are several steps that will help to empower and engage your employees. The top five are covered here.

1. Perception of job importance - If your employees feel that their jobs are important, they will feel valued, and you will have employee loyalty.

2. Clear expectations - Clear expectations, basic materials, and equipment must be provided or negative emotions such as boredom may result. Employees will become more focused on getting through the day than about how to help the organization succeed.

3. Regular feedback from superiors - Feedback is the key to giving employees a sense of where they're going. Many companies are lacking in this department. This feedback has to be positive as well as constructively critical.

4. Use a suggestion box - Allowing your employees a say in what is being done in the work place will strengthen their pride in their job and let them feel as if they have an affect on the company's operations.

5. Effective communications - Employees want to know what is happening in the workplace. Accepting that employees wish to feel involved in what they are doing is the first step in creating a more productive work environment.