Small business owners dream of having a highly motivated and engaged ‘dream team’ that helps them bring their enterprise to life. Truthfully though, keeping the morale high across your workplace is difficult no matter what size or type of business you have.
If you’re looking to boost the morale in your team, keep reading to learn the methods used by HR professionals. But firstly, why is high morale necessary?
It’s been proven that employees with high morale have better performance, deliver better customer service, and are more productive overall. High employee morale also lowers workplace hostility, reduces absenteeism, reduces team stress, and decreases things like how much paid leave and sick leave your employees are taking.
Overlooking the benefits of a happier workplace and not having employee morale as your top priority can lead to the downfall of your business. Poor morale decreases productivity, adversely affects other workers and customers and leads to inefficiency.
What are the signs of declining employee morale?
Low employee morale can look like:
- Little to no communication between employees and management.
- Hostile work environment.
- Increasing conflicts/complaints among staff.
- Low levels of enthusiasm.
- High staff turnover rate.
- Declining productivity and work quality.
- Increased lateness and days off.
Many small business owners are so busy running other aspects of their enterprise, they aren’t able to quickly recognise these signs and implement solutions to fix the situation.
HR professionals on the other hand, exist to manage the people within an organisation to make sure employees feel motivated and satisfied with their work environment. If you’d like to really get into HRM, you can study HR via the relevant courses. There are many online full-time and part-time courses with flexible schedules that will teach you everything you need to know.
If you’re not able to commit to formal study however, it’s still very useful to take note of the ways HR professionals operate, and implement their practices into your small business.
What are the six ways HR can boost employee morale?
Below we’ll share tips that can help you improve declining employee morale while making your business operate more smooth-sailing. Knowing the signs of low morale, you’ll be able to offer your staff much-needed support to retain them and boost productivity. Here are some things you should do:
Communicate Often
Communication is key to improving employee morale and the overall atmosphere of the workplace. Creating clear and achievable goals for each employee will make a difference. Set up one-on-one sessions to keep track of progress and clear any ambiguities.
Furthermore, checking in regularly and asking your employees regarding their feelings and challenges can help clear out the air in the workplace. You should maintain open and consistent communication with all of your staff about concerns and accomplishments that are significant to them. This one is crucial in terms of improving employee morale.
Be Transparent
Be as transparent as possible. When morale is poor, don’t try to hide problems or avoid talks – you’ll end up doing more harm than good. Your staff will value your openness as you work together to resolve any concerns. Inform them of business developments, new ways of doing things, client feedback, and any other inspiring or notable information.
Recognise and reward employee efforts
Focus on the good rather than the bad. When your staff members feel genuinely appreciated, they have more self-worth, which increases productivity and employee performance. As mentioned earlier, positive employee recognition can improve employee engagement, boost morale and productivity, reduce employee turnover, and deliver better customer service.
Employee appreciation is a straightforward way to improve employee morale. Not only does recognition promote individual employee engagement, it also increases productivity and commitment to your business which results in higher retention.
Awarding customized plaques to employees is a great way to show that their hard work and dedication are valued and appreciated. These plaques serve as a lasting reminder of their achievements and can be proudly displayed in their workspace or homes. This personal touch can make all the difference in boosting morale and creating a positive work environment.
Finally, employee recognition is low-cost and high-impact. Celebrating employee accomplishments and success stories motivates others and boosts employee self-esteem. When morale is low, acknowledging staff initiatives and providing enjoyable employee rewards can help.
Get Employee Feedback
Seeking the feedback of staff members is another great way to enhance morale. When you demonstrate that you listen to your staff, they will feel heard and are much more likely to be motivated. But simply collecting feedback isn’t enough, you also need to act on it. Even if you don’t use every piece of input, genuinely thank your staff for putting in their ideas and comments.
Organise team building activities
Team building activities promote a collaborative and motivated work culture no matter the size of the enterprise. They assist in problem-solving among team members, foster meaningful and open communication among peers, encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, increase productivity, boost employee morale, and they help to keep creative juices flowing!
Come up with team-building games that are enjoyable and instructive. For instance, organising workplace outings or a trivia competition can bring people together in a new context and lift their moods.
If your business employs remote workers, make sure you help them feel included. Look into setting up some team-building activities that cater to remote workers.
Promote workspace diversity
Employees will feel that the company values thinking outside the box or being different if you promote workplace diversity. Teams and businesses that prioritise diversity tend to deliver more diverse ideas, viewpoints, and learning opportunities. People from different walks of life can pool their varied skills, experiences, and skillsets to develop innovative and original solutions.
By contrast, a set of people with similar backgrounds and skill sets may end up tackling challenges in the same way they always have. The bottom line is that workplace diversity brings about workplace unity, allowing employees to work more efficiently as a team and raise morale.
Final thoughts
An essential aspect of HR is turning challenges into opportunities. Disengaged employees are bound to have lower productivity and poor work quality. These kinds of behaviours are not only detrimental to the workspace culture but also to your company. An an entrepreneur or small business owner, high employee turnover, poor communication, and less collaborative effort among your team members are all warning signs you need to be switched on to.
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