They say that people don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses, and there’s a good reason for this idiom. Even the most ideal situation isn’t worth sticking around for if it’s destroying your mental health. A toxic boss or workplace will lead to your best people leaving or becoming so worn down that they aren’t recognizable anymore. That’s why the best workplaces need to create a solid work culture and keep morale high.
If you’re a manager, you should want to foster a productive and happy work culture in general. But if you need more motivation, hiring new people is far more expensive than retaining your existing staff, and motivated workers put in more work and are willing to grow within the organization. Keep morale high among your crew and avoid a mutiny by taking these steps to increase employee morale.
Celebrate success
Work should be a collaborative effort, and everyone’s work adds to the success of every organization. Bad managers will take full credit for a team’s work while true leaders make sure everyone’s work is recognized. To keep morale high, make sure to celebrate success as often as possible and with full transparency.
Saying “thank you” and offering appropriate credit is the bare minimum. AIHR’s Catherine Scott recommends going further by creating an employee recognition program to create a culture where celebrating success is second nature. Whether you take a smaller, manager-to-employer approach or a full company-wide program, there’s a way to suit this concept to your organization’s size and needs.
Offer rewards
Receiving thanks and appreciation for your work is something everyone appreciates. It’s even better on top of tangible rewards. There are countless tangible ways to show just how much you appreciate your team’s efforts and skills. While bonuses, raises, and benefits are always appreciated, if money is tight, you can still offer training program access or a role on an important, career-advancing project can show an employee their contributions matter and that they have a future with your company.
“Bonuses don’t have to cost your business thousands of dollars—even a small amount can go a long way toward increasing employees’ satisfaction. To keep costs down, you can also consider giving seasonal bonuses.” –INTOO
Leadership expert Lolly Daskal suggests implementing gamification to turn goal setting into a game. Offering ways to measure accomplishments and earn rewards can make work more engaging, increase friendly competition, and lead to higher motivation and morale. If you go this route, make sure the system is fair and that everyone can win!
Be flexible
On top of rewards and recognition, employees want to be valued and trusted. No grown adult wants to feel like you’re constantly watching over their shoulder or that you don’t trust their process. Try to create a workplace that fosters autonomy by being flexible and focused on results.
It’s clear that once many employees got a taste of remote work, they wanted more. While some still work best in a structured environment and some jobs need to work in an office, try to offer hybrid opportunities and flexible options for those who want them. Rewarding employees with remote days is a great way to show you trust them to get their jobs done. Forbes’ Stephen Nelly also says to provide the latest tools and resources to allow your employees to get the job done. Having the right tools minimizes frustration and helps employees stay autonomous.
Embrace feedback
Another easy way to show employees they are valued by the organization is to prioritize communication with your team. Keep them apprised of changes or upcoming events to make them feel in the loop. Offering and accepting employee feedback can not only increase morale but also provide great ideas.
Indeed suggests creating regular employee feedback surveys to keep an eye on how your staff is viewing the organization. Keeping it anonymous can ensure employees are honest and won’t fear potential blowback. Don’t just ask for feedback for the sake of it, though; make sure to actually listen to ideas and try to make changes based on the results. Otherwise, employees will feel filling it out is a waste of time.
“Recognition is just the beginning. People like to know they are being heard and their opinions are considered. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by actively involving employees in the organization’s decision-making processes.” –Neelie Verlinden, AIHR
Create a positive environment
Not every morale-increasing effort needs to be a big, extravagant event. Employees work hard every day, so make sure to be consistent in your efforts to create a great environment. A pizza party every quarter isn’t going to impress workers if every other day is awful.
Stephan Nelly says the above methods will make it feel like the company truly values the employees and that your words aren’t mere platitudes. You can go even further by making sure the office itself (if applicable) is aesthetically pleasing, It’s hard to feel good about work if the lighting is bad or the office looks like it’s falling apart. Every effort to make day-to-day work life better will further lead to better morale.
Wrap up
To keep morale high, invest in your employees in tangible and self-affirming ways, find ways to let them work in their best ways, and be open with feedback. Remember to be consistent in these efforts—a pizza party isn’t an effective bandage if your day-to-day culture has issues. Investing in employee morale doesn’t have to be an expensive affair, but it can lead to happier and much more motivated and productive workers.
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