Everyone knows that happy employees are more productive. They’re also more likely to take pride in their work, and less likely to quit their jobs without a good reason. The best part is, boosting employee morale in the workplace doesn’t require spending a small fortune.
A few small changes may be all that’s required to make employees feel like valued members of the team. Team leaders and office managers can read on to find a few tips for boosting workplace morale without breaking their companies’ bottom lines.
1. Provide Healthy Snacks
Providing employees with healthy snacks doesn’t have to create new hassles or cost a fortune. Office managers can sign up for office snacks delivery services to make sure their employees always have access to healthy, tasty snacks to power them through challenging afternoons.
Wondering if it’s worth the money? There’s an old saying that people are what they eat, and in the 21st century, science bears it out. People who eat better typically have an easier time staying focused and maintaining an upbeat mood.
2. Make Workers Feel Appreciated
While it’s true that office employees are paid to show up on time and do their jobs right, managers shouldn’t take good workers for granted. They should find ways to recognize their employees’ efforts. When workers know their colleagues and superiors are noticing their hard work and acknowledging the benefits they provide to the company, they’ll feel more satisfied and be driven to accomplish greater things.
Like all people, office workers want to feel appreciated. If the company has it in the budget, offering bonuses or additional paid time off is a great way to reward employees for work well done. For smaller businesses, something as simple as a pizza party to celebrate a completed project or the acquisition of an important new client will also suit the bill just fine when it comes to rewarding teams as opposed to individual workers.
3. Promote from Within
Some companies tend to seek management talent from outside their own ranks, while others promote from within. Taking the latter approach is usually much better for worker morale. Not only will office-level employees have an incentive to perform their best if they know they could score themselves promotions but other team members will also benefit.
When companies promote from within, their teams already recognize and respect new managers or team leaders. If the hiring manager does his or her job well, the new manager promoted from within the ranks will already have a good handle on team dynamics and individual workers’ strengths and weaknesses. Everyone will win.
4. Ask for Input
Even at the best-run companies, staff members often have a handful of minor grievances. Asking them for input on changes around the office or requesting that the team fill out anonymous surveys can alert managers to potential interpersonal or workplace issues before they turn into more serious problems. By heading off serious conflict, managers can ensure that they are maintaining a positive workplace culture.
Don’t just ask workers for input when things are going wrong. Good managers know that regular employees are just as likely as team leaders to have innovative ideas. Make the employees feel welcome to share their ideas and input, and put the best of them into action to boost morale and make sure everyone feels like he or she is being heard.
5. Practice Open Communication
Managers see what’s going on in their companies from a different perspective than their staff. They look at the larger picture and understand why higher-ups are making certain types of changes, while the average office worker is more likely to focus on day-to-day tasks. As a result, office workers often feel put out when managers spring big changes on them.
The best way to boost morale and reduce pushback when things are about to change in the office is to keep the staff informed. Communicate openly and clearly about the upcoming changes, and don’t leave workers in the dark about major issues that affect their office environments or job responsibilities.
6. Plan Fun, Voluntary Team-Building Activities
Most managers already know that team-building activities can foster a sense of community and make workers feel more valued. That said, no one wants to give up his or her personal time to go to a mandatory team-building workshop that won’t even be fun.
Plan voluntary activities that are tailored to the group’s interests and fun enough to entice team members into actually wanting to participate, and pay them for their time. Remember, team building is an investment, but it will only pay off if the staff actually bonds over the experience.
7. Embrace Flexible Schedules
Over the past year and a half, many companies have transitioned to fully remote or hybrid models of working. When companies started lifting pandemic restrictions, some workers were thrilled to head back to the office. Others were hesitant to give up the newfound independence associated with working from home.
Many companies can benefit from sticking with scheduling remote work hours. As long as the employees are still getting their work done, there’s no harm in allowing them to work from home sometimes, even if they still need to head to the office to go to meetings.
Alternatively, some companies were already adopting more flexible schedules before the pandemic hit, allowing office workers more control over their daily schedules to accommodate a healthier work-life balance. Again, as long as everyone is getting his or her work done, that’s a great way to boost morale.
The Bottom Line Happy workers are more productive and less likely to quit their jobs on a whim. In today’s competitive job market, employers and managers can’t afford to let valuable employees fall by the wayside. Follow the simple and affordable tips above to make sure that every team member feels valued and knows that he or she plays an essential role within the company. Boosting employee morale will help not just individual workers or teams but the entire business and its customers or clients.
