Quick Tips for Managers and Owners Who Want to Improve Employee Morale

There are a lot of things that go into building a great and profitable company, but employee morale is the component that’s one of the most underrated. Many employers assume that all they have to do is train their employees, put them on the work schedule, and pay them on time. Even if that were true at one time, that’s a business model that no longer applies. Nowadays, employees expect to be valued and if they’re not, they’ll walk away and possibly take many of your customers with them.

It’s important to remember that your employees are the face of your company—at least they’re the face your customers see, and you want your customers to see smiling faces. If all your team members have to look forward to is their paychecks, then that equals smiling faces once a week or twice a month, depending on what the payment schedule is. If you’re having problems with production and customer satisfaction and seemingly have tried everything, then maybe the problem is that you’ve tried everything except for boosting your employees’ morale. Continue reading to get some tips to boost the spirits around your company.

Listen to your employees.

If you listen, they will talk—they being your employees. You may own or run the company, but nobody understands it’s daily operations better than the primary operators—your employees. Using feedback from your employees to fine-tune your company’s structure and business model is a great way to get them more engaged and make them feel like they have a stake in the company. In fact, letting your employees help you to determine the direction of your company will give them a greater sense of pride because they’ll be able to claim ownership in the company’s direction.

John Foresi from Venterra Realty is a prime example of an executive who values the input of his team members. That’s why Venterra Realty is consistently ranked as one of the best company’s in the United States to work for. Leaning on the expertise and insight of your employees could do the same for your company as well.

Give your employees the tools they need to succeed.

Consumers have high expectations for the brands they trust and in turn, companies place high expectations on their employees to meet those demands. Human nature being what it is, some days on the job will be better than others, and there will also be days when Murphy’s Law seems to be working as hard as your staff. However, when such days happen frequently, you need to take an in-depth look at your company’s business model and operations to see what’s going wrong.

It’s natural for companies to start making personnel cuts when there are major problems in operations, but if those problems persist through multiple waves of turnover, then the problem is your company’s business model. You need to do an audit of your business infrastructure to ensure that your team members have everything they need to meet your expectations and customer demands efficiently.

For instance, if you ran a factory that builds auto parts and noticed problems with parts being defective, your first instinct should be to check your equipment rather than your personnel. There could be problems with faulty machinery that’s causing errors in production. Doing something as simple as replacing your old cutting machine with a new laser cutting machine could make the ultimate difference in your company’s productivity.

Also, when you equip your employees with the tools they need to succeed on the job, it fosters trust between you and them. It shows them that you believe that with machines capable of doing the work, your team can excel. Besides, who doesn’t like new toys?

Make work as comfortable as possible for your employees.

If it gets to the point that a paycheck is the only reason your employees show up for work, then your company is in deep trouble. Sure, no one’s going to work for free, but you should do your best to create a work environment that your employees enjoy being in, or can at least feel comfortable in.

In an industrial setting, you should have a drink dispenser in every area where heavy-duty operations take place and comfortable breakrooms with food dispensers with healthy food options. Many companies have even started putting televisions and video games in their breakrooms to help their employees loosen up during lunch. You don’t have to create an adult playroom for your team members, but you should give them a suitable space to unwind during their breaks.

Make your employees feel valued.

This is a new era in workplace culture, and the guarantee of a paycheck is no longer enough to keep people loyal to a company where they feel unappreciated. If you notice that you have a revolving door of staff members, then it’s time to think about doing something about your employee relations.

One of the best things you can do to let your employees know that you appreciate the value they bring to your company is to offer benefits packages like dental and vision care as well as a 401(k) plan and family leave. If that sounds expensive, just remember, the cost of offering your employees benefits is lower than the cost of continually having to fill staffing needs and train new hires.

Offer production incentives and holiday bonuses.

People love to be recognized for excelling at work. There are few feelings more rewarding than knowing that your efforts have been noticed by the company’s top brass. The only thing that makes it better is getting a bonus for going above and beyond expectations. Giving your employees production bonuses is a great way to foster friendly competition among your employees and get them to perform to their best abilities.

If your company is an industry that sees a spike in business during the holiday season, then you should also consider giving holiday bonuses to your employees. Giving out holiday bonuses is a costly business expense, but you should make it a reward for meeting and exceeding expectations rather than a dividend just for being an employee. But, for employees who have been with you for at least a year, rarely miss work, and are consistently on time and do the job that’s expected of them, a holiday bonus makes for an excellent thank you.

The morality of prioritizing employee morale.

As you well know, we’re in a new era of business that’s had an immense effect on workplace culture and what employees expect from their employers. While the changes have been drastic, they’ve also been necessary to ensure the happiness and fulfillment of workers and the success and longevity of companies.

The best reason to do everything in your power to create a workplace that’s conducive to the happiness and productivity of your team is that it’s the right thing to do. It’s well-documented that happy people do higher quality work than disgruntled employees. Not only does treating your employees well bring out the best in them, but it also helps to build a favorable image and improve your reputation with customers as well as help attract new talent.

Not only will prioritizing employee morale help improve your reputation and attract new talent, but it will even help to improve employee attendance. When the atmosphere at work is comfortable and conducive to productivity, people don’t mind showing up on time every day, and they’re more likely to stick around for the long haul.