A business is only as productive as the people that work within it. You will have spent hours finding the best employees to bring on board as part of your team, but this is only half the battle. Hiring a skilled worker is wise, but studies have shown that employees are likely to be 20% more productive if they are actually happy in their job. So what can you do?
As a leader, you can’t control every aspect of your employees’ lives to ensure that they are happy at all times. However, you can create a comfortable work environment that they actually want to be in. Workplace morale is incredibly important, so we’ve listed a few ways that you can achieve it in your business.
Keep Hours Reasonable
Every business has a time when they are most productive. The standard practice for most offices is opening eight hours a day from nine to five. Unfortunately, money never sleeps and there is still a chance to make money outside of these hours, especially if you conduct a lot of business overseas.
This attitude can create a negative dissonance between your workforces. It is important to remember that they have a life outside of the office. Asking your employees to stay late every now and then is going to be necessary for your business to function, but it is important to offer them a choice. Overworking your staff is going to affect their productivity, and they will be far more likely to help if you don’t force the extra work upon them. Show some respect and it is more likely to be returned.
Encourage Communication
Communication is the backbone of any relationship. It should come as no surprise that you will find that employees will work harder when there is no ambiguity about their role. You will find no downsides to allowing your staff to communicate properly throughout the day. In fact, you will find several social media platforms that have been proven to improve workplace morale. Connecting your staff across a network is a great way to get people talking about their work in a manner they enjoy.
What’s more, you can take this level of communication further by openly discussing the success of the business. Your employees will be pleased to hear about important milestones, so be sure to thank them for their hard work when appropriate. This approach will give your staff a sense of pride and purpose, a reason to put in extra work as it won’t go unnoticed.
Host Events Outside Of Work
Company events allow your team to get to know more about one another. Furthermore, engaging with your staff outside of the office lets them see you as an actual person.
Regular work functions aren’t hard to organize and can be relatively cheap considering the benefits they bring. If you are ever stuck for ideas about creating a workplace event, you can always check out Halls Septic Service Inc. and find out more tips here. People aren’t going to respond well to the notion of forced fun. In fact, a poor company retreat can hurt morale more than anything. Make sure to do your research to put on the best event possible and your staff will be eager to keep coming to these events.
Give Employees Feedback
There is no better way to gauge how happy an employee feels than by meeting with them on a one-to-one basis. Holding regular meetings with your staff can allow them to voice any concerns that they have about how the business is run. Of course, these employees don’t have the inside track as you do, but this information could be useful for improving productivity.
A meeting like this can also give you a chance to conduct employee evaluations. Some members of staff will continuously repeat mistakes if they aren’t addressed. Try to bring these topics up while also focusing on the jobs they perform well. Regular meetings like these help to make members of staff feel like individuals instead of just another cog in a larger machine.
Demonstrate Advancement Opportunities
A career is worth more to a person than a job. The difference between these two roles is that a career follows a path-like structure, whereas a job is often seen as a regular paycheck. Careers offer the employee the chance to grow and take on new challenges. Also, they can come with a nice pay rise and other perks.
Employees are more likely to be productive if they feel like they are actually working toward a goal. This is why it is important to highlight advancements in your company. As your business grows, you will find that you have more need for upper management personnel. Try to fill these roles with people that are already under your company roof and you should see a vast improvement in company morale. By doing so you will find staff is no longer working for money. They now have opportunities to demonstrate their worth.
Decorate The Office Properly
Most of us conjure up images of drab grey walls and rows of desks when thinking about standard office space. This impression is forged by the fact that many business leaders find the act of decorating too expensive. As a result, their employees are left to slave away in an uninspired environment.
It is important to remember that a person’s surroundings have a vast impact on their mood. Decorating your office may seem like an unnecessary expense, but you will definitely see an improvement in workplace morale when you brighten up the place. It doesn’t take a lot to achieve these results either.
A few extra potted plants or wall hangings can add some much-needed color to the office. Also, your employees will find themselves in a much better mood if they receive a healthy dose of natural light. Try to place your windows strategically to give them this resource, or schedule regular breaks so that your staff can get some vitamin D.
Conclusion
You will be surprised by all of the things that can affect employee morale, and also how small these issues actually are. It doesn’t take much to address these problems, so sit back and watch as your morale boosts improve your productivity.
