Employees tend to perform better and exhibit positive attitudes when they feel good about their role within the organization. Employee morale can be difficult to quantify, but according to Entrepreneur writer David Javitch, if you notice an employee arriving late or missing work completely, falling behind on her duties or frequently complaining, you may be looking at an employee who is struggling. Be proactive, and take steps to help your employees feel valued and important to boost the employee morale in your organization.
Step 1
Determine the cause of the morale problem in your workforce. Consider whether you have recently laid off employees, seen a decrease in sales or experienced a change in ownership, since these factors can contribute to poor morale. Company-wide morale problems can result from too much work, poor management issues or lack of encouragement from supervisors. Use your company's health care counseling program to offer emotional counseling for individual employees who are struggling due to changes in the organizational structure or climate.
Step 2
Set clear job expectations for your employees to help their morale. Write job descriptions for each position, and review them with each employee. Employees who work without clear direction or training may become discouraged and exhibit negative behavior. Tell your management staff to assess whether the organization should provide additional training on software, equipment or customer service. Train your management staff to counsel employees on ways to advance within the organization.
Step 3
Communicate regularly with your employees through meetings and newsletters. Hold periodic company-wide and divisional staff meetings to answer questions and give employees information about the direction of the organization. Keep the meetings professional but positive. Address individual employee concerns in private. When employees understand your company's vision, they are more likely to give you excellent performance.
Step 4
Recognize your employees for hard work and dedicated service. Tell supervisors and managers that they should verbally compliment employees when they do a good job. Verbal praise makes the employee feel as though her supervisor cares and notices her hard work. Offer small financial incentives for superior work, such as awarding a gift certificate to local businesses, suggests California State University of Sacramento. Bring in lunch or special treats during times of stress and high productivity. Celebrate milestones in an employee's life, such as birthdays and anniversaries.
Step 5
Provide opportunities for employees to relieve stress, recommends the Society for Human Resource Management. Monitor employee vacation time to ensure that employees are taking some time off when possible, hand out stress toys for a lighthearted way to get employees laughing together, and offer fun incentives for employees who are never late for work or who meet productivity standards regularly.
Tips and Warnings
- Be alert for signs of depression in employees. Do not tolerate verbally abusive employees. Encourage employees and managers to communicate openly with each other. Check with an employment attorney to verify that your incentive programs are legal.
- Avoid confronting an upset employee without a witness present.
Things You'll Need
- Gift certificates
- Stress toys
References
- Entrepreneur: Improving Employee Morale
- The Sideroad: Five Steps to Improve Employee Morale
- Walden University: Leadership Techniques to Develop Employee Morale
- California State University, Sacramento: Destination 2010-People-Goal: Develop High Employee Morale
- Society for Human Resource Management: How Managers Can Recognize and Combat Employee 'Desk Rage'
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