How to Improve Employee Morale in Your Organization

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Employee morale is a key part of any organizations culture. Low morale not only can hinder a business from reaching its goals but can also lead to low productivity and increased turnover. According to statistics from Gallup, unhappy workers cost the American business economy up to $350 billion annually in low productivity.  

It is important to be aware of some of the signs of low morale and pay close attention to them.  Any one of these signs can be an indicator that morale needs a boost in your organization.

• Poor communication with management and team
• Increased absenteeism
• Excessive complaining over small matters
• Employee conflicts
• Poor work quality

Being aware of low morale signs can help you determine the issues that need to be addressed within your organization.  Here a few tactics to think about adapting for your business to boost employee morale. 

Focus on communication- Lead a position of strength and train employees to develop positive attitudes.  Good communication and clear expectations are essential for high morale.  Show your team that you trust and respect their needs by letting them know about issues affecting the business, and in turn, their livelihoods.  To ensure that you are communicating effectively, conduct monthly meetings with your entire staff in addition to separate management meetings. When employees know what is expected, they will feel important and perform better.   

Listen to your employees- When you become aware that the productivity of the organization is heading towards a downward slope, take the time to talk to your staff.   If supervisors are not attentive to what’s going on in their workplace, employee morale can often go unnoticed.  Ongoing employee feedback will help supervisors identify morale issues such as weak leadership.  Acknowledging the stresses and circumstances that your employees are feeling will help improve morale and increase profits and productivity.  

Avoid employee burnout-Don’t overload employees with too much work.  When former employees quit, their work often gets handed down to co-workers. This can potentially lead to job dissatisfaction and the quality and productivity of work to decrease.  Time should be taken to evaluate the expectations of employees so you are not burning them out.  Arrange for training and development programs to help your employees’ transition into their new role within your organization.

Celebrate achievements and accomplishments- Make your employees feel that their work is more than just a job.  Everyone wants to feel that their work has a higher purpose.  When your employees put in extra effort to accomplish a task be sure to show your appreciation.   Taking the time to reflect upon those accomplishments helps employees see that you care for them.  A simple, thank you note left on someone’s desk can be one of the most encouraging things you can do to boost motivation.

Although not one single action can turn around morale for your organization, it is important to remember that the little things add up.  Look, listen, and acknowledge any overall tension or job dissatisfaction among employees.  In turn, employees who feel appreciated, respected, and valued will increase the overall morale of your company and an increased success in business will follow.