Do You Know How to Boost Morale at Work and Why It Matters?
Are you looking to learn how to boost morale at work? It’s something that all leaders should be working toward. Staff morale is an essential aspect of business that helps create more productivity.
When you keep your employees happy, they’re more likely to work hard. As Internet sites provide information about potential employers, it’s easier to determine if a company is pleasing to work at. Companies can nurture morale as a strategic move.
Reasons to Know How to Boost Morale at Work
When employees have positive morale, it leads to a more efficient and productive workplace. Many studies show that it also leads to the creation of better quality work.
Employee morale can also have a huge effect on the company. If you have hard times, the workers will help you get through them. A lack of worker morale means hard work is less likely, while high work morale means a team will do everything possible to ensure the success of the organization.
Why else should you know how to boost morale at work? It helps you bring in and keep the best employees, which drops the turnover rate. Healthy work environments create high morale. This turns employees into top assets who can be involved in the hiring process too.
While it might sound crazy, high morale can even cut business costs. When morale is high, it reduces accidents in the workplace. This lowers workplace stress and creates fewer absences which may mean less paid time off.
How to Boost Morale at Work – Simple and Inexpensive Options
If you want to be successful as a leader, investing in employee morale is a must. Based on a study by the Warwick Business School, happy workers are 12% more productive than others.
On the other side, unhappy employees may cause issues in a company. They tend to be absent more and less productive. You also end up spending a ton if they choose to move to a different company.
With turnover costs at almost 30% of annual salary for even entry-level workers, this matters. However, when you know how to boost morale at work, these problems can be things of the past. Use the tips below to make sure all your team members are happy.
Provide Individual Recognition
One of the simplest methods to increase morale is by telling people when they do well. It’s something you can do in seconds, and it has a serious effect. This is a single thing you can incorporate into your day to keep workers happy.
Praise those who do well in meetings or send them a note that acknowledges what they’ve done. No matter how you decide to do so, employees want to be noticed and appreciated for the things they do.
This is one of the easiest ways to increase morale among employees. Just being aware of what people are doing is half the battle. Then reach out and let those who did well know what you’re aware of it. It’s that simple.
Show the Results of Your Team’s Work
Workers have higher morale when it is clear that their work means something. Sometimes, this can be challenging if the workers have no interaction with the people who they do good things for. That’s where a good leader comes in.
If you need to take everyone out to see what their work does, maybe that’s an option. Or you can make it even less formal than that. Whatever the case, it can make team members feel even more passionate about the things they do each day.
One option is to share positive reviews or thank you notes that come from customers and clients. When employees are reminded of the impact they have, it has an astoundingly positive effect on morale. It can also increase satisfaction and confidence.
Give Responsibility to Workers
Every team member can probably sit down and let you know what things aren’t working. However, not all of them feel the empowerment to actually do so. That’s something that you need to foster in the team to create better morale.
It’s essential to listen to what team members have to say. Find out what stops them from doing the best work they can do. Then, give them a chance to be a part of the process to remove all those barriers.
When employees are involved in the largest aspects of business, it can help the business. Wondering how to boost morale at work? Let workers get involved and make changes that create a more streamlined team that gets things done more efficiently.
Treat Workers as the People They Are
Nobody wants to be treated like a robot. When employees feel as if nobody cares about them as a person, it creates low morale. This is a huge problem but, thankfully, one that can be easily fixed.
Do the small things that matter. Speak to workers by name and ask things like how their day is going. If someone is out sick, send a card and balloons to let them know they’re missed. These simple things play into how to boost morale at work.
Stay Available as a Leader
Back when Hewlett-Packard was only a small company, managers would walk around and lead that way. Even the founders spent time out on the floor. They would chat with employees, ask questions, and even take ideas from the team members.
Something as simple as engaging, listening, and being available as a leader is huge for morale. Everyone wants to feel like part of something bigger, and this is a great way to do it. Instead of having all the leaders tucked away, make sure they are a part of workers’ lives.
Implement Development Options
If you need more ideas on how to boost morale at work, consider including development options. Many employees leave businesses because development opportunities are not provided. Including professional training is a great way to boost morale.
This can be as simple as pairing new employees with veterans. Or bring in some experts to host training sessions. If there are local trade conferences, pay for workers to attend them.
The best workers want to continue their personal development for growth. However, when finances are tight, these programs are often cut. Getting rid of these benefits is often a bad idea.
In the worst case, the top performers will notice and may move to work with a competitor instead.
Provide Useful Perks
Offering acknowledgment and training is a good start to boost morale at work. However, providing perks is another option that works well. Even things like letting employees work from a location of their choice occasionally can work.
A good example comes from the Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing Co. After working there for a year, the worker is given a bike. Maintenance supplies and showers are provided to encourage riding.
Many companies provide cash bonuses, but a tremendous amount of employees would rather have experiences. For instance, rather than giving someone $100 for anything, pay for them to take their family out to a nice dinner. The impact lasts longer than a money perk.
Remain Transparent
When contemplating how to boost morale at work, consider transparency. If workers feel out of the loop, productivity can drop. Not knowing what is going on can also breed a company culture of rumors, gossip, and anxiety.
Instead, do what you can to ensure team members know what is happening at the company. Give them the information you have so they don’t have to make guesses. An explanation will go over better, even if the news is bad since you’re letting workers have the knowledge and letting them make decisions based on that.
Make the Team Fun
A dull and dreary workplace is not where anyone wants to spend their time. It can be inexpensive or even free to add a few fun programs that put smiles on the face of team members. Consider things like contests and shows that break away from the mundane.
If prizes and bonuses aren’t working, the office may need to liven things up a bit. Try different approaches until you find the one that works. People love to compete and laugh, so bring more of that into the workplace.
Ask What Motivates Team Members
Use the tips above to learn how to boost morale at work. However, you should also ask workers what motivates them. Everyone is different, so make time to talk to each member of the team.
The answers will give you ideas on how to boost morale. The conversations themselves can even make workers feel more appreciated. Implement some of the things workers want, and you’ll be on the way to a happier team.
In Conclusion
Once you know how to boost morale at work, it’s time to put that knowledge into practice. Positive morale can help reduce turnovers, attract top talent, and ensure workers are engaged and happy every day.
Encouraging productivity through boosting morale can take many forms. Providing meaningful work, strengthening managers, and building an employee growth plan are only a few of the options. Take what you know about how to boost morale at work and make your company one anyone would want to be employed by.