5 Tips to Boost Employee Morale in the Workplace

Positive employee morale in the office is the key ingredient to a successful company. If morale is low, employees will often be disengaged and less productive on the job. Startups are known for being great places to work and fostering a positive company culture.

How do they do this? Let’s find out!

Tip #1 — Get Feedback and Use It

Companies are built from honest feedback. Listen to what your employees want, and follow up. Encourage an honest and open environment to find out what employees are looking to get out of their job. Whether it’s more flexibility or a snack bar in the office, genuinely listen and do your best to make it happen!

Many companies offer additional benefits to their employees such as health insurance, snacks, stock options, gym membership or a relaxed dress code. These are low cost methods that any office can do to boost employee morale. They’re also likely to be more loyal to their company because they will feel well taken care of and invested in the company’s future.

Tip #2 — Give Credit Where It’s Due

Recognition and positive reinforcements can go a long way. Praising and rewarding your employees for their hard work will motivate them to continue what they’re doing.

Rewards don’t have to break the bank. A pizza party, written recognition, or time off will make employees feel valued and appreciated.

Another important component to promoting positive morale in the office is the possibility to advance professionally.

If opportunities for professional growth are not available in the office, employees will feel less motivated to continue performing at the top of their game and eventually look for other work.

Tip #3 — Stay Engaged

Boost employee morale by creating a positive community among coworkers! Volunteer opportunities on the weekends, get-togethers after hours, and team building games are ways to enhance office culture.

After all, everyone likes to have a little fun in the office! Bonding activities will keep the workplace interesting and improve employee retention rates.

Offices can provide opportunities for socializing by having games and lounge areas for employees to unwind during breaks.

Downtime and disengagement from work actually rejuvenates the mind and increases productivity.

Tip #4 — Be Transparent

If an employee doesn’t believe promotions or punishment were given fairly, tension and discouragement will arise. As the employer, it’s important to explain your decision-making and remind your employees to look at the bigger picture.

If an employee is frustrated because their peer was given a promotion over him/herself, explain why the other candidate deserved the promotion and remind the employee that their time will come.

Keep in mind that a small explanation can go a long way, since people are generally quite reasonable if they understand where you are coming from.

If you have to reprimand an employee for doing something incorrectly, remind them that their actions have implications for the company.

Keep discipline consistent, so morale won’t be compromised by different decisions made within company leadership.

Tip #5 — Hire Strategically

It’s important to hire people that will fit in well with your office environment. Have an interview process that requires the interviewee to speak with many different current employees to get a full picture of their personality.

From a human resources perspective, hiring to fit the company culture is important because if an employee identifies with a company’s values and finds their work purposeful, they are likely to be more motivated and productive at work.

A company is only as strong as the people behind it, and that starts with the recruiting. As Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos said, “A company’s employees are a direct representation of the company both in and out of the office.”

At Zappos, a huge emphasis is placed on hiring those who will fit in with the company culture. They treat their hiring process as more of a courtship, which has proven effective in maintaining certain values within their company.

Employee Morale Dictates Company Culture

Office culture is completely dependent on the morale of each employee. It’s important to boost employee morale by ensuring that your employees feel taken care of.

Using these five tips will aid you in creating a positive office culture, where your employees will enjoy coming to work, and in turn be more productive.

This provides a win-win solution for both your company and your employees.