Increasing Employee Morale

Does Employee Morale Affect Company Culture?

Happy employees are productive employees. Improving the productivity level in the workplace benefits both the team members and management alike. So how do you keep morale up in the workplace? We’ve compiled a few tips.

Recognize employee contributions:

Let your employees know you value their work. Tell them they’re doing a good job. Write an email and say thank you for their contributions to a project. Whatever you do, just be sure your employees understand that you appreciate what they bring to the organization. Simple acknowledgments go a long way toward building loyalty and pride in a job well done.

Reward employees:

Thank yous are valuable, but other rewards can include public recognition of outstanding work, a celebratory pizza party, or a day off work. These tangible benefits let your staff know you are aware of how hard they are working. Fostering a culture of employee appreciation is a major morale booster.

Treat employees like humans:

Remember birthdays and important occasions in your staff’s lives. Ask how they’re doing, maybe try and smile at your employee in the hall. Your employees are people, not work machines, and small gestures like learning their names and shaking their hands let your staff know you view them as individuals and not simply resources.

Be transparent:

Let employees know what is going on in the company. Give them the whole story and let them see the big picture. If you hold back, staff may worry about what you’re not telling them, and this is how rumors spread. If you have to initiate layoffs, or cut spending, or forgo the holiday party, explain why to your staff, so gossip doesn’t circulate.

Be available:

An open door policy is key. It’s also important to walk around and spend time talking with employees, asking questions, and requesting ideas. If your staff views you as approachable, they’ll be much more likely to bring work issues to your attention. They will also be more likely to give valuable feedback and contribute more time and energy to the company. People who feel their work and opinions are valued will take more pride in their work.

Encourage conversation:

Listening to employee feedback is wonderful, but it can only go so far if the staff doesn’t know enough about business operations to give viable ideas. Keep your employees informed and ensure they understand you are willing to listen to input. Involving staff in discussions lets them know you appreciate their opinions and allows you to provide constructive feedback.

Give responsibility:

Show performing employees you trust them enough to handle an important project or deal. This empowers your staff and builds morale. It’s also key to offer training to develop skills. Perhaps you bring in experts for training sessions or send staff to local trade conferences. Providing your employees with effective training prevents job burn-out because it helps staff feel they are on a professional path and not remaining stagnant in the job.

Make work fun:

Smile, make jokes, plan a fun staff outing. Nothing raises morale faster than a boss who understands that work needs to be enjoyable sometimes.

All in all,

Your team and the work that they put forth is a representation of your management. So, get involved and try to put yourself in their shoes. Remember what it was like on the other side and how you felt. Encourage your employees, be an available resource and get involved. Remember, happy employees are productive employees.

Published under

Leadership/Management