A study performed by the University of Connecticut and the Australian Graduate School of Management and published in an August 2006 issue of "Work and Occupations" found that an employee's morale had the potential to increase an employee's effort and productivity. It can be difficult to keep up morale, especially after heavy layoffs or massive changes made to a company. As a manager, it is part of your duty to make sure that your employees are as productive as possible.
Step 1
Open the floor to your employees by offering a forum where they can discuss how they feel about the changing company and layoffs. You'll be able to get ideas about ways to improve morale and what the general atmosphere of the company is like. AllBusiness.com notes that employees appreciate the communication and it shows that their managers care and are listening to the employees' concerns.
Step 2
Create office parties, pools and other social events that allow the employees to get to know each other better and strengthen the relationships at work, suggests the Cornell University College of Engineering. Find ways to encourage healthy competition through contests, office running groups, gaming groups and nights out, paid for by the company, if possible. It increases the morale and lightens the atmosphere at the office during working hours.
Step 3
Offer verbal and public praise for a job well done. As an employer or manager, you may take an employee's performance for granted. Instead of a simple "thanks" when an excellent job is done on time, bring it to the attention of the rest of the workers by sending out an officewide email or announcing your praise at a staff meeting. Hearing the praise makes employees feel appreciated and entices them to work even harder.
Step 4
Offer flexible schedules for your best workers, suggests the Long Island Business News. When you rule with a heavy hand when it comes to punctuality, overtime and lunch hours, employees can begin to feel disgruntled. Instead, allow employees to create schedules that work for them, within reason. Or switch to a piece- or project-based pay scale so you know that your workers are working hard and getting projects done on their own time, rather than using office time to search the Web.
Step 5
Give tangible perks for a job well done. While it may seem a small gesture, bringing in coffee, paying for lunch one day per week or handing out gift cards after a finished project can increase morale and let employees know of your appreciation. Think of inexpensive ways that you can increase morale and give small rewards to encourage big success.
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