As an employer, you should already know just how important your staff’s morale is to your overall company’s output. A happy and dedicated team of workers can help make your business much more efficient. In turn, this can help you increase the value of your company. And if your staff is happy, your clients will be able to tell. Which will likely encourage them to return to your company and buy your products or service again. Not sure how to improve your staff’s morale? It’s not so difficult. In fact, there are a number of steps you can take right now. Here’s our ultimate guide to improving your staff’s morale.
Offer Compassionate Time Off
Throughout everyone’s career, there will be high and low points. Those low points can often be created by personal problems. This can include the death or a loved on. Companies in the UK are not obliged to give their employees time off to deal with a bereavement. However, if you do, then they will find it easier to cope with the situation. It can also give them plenty of time to organise the funeral. It can also be a good idea to offer bereavement leave support and advice. There are other situations you may want to let your staff have compassionate leave for. For example, if their child falls ill. Whether you pay your employees during compassionate leave is up to you. There is no obligation to. However, it can be a nice touch to show them that you care.
Give Regular Praise
We all like to know when we have done well. And giving regular praise is a fantastic way of celebrating your staff’s achievements and encouraging them to keep up the good job. If a member of your staff has been dealing with a particularly difficult project or client, make sure their hard work does not go unnoticed. There are many ways you can do this, but the best is a regular employee of the month award. At the end of each month, have a company meeting at the end of the last Friday of each month. Get some drinks and nibbles in. It gives all your employees a chance to socialise after work and also gives you the chance to celebrate some of your best achievers.
Offer Small Perks
As the boss, it’s your job to manage the day to day running of the company. That covers everything from the work that goes on in the finance department to small details like what’s going on in your company kitchen. And what exactly is going on in your kitchen? One small perk that can make a huge difference is offering free snacks and drinks throughout the day. Invest in a slick coffee machine so your staff can make themselves a hot drink whenever they need to wake themselves up. Providing free office coffee for your employees goes a long way to show appreciation. A selection of crisps and chocolate bars can also be really motivational. They can help your employees get through their afternoon slump. But don’t forget lots of fresh fruit, bottled water, and fruit juices as well. It’s always a good idea to have a good choice of healthy options and snacks that are suitable for special dietary requirements.
Mix Things Up A Bit
Employees can quickly tire of the same old routine. So why not mix their workday up for them every now and then? You don’t have to think too creatively and outside the box to do this. Just try and plan a couple of days every month that are different to the daily meetings and sitting behind a desk. How about holding a team training day? Or make your meetings a little funner and livelier. Changing things only by a small amount can make a huge difference to your staff.
Promote Positive Attitudes
If your employees all feel negative about their work and the company, there is no way they will ever have a good level of morale. Even if your company isn’t a bad one, and the work isn’t that bad, staff can still feel down in the dumps from time to time. To help cheer them up, train them to have a more positive mental attitude. Some companies that specialise in team building can also come into your office or workspace. They work with your staff to help focus their thoughts on positive aspects of the job and company. Another great way to shape your staff’s views of the company is to regularly share success stories. Have you recently broken a record or just achieved something that seemed highly unlikely? Let them know, so they can see how their hard work has paid off and created physical results!
Bonuses
It’s true that the majority of your employees will want to see your company do well, and they will have a vested interest in it. But, no matter how dedicated they are, they still only think about one thing – the paycheck at the end of the month! No matter how hard we try and motivate staff in other ways, money is still the big attraction for working at your company. And what is a bigger turn on than being given a bonus? I’m struggling to think of anything that can top that! However many bonuses you offer your staff throughout the year is entirely up to you. Most companies just offer one at Christmas time. But remember, you should award your bonuses based on how well the company is performing and the individual work of each member of staff. So if your company has come through a profitable period, and one employee has contributed a lot, they deserve a large bonus.
This guide gives you some excellent tips to follow if you are interested in improving your staff’s morale. There are, of course, many other brilliant ways you can keep their morale up. Overall, it’s just about creating a safe and friendly environment. One in which they can work and socialise with their fellow colleagues. All the extra perks go a long way as well!
