By
Keerthi
Think back to the coolest job you've ever had. What made it such a memorable experience? Those unforgettable recollections are most likely a result of the positive interactions you and your teammates had.
That is the foundation of team building! Employers must understand that employees who trust one another and communicate well are more likely to be satisfied with their employment and perform well. While only a few teams are lucky to have excellent communication, it is more commonly the case that companies must implement initiatives aimed at increasing teamwork skills.
Team-building activities for employees directly lead to enhanced morale, motivation, and enthusiasm. This can include activities that improve communication, trust, and problem-solving. When conducted with the right zest and with a clear aim in mind, the Human Resource department can get much out of team building activities. Participants often find these activities challenging and fun, giving them a break from otherwise stressful, high-energy environments. Without further ado, here's a brief guideline on how to increase your employee morale.
If good employees are the key to your success, employee morale is the door!
8 Best Ways to Boost Employee Morale
Maintain Good Communication
Enhancing your employee communication can pay off big time. Begin by initiating specific, achievable goals for every employee. Then, you can schedule one-on-one meetings to track their progress and clear up any disturbances. Make sure to communicate at every point! Share positive company alerts and updates, such as a new product in development or an excellent client review.
You should also connect with your team members regularly and ask them the following questions:
- How do you feel about your job, learning & development management programs, and co-workers?
- Do you have any problems? How can I help you?
- Are you happy with your work? How can I support you?
Maintaining open and consistent communication with your employees is key to developing employee morale. Through open and clear communication, you can keep them involved in the challenges and achievements of the company, which also leads to attentive and keen employees.
Be Open and Clear
Make every effort as transparent as possible. When morale is down, don't try to hide problems or postpone talks. Your employees will value your transparency as you work together to resolve challenges. Notify them of company developments, new protocols, client feedback, and other relevant facts.
Get Employee Feedback
Gathering employee input through your Human Resource teams is an excellent approach to enhancing morale. When you show that you listen to your employees, they will feel appreciated and are significantly more likely to be motivated. But remember, simply collecting feedback isn't enough; you also need to act on it.
Offer Employee Growth
Boost your employee morale by providing your employees with a sense of purpose – either a goal to strive for or something to look forward to. Employee growth must not be limited to a job promotion. Your HR Team, along with your Learning & Development team, can study data and mutually integrate to offer professional development courses to improve the skills of your employees. Incentives that enhance employee skills are a win-win situation for you and your employees!
Maintain a Calm, Healthy, and Organized Workplace
Driving yourself and your team to the limit may seem like the correct thing to do and may even be inspirational, but it will not work long term. Instead, your aim should be to decrease stress, maintain an excellent work-life balance, and operate a healthy, well-organized firm.
Provide an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) to aid employees in dealing with challenges and stress, whether at work or home. An EAP aims to assist your staff in resolving difficulties that may be impacting their health and vigor or even their work routine.
Plan Team-Building Events
Plan team-building activities that are both pleasant and informative; this is an excellent approach to boosting employee morale. Your Human Resource team can conduct games like office trivia competitions, treasure hunts, etc., or even align with your Learning & Development department to create online quizzes and contests.
Offer Fun Rewards
This isn't a long-term solution, but providing entertaining employee rewards can help when morale is low. For example, give out some scratch-offs, allow employees to work from home for the day, distribute some office freebies – it's surprising what simple employee incentives can achieve.
Snack Buggy
Encourage your employees to take a quick snack break from their desks every hour. Encourage them to grab a cup of tea or coffee, go for a walk outdoors to get some fresh air, stretch their muscles, etc. When you make this a routine, your employees will feel happy and rejuvenated, and, as a result, will be able to contribute more.
According to a few studies, the longer you stay at work, the more important it is to step out of the office, even if it's only for a few minutes.
Also Read: Employee Suggestion Box – Helping Human Resource Teams boost Employee Experiences!
Why Is Employee Morale Crucial for Remote Workers?
With social distancing becoming the norm after the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become the new way of life for businesses and employees worldwide. As a result, the strategies you used to inspire your in-house staff will no longer work for your remote workforce. Although it has its own set of distinct advantages, remote work can get boring and monotonous and make employees feel disconnected.
As a manager/HR, you must create ways to inspire and appreciate your remote team members. Here are a few examples of how you may implement this:
- Simplify communication
- Encourage feedback by being transparent
- Involve remote employees in announcements and updates
- Utilize a communication app
- Make it easy to link remote and in-office workers through scheduling
- Be explicit about your expectations
- Implement remote team-building activities and games
- Concentrate on results
- Don't micromanage; trust that they'll get the job done
- Establish a positive corporate culture
- Recognize and even train remote team leaders
- Establish clear communication channels
“Employees are The Company’s Greatest Asset”! - Anne.M
How Does Employee Morale Impact Your Business?
- Positive employee morale may have a strong influence on your company's success.
- Numerous studies have found a clear association between high employee morale and higher productivity.
- When employee ratings of your corporate culture suggest excellent morale, you will have a better chance of attracting talented employees.
- High morale generates a more collaborative workplace in which team members are more motivated to work and assist one another on critical projects.
- Employee engagement rises when morale is high, and they are more satisfied with the work they do.
Because of the multiple advantages of solid employee morale, you must take a proactive approach to this part of your company culture. The suggestions above will help you raise morale and keep your employees happy and inspired.
Survey Questions to Monitor Employee Morale
Extremely low team morale and extremely high morale are relatively easy to identify. However, to determine the actual status of employee morale in your organization, you must survey your employees.
By conducting a survey, you can determine how your employees act and better understand their participation and morale levels.
Here are some of the queries you can ask while testing employee morale:
- Do you enjoy going to work?
- What do you like the most?
- What do you feel about your workplace?
- How close do you feel to your colleagues?
- Do you think the office/ HR department environment is friendly?
- What are the values of our company?
- Do you believe our company's beliefs reflect your values?
- What causes you to lose motivation at work?
- Do you believe your co-workers and superiors appreciate your work?
- Are you aware of how you contribute to the success of this company?
- Do you think you are appreciated at work?
- Do you feel our organization genuinely cares about you?
- How likely would you suggest this organization to your friends and co-workers? Why?
- What initiatives do you believe our organization could take to boost employee morale?
- Do you think you receive adequate feedback on your work?
- How important do you find your work?
- Do you have a good work-life balance?
Finally,
The most helpful thing you can do for your organization and HR team is to accept changes that benefit everyone before poor morale sets in. It is no secret that keeping employee morale high is vital for a successful business. Exela HR Solutions has decades of experience in helping businesses scale their HR functions and enhance overall business productivity. Find out more about what Exela HR Solutions can do for your business by clicking here.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for general information purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Laws governing the subject matter may change quickly, and Exela cannot guarantee that all the information on this site is current or correct. Should you have specific legal questions about any of the information on this site, you should consult with a licensed attorney in your area.