When it comes to thinking of ways to lead and grow your business, company culture and improving company morale in the workplace are the two most important topics for business leaders to consider. Why? Low company morale and an overall negative work environment can lead to lower productivity and increased turnover. Which reduces your profitability and ability to serve clients.
In fact, several studies show that focusing on enhancing morale in the workplace is the most important factor for success.
Note:
· Those companies with engaged employees outperform those with low employee engagement by 202%
This study shows just how much workplace morale can impact a business’ ability to achieve its goals.
If you have not prioritized boosting company morale, its never too late. Whether you are a new business or have been around for years, you can still make your work place an enjoyable work environment for everyone. Here are 5 tips on how you can improve company morale:
Acknowledge Your Employees and Their Accomplishments
When was the last time you thanked your employees for their hard work? This simple acknowledgement often times gets forgotten as leaders are caught up in daily activities. However, according to a Reward Gateway Study, 70 percent of employees say that company morale would improve tremendously if managers said thank you more often.
Acknowledging employees for their hard work goes a long way. As you can see, according to the study, a simple thank you will do but if you could come up with unique ways to reward employees for hard work, there’s a better chance you will be able to boost company morale.
Consider offering rewards at the end of the month or come up with fun ways to celebrate employee milestones. Many companies don’t have a reward program in place because they don’t think it will fit within their budget, but it doesn’t have to be anything costly. It could be something as simple as a $10 gift card to Starbucks to pay for employees’ coffee. This small notion shows that you notice the hard work employees are doing and it is appreciated.
Promote Work-Life Balance
According to Flex-Jobs, 82 percent of survey respondents say that would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.
Allowing for flexible work options is one of the most affordable and quickest way to boost company morale if employees seem disengaged. Those employers who offer a family-first mentality have lower turnover rates and have a more productive work environment.
So, how do you get started with promoting work-life balance? You can allow employees to work from home one or two days out of the week, or simply encourage them to be at home when they are at home- meaning they have to completely unplug from work when they are at home. So many American’s struggle to completely get away from work when they are at home because of mobile devices. It’s tempting to check work emails at home, but next thing you know you’re back to focusing at work when really, it should be your time off. As a result, many American’s feel overworked.
Ask for Feedback and Put It to Use
According to a Salesforce study, 83% of employees who feel their thoughts are taken into consideration are nearly 5 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.
When was the last time, if ever, that you asked your employees their thoughts on their jobs? It’s important to know how employees feel about their role, company leadership, and the organization as a whole.
It’s important to note that asking for feedback is useless if you don’t do anything with the feedback. Consider sending out monthly, or quarterly surveys to your staff and encourage them to provide you with honest feedback so you can make the workplace more pleasant for them.
Encourage Professional Growth
Have you ever asked a candidate in a job interview where they see themselves in 5 or 10 years down the road? If so, you know that this answer will help you determine if they are a good fit with your organization if their goals aligns with your values.
Asking this question in interviews is not only important to determine if a candidate is a good fit for the job but giving these candidates the opportunity to grow with your organization will have great benefits for you, too. When employees grow through new or higher-ranking roles, it promotes longevity and reduces turnover.
Additionally, 83 percent of employees who are able to take on new challenges and opportunities say they are more likely to stay with an organization.
Encourage Lunch Breaks
Did you know that 60 percent of employees eat lunch at their desk alone, while working? An hour away from work throughout the day goes a long way. Not having this break will significantly decrease company morale and employee engagement.
Employees can still sit at their desks as they eat, but at some point, throughout the day, employees should be stepping away from the office to go for a walk, take a coffee break or socialize with peers. By doing so, they will be able to rejuvenate, refresh their mind and come back to their desk ready to work and be productive for the rest of the day.
Work2Live: Helping Improve Company Morale
Many leaders would like to boost company morale but don’t have the time, or are unsure of where to start. These 5 tips will help you get on your feet and get things started.
At Work2live, we can help your efforts for boosting morale and maintaining a positive work culture within your organization. After taking these 5 tips into consideration, consider adding some fun and unique employee perks to let your team know you care and appreciate all of their hard work.
Interested in learning more about our employee perks and rewards platform? Click here to schedule a demo with us
Ready to enroll your employees in Work2Live? Click here for our Self-Enrollment Tool