If you’ve got a workforce that’s demoralised, then it’s almost inevitable that they won’t be able to perform to quite the same capacity that they might if they were enthusiastic and happy in their jobs. Increasing and maintaining a high level of employee morale is therefore crucial to the longevity and overall productivity of any successful. If your workforce are forever rolling their eyes and snapping at one another, the effect on overall morale can be seriously deleterious. Fortunately, with the help of a few simple measures, it’s possible to boost the morale within the company, and thereby ensure great results year after year. Let’s consider some of them.
Solicit Feedback
If something about the way you’re running your business is making the place miserable, then it’s important you know about it. Your employees aren’t going to voluntarily mention aspects of their jobs that they find miserable, so you’ll need to ask them: make it a regular task, and appoint it to a dedicated component of your human-resources department.
Arrange Company Outings
If you’re going to spend most of your life staring at the same few walls, and engaging with the same small group of people about the same small bunch of issues, then a dip in morale is almost inevitable. That’s where corporate retreats and team charity events come in; there all your employees interact with one another in an entirely new environment. If possible, you’ll want to consult your workforce before arranging charity challenges abroad – and give them a chance to vote for their favourite suggestions. If there’s an element of consent before each excursion, then it’s sure to be appreciated all the more keenly.
Fire Problem Employees
However much we might wish it were otherwise, a given portion of society isn’t very pleasant to be around. They might be rude, they might be condescending, and they might be dishonest, racist, sexist, angry or otherwise volatile. If you’ve got some of these in your workforce, then they’ll inevitable provide a downward-pull on the morale of everyone else. By getting rid of such employees, and taking a zero-tolerance approach to the annoying behaviour they partake in, you’ll make your workplace a far more pleasant place to spend time.
Mandate Lunch Breaks
Sitting in the same place all day long is the anathema to creative thinking – and it’s terrible for many other sorts of thinking, too. In order to improve matters, why not insist that your employees take breaks from their computer screens? In the modern workplace, many employees will decide against taking proper breaks away from their desks – and instead sit in front of their computers, getting breadcrumbs in the keyboard as they eat their lunches. You can combat this by insisting that they spend time away from their keyboards.
Increase Holiday Allowances
To take the same theme a stage further, you might find that your employees are happy, and therefore more productive, if they’re allowed greater time to stretch their legs and relax throughout the year. This means increasing holiday allowance. Naturally, this will reduce the amount of labour you have available overall – so there’s a balance to be struck.
Recognise Personal Circumstances
Sometimes, life doesn’t go quite the way we’d like it to. If there’s someone there to support you during those times, it can be extremely heartening. This applies not just to individuals, but to organisations, too. It’s important to celebrate work anniversaries and other milestones, as it is to be generous with time off in the wake of a bereavement or change of circumstances.
Incentivise Good Work
It’s important that your bonus structure is generous enough to bring the best from your employees. A large bonus in the wake of a good quarter is proven to generate higher productivity. The same might also be said of large, unconditional pay-outs from time to time.
Offer Support for Professional Development
If your employees feel that their professional lives are stagnating, then they’re unlikely to be happy. That’s why offering financial support to those looking to further their education can be such an effective means of boosting their confidence. Not only that, but the investment might pay off in the form of the expertise the employee might bring back to the workplace.
Let Workers Work from Home
Coming into work every day isn’t always necessary – especially in today’s increasingly-connected world. If you let your staff work from home occasionally, you’ll demonstrate your trust in them – as well as provide them with more time to do the things you’re paying them to do!
Daryl Green