We underestimate the value of company morale. When was the last time you thought about your company’s morale, if ever? Morale is what keeps your employees going on a day to day basis. Company morale is defined as the attitude, satisfaction and, overall outlook of employees during their association with an organization or a business.
The importance of company morale
When an employee is happy in the atmosphere that they are in, they will perform better. When a company has high morale, its team enjoys showing up to work each day, and as a result, productivity levels are higher, and the quality of work is much better. Additionally, when a company has a positive morale, it gains a competitive edge. If a company is snowballing out of control, it’s unlikely that a team with negative morale is willing to help. On the other hand, a company with a positive morale will fight through the tough times to ensure they pull through.
Company morale is also what attracts top talent. With positive morale, you can reduce turnover rates, as employees remain loyal to the company. Positive company morale turns into positive energy that will help to attract top talent. Last but certainly not least, positive company morale will reduce costs. When employees feel good about coming into work, they don’t have a reason to skip work. This means that you will reduce absences in the workplace resulting in less paid time off.
Now that you understand the importance of company morale, it’s time to implement it into your work culture. Here are 6 unconventional ways you can boost company morale in your organization:
1. Be Transparent
Companies that have low morale often have one thing in common: the organization is not transparent. When things go wrong, it’s easy to keep quiet and hide things from the team. If you are looking to boost company morale, you should be completely open and honest with your team whether it’s good news or bad.
2. Maintain good communication
Everyone knows that the key to a successful relationship is to maintain good communication. Company morale is derived from the relationship of the team. When thinking about relationships, it’s important to remember that relationships must be built among all levels. So, there should be no divide between executives and regular staff. It’s important to communicate with your staff so that everyone is in the loop at all times. Here are some questions those in leadership roles should be asking staff members:
· Is there anything you need to perform your job better?
· Are you facing any problems? If so, how can we help?
· Are you happy in your current position? If not, what can we change?
· Do you work well with the team?
Asking these questions regularly will help you determine your company morale. Depending on the feedback you receive from your employees, you can make the necessary adjustments to boost company morale.
3. Prioritize Employee Recognition
It is frustrating for most people to put so much time and effort into a job and never receive recognition. It makes employees wonder if management is happy with the work they deliver and how their work contributes to the bottom line. Employee recognition does not have to be a big deal, it can be something as simple as a quick email letting employees know what a great job they did.
4. Offer Growth Opportunities
When employees work on the same thing day after day, it becomes exhausting. On the other hand, when employees have a goal to work towards, they have something to look forward to and have a sense of purpose. Offering growth opportunities is a great way to motivate employees.
5. Encourage Breaks
Research shows that only 1 in 5 employees step away from their desk for a lunch break. When employees say they take a lunch break, this typically means they are eating lunch at their desks. Sitting at a desk for 8 hours straight is exhausting and most people quickly become worn down. Encourage your team to take real breaks away from their desk. This could involve getting outside to grab a cup of coffee or taking a walk around the block to get some fresh air. Once employees step away from their desk, they will be ready to be productive because they are refreshed!
6. Promote health and wellness
We all know the impact stress has on our lives. Stress in the workplace leads to lower productivity levels and a lower company morale. We all want to push our team to the limit to deliver results but the way to do this is by ensuring team members are healthy, calm and refreshed so they are ready to work.
A way to promote health and wellness is to incorporate it into your employee perks. American’s are so busy in their daily lives and most American’s cannot afford activities that contribute to their health and wellness.
When you offer employee perks that are designed to promote health and wellness, employees will take advantage of it because it is already paid for. For instance, maybe an employee has been wanting to begin a fitness membership but does not have the extra money for it. If the company pays for it, the employee can begin their fitness membership without any concerns.
Lifestyle Spending Account: The perk you need to promote health and wellness
When it comes to promoting health and wellness in an organization, it seems easier said than done. You might consider offering gym memberships, but what if your employees aren’t interested in a gym membership? What if they already have a gym membership and they could use something else such as a spa day to contribute to their wellness? This is where lifestyle spending accounts come in.
Lifestyle spending accounts are an employer-funded account that is dedicated to employee perks. Employees can use these accounts to cover any expenses that contribute to their health and wellness. The purpose of this employee perk is to promote health and wellness outside the workplace so that when it’s time for employees to come to work, they feel rejuvenated. As a result, you will see a boost in company morale!
Lifestyle spending accounts are a unique perk that your employees will appreciate. Lifestyle spending accounts are popular in Canada and other countries which means that this unique perk will give you a competitive advantage when it comes to attracting top talent!
Want to learn more about this unique perk? Try a free demo today!