When your employees feel appreciated and have a healthy work environment, not only will your employees become more efficient and effective at work, but it can also save your company money in the long run. Happier employees become healthier employees, which saves on healthcare costs or time lost at work due to lack of productivity.
Here are six different ways to boost morale at work to improve the well-being of your employees, who deserve to be celebrated and appreciated.
Work From Home Policies
Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, businesses worldwide have had to find new and creative ways to keep their employees safe while maintaining productivity. All employees had to start working from home if possible.
Since then, companies have discovered that there are significant cost benefits, including a boost of employee morale, that have amplified work efficiency. Providing an opportunity for employees to have some type of work from home policy can show them they are trusted and gives your team a sense of freedom.
This is ideal for any employee when a personal situation arises, such as home maintenance or a family emergency.
Promote Team Building Activities
Building a positive work morale starts when you focus on building relationships with your employees. It’s equally as important to encourage the development of relationships between your team members as well. Statistics show that if employees have at least one person they consider to be their “work best friend,” they are significantly less likely to quit or look for another job.
Schedule monthly team outings like a corporate happy hour or consider adding regular volunteer time to the calendar. Serving the community can also improve a person’s mental health, which adds to your employees’ overall quality of life.
Recognize Employees Upon Retirement
Celebrating employees to improve company morale goes all the way until their last day on the job. Showing appreciation upon retirement shows a level of care not only to the employee who is retiring but also to the remaining team members.
They see how someone within the company is recognized for the work they’ve contributed over the course of time they spent with the company.
Employee retirement plaques are a great way to have someone feel honored and remembered for their years of hard work as they enter into a new stage of their life.
Celebrate Personal Accomplishment
It’s not always about the work. Improving company morale also includes learning what happens to your employees beyond the four walls of the office. Weekly standups are a great way for the team to take a few moments to share about their personal lives and accomplishments.
As a company leader, this allows you to learn about upcoming anniversaries or interests that can be recognized by sending a card around the office to celebrate them. It’s also a great way to show interest in them as people rather than only viewing them as workers.
Ask For Feedback
Boosting company morale doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. It can start by simply listening. People want to feel heard. When you provide an opportunity for your employees to share their feedback, they’ll feel like they are contributing in a larger and more significant way.
It also is a great learning tool to understand what needs to be changed. This can be done through monthly one-on-one meetings with your employees, or provide an open door policy for others to share about their peers or their overall experience with the company.
Provide an Open Door Policy
An open door policy can be incredibly straightforward. When the door is open to your office, it’s an invitation to allow anyone to come in and speak with you about certain situations that may arise or conflicts your employees are undergoing.
If you don’t have time or the bandwidth to be able to manage the workload along with other employee situations, you simply close the door. Make sure to effectively communicate to your team that when the door is open, they’re always welcome in. When the door is shut, it’s meant for meetings and time to get down to business.
There are several ways in which you can boost company morale amongst your employees. It starts by effectively communicating with your team to understand where there can be improvements. Start making progress towards a more productive, efficient, and happier team of employees by looking for more ways to improve company morale.