“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.“ – Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill’s sentiment rings true, and in the workplace, attitude’s impact on employee engagement, productivity, and the bottom line of your business is huge. In fact, research has found that companies with engaged employees outperform their competitors by an impressive 202 percent.
When employee morale is low, business begins to suffer. A lack of engagement leads to things like poor cooperation and high rates of turnover, which can become exceedingly costly for your company.
So the question is, how do we increase employee morale and consequently reap the benefits of an engaged workforce?
The five strategies outlined below will give you a solid foundation to begin boosting the morale of your employees.
1) Give them a Purpose
According to the sociologist Alexander Leighton, “morale is the capacity of a group of people to pull together persistently and consistently in pursuit of a common purpose.”
Low morale develops when employees do not understand or share in the vision of your business. Every member of your organization is a vital part of something larger than themselves, but it’s easy for people to get lost in the daily grind and forget about the value created by their jobs. Give your employees the vision they need to make their jobs a more-fulfilling experience.
2) Demonstrate Caring
Expendable employees are not happy employees.
Every person in your organization brings their unique talents and experience to the table. It is critical to recognize this and communicate your appreciation for their contributions. This goes beyond simply making them feel valued as employees—you need to make them feel genuinely cared about as human beings.
This can be done in many ways, but some of the easiest strategies include acknowledging and celebrating special occasions in their lives such as birthdays, weddings, new babies, and life achievements.
3) Support Their Passions
While many people find satisfaction in their work, the majority of them also have pet projects and causes that excite them.
Tapping into your employees’ passions can provide a new source of innovation for your company, prolong interest in the work they do each day and provide new sources of intellectual stimulation. Giving employees the opportunity to explore and develop their interests during a specific time frame is a great way to boost morale.
4) Get Creative with Benefits
Your company may not be able to compete with some of the extensive benefit packages offered by many large organizations, but with a little creativity, you can easily put together some inexpensive and appealing perks.
This might involve flexible schedules, health and fitness stipends, commuter benefits, free food, vendor discounts, monthly massages, opportunities to volunteer for a good cause while on the clock, and so on.
5) Remember to Have Fun
If your company doesn’t make time for fun, you can expect a steady drop in employee morale.
These celebrations can take the form of team-building seminars, company parties and dinners, or friendly competitions. These types of events can be scheduled at regular intervals or can even be used as a reward system for achieving team and company goals.
Breaking up the routine with a little bit of fun can help increase productivity during work hours and provide a major upswing in employee morale.
Interested in some additional ideas for employee recognition? This presentation from Point Recognition may spark some inspiration:
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