5 Ways to Boost Your Employees' Morale
18 April 2014
Read by 2418 persons
It may seem obvious, but the best way for an employee to be productive is to make sure they are happy at work. An unmotivated employee will be less productive and more often absent, which will naturally result in additional costs for the company. However, you don't need to spend a fortune to motivate your employees; here are 5 ways to boost their morale.
Show them the results of their efforts
There's nothing worse for an employee than feeling like they're working for nothing and not seeing the fruits of their labor. To avoid this, it's important to clearly show what your employees' efforts were intended for and what the final result is. Don't hesitate to share positive customer feedback with your teams. Even if your employees aren't directly in contact with customers, they should still feel their satisfaction. By being directly "confronted" with the impact of their work on the company and on customers, employees will certainly be even more willing to commit to the company. This improves the morale of your troops, their self-confidence, and their sense of accomplishment.
Give them responsibilities
If your employees feel that you hesitate to give them responsibilities because you don't trust them, there's little chance they'll get involved in the company. Of course, it's easier said than done. You can't give major responsibilities to all employees, but if you feel you can do so with some, don't hesitate. It is often responsibilities that push to go beyond the simple description of one's position, to go further. If an employee has identified a flaw in the organization, they will certainly hesitate to tell you if they have no responsibility. If, on the other hand, you have given them significant responsibilities, they will more easily inform you of organizational problems since they will feel fully integrated into the project.
Ask them what motivates them
It may seem obvious and logical, but do all business leaders do it? The answer is obviously no. One may be tempted to think that employees have the same motivations, money, recognition for example. But in reality it's more complicated. Challenge, security, working hours, pressure, and many other elements play a role in employee motivation. By asking them individually what motivates them, you show them your interest in them, and you also give yourself the means to adapt your behavior to each employee.
Give them small perks
To motivate your employees, if you are an SME, there is little chance that you will be able to offer everyone a high-end car or a dream trip to a foreign country. Yet, nothing says that the benefits you give to your employees must have an excessive cost to have an impact. You can focus on small things that will be useful to them. Why not offer your employees a bicycle after a certain period spent in the company, for example? It could also be USB keys, personalized mugs... it won't change your employees' lives, but they will be able to use them and, above all, they will feel that you are interested in them.
Offer them training
The lack of development opportunities is one of the reasons that pushes employees to leave their company. To improve their morale and motivation, make sure they feel they are improving their skills by staying with you. The first step is to encourage the internal transmission of knowledge, by associating new employees with those who have more experience, for example. Then, if you have the means, you can offer your employees the opportunity to attend conferences or follow specific training courses. The important thing is not to focus exclusively on the short term; these trainings and conferences do have a cost, but they improve the skills of your employees and, above all, they also boost their morale!
Dynamique-mag.com
Posted online April 18, 2014.
Show them the results of their efforts
There's nothing worse for an employee than feeling like they're working for nothing and not seeing the fruits of their labor. To avoid this, it's important to clearly show what your employees' efforts were intended for and what the final result is. Don't hesitate to share positive customer feedback with your teams. Even if your employees aren't directly in contact with customers, they should still feel their satisfaction. By being directly "confronted" with the impact of their work on the company and on customers, employees will certainly be even more willing to commit to the company. This improves the morale of your troops, their self-confidence, and their sense of accomplishment.
Give them responsibilities
If your employees feel that you hesitate to give them responsibilities because you don't trust them, there's little chance they'll get involved in the company. Of course, it's easier said than done. You can't give major responsibilities to all employees, but if you feel you can do so with some, don't hesitate. It is often responsibilities that push to go beyond the simple description of one's position, to go further. If an employee has identified a flaw in the organization, they will certainly hesitate to tell you if they have no responsibility. If, on the other hand, you have given them significant responsibilities, they will more easily inform you of organizational problems since they will feel fully integrated into the project.
Ask them what motivates them
It may seem obvious and logical, but do all business leaders do it? The answer is obviously no. One may be tempted to think that employees have the same motivations, money, recognition for example. But in reality it's more complicated. Challenge, security, working hours, pressure, and many other elements play a role in employee motivation. By asking them individually what motivates them, you show them your interest in them, and you also give yourself the means to adapt your behavior to each employee.
Give them small perks
To motivate your employees, if you are an SME, there is little chance that you will be able to offer everyone a high-end car or a dream trip to a foreign country. Yet, nothing says that the benefits you give to your employees must have an excessive cost to have an impact. You can focus on small things that will be useful to them. Why not offer your employees a bicycle after a certain period spent in the company, for example? It could also be USB keys, personalized mugs... it won't change your employees' lives, but they will be able to use them and, above all, they will feel that you are interested in them.
Offer them training
The lack of development opportunities is one of the reasons that pushes employees to leave their company. To improve their morale and motivation, make sure they feel they are improving their skills by staying with you. The first step is to encourage the internal transmission of knowledge, by associating new employees with those who have more experience, for example. Then, if you have the means, you can offer your employees the opportunity to attend conferences or follow specific training courses. The important thing is not to focus exclusively on the short term; these trainings and conferences do have a cost, but they improve the skills of your employees and, above all, they also boost their morale!
Dynamique-mag.com
Posted online April 18, 2014.
