Business and EDU

5 Tips for Improving Employee Morale

computerRousing the troops can be a daunting task for any management team. Today’s competitive business environment can put a serious dent in the employee morale of your organization. By following a few key tips you can gain the loyalty of workers and improve business productivity.

Intend to gain the trust of your workforce. Employees will readily follow trustworthy managers into battle on a daily basis. Reward employees for good work, smile more frequently and lighten the office mood by sharing good-natured jokes or stories to ease tension and improve the energy of your office setting. Avoid fear-driven tactics to meet the bottom line because negative motivators rarely create lasting business success. Your company might hit quarterly goals using such tactics but employee turnover will skyrocket. Retain workers and improve stability by using positive, nurturing strategies to keep your workforce happy.

Extend Conversations

Foster conversations with employees to prove that you are listening. Establish a 2 way street for eager employees to make suggestions and provide feedback. Listening to feedback shows that you care about your workforce. Educate workers by explaining the processes of your organization in better detail. Informed employees provide more valuable feedback and feel like an important cog in your organization. Keep communication channels open to increase employee engagement and boost corporate moral.

Note Important Events

Note events like employee birthdays or wedding anniversaries. Celebrating the birth of a child with a round of coffee and donuts for your department or perhaps gifting a card signed by fellow workers can boost employee morale. Workers need to know that businesses are built on more than just making a profit. Make employees feel special by noting significant events which transpire outside of the office. Have a monthly party for each of your employees whose birthday falls within that time frame. Make sure to serve cake and other treats to endear yourself to your employees. Go the extra mile to show that you care.

Design a Comfortable Workplace Environment

Increase employee happiness by paying attention to design details. Install ergonomic desks and comfortable chairs to improve the employee experience. Reducing work-related stress and strain through careful design can create a peaceful, contended workforce. Use bright lighting to add a cheery air to your office and boost employee happiness. Crack open your curtains to allow in sunlight. Place lamps at each desk to add a bit more lighting earlier in the morning and later in the evening. Set the office temperature at comfortable levels. Maintaining a cool environment in the heat of summer or warm and toasty air temperature during the chill of winter helps your employees feel better.

Gain Trust

Gain the trust of employees to improve moral around the office. Successful business relationships are built on a foundation of trust. Let workers make their own decisions and involve them in business discussions. Trust in employee decisions and input. By believing in your employee’s feedback you can more easily gain their trust. Give workers a vote of confidence. Listen and trust. Manage employee expectations and hold to agreements to build contractual trust. Holding your word creates a culture of trust within your business. Talk highly of workers, offer constructive, supportive criticism and share information with employees to build a strong level of communication trust.

Create a Fun Office Environment

Working under stressful conditions can create a rapid, business-killing nosedive in employee morale. Create an enjoyable office culture by involving workers in weekend excursions, fun day trips or zany team building exercises. Mix teams to ensure workers have a chance to bond with other workers. Engaging in fun team building activities can ease any work-related tensions or rivalries and improve employee morale.

About the Author: Ryan Biddulph enjoys blogging about how to boost employee morale. If you need a professional employer organization to meet your company’s needs please click the following link www.nationalpeo.com.

– image http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffwilcox/

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