How to Improve Company Morale Without Spending Money

Company morale is a key indication of employee satisfaction. Employers dream of having smiling employees who arrive to work early and motivated to produce results for their employer. Unfortunately, some companies focus solely on pay and fringe benefits to keep employees committed. Fiscal benefits are crucial when attracting talented workers. However, non-monetary rewards remain an untapped resource that connects directly to improving company morale.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Determine what motivates employees through a survey. Gauge the areas of importance in career development, leadership, praise, recognition, status, task accomplishment, problem-solving achievement, and guiding others. Employers who show an interest in their staff beyond a paycheck, send a message of commitment to employee morale.

2. Communicate how the company’s vision and mission connect to individual employee goals. Create an environment that expresses genuine concern for workers as people with lives linked to the company's interests. Set up a display for the employees' proudest moments. Ask employees to submit pictures, brief stories and memorabilia. Paint a clear picture of how the employee’s life and general well-being fits into the larger goals, mission and vision of the company.

3. Instill a sense of confidence in the company’s ability to provide resources for employees to succeed. Allow time at the beginning of the shift to review past and ongoing goals. Seek helpful hints from high performers, designate a day for each employee to provide an inspirational thought and revisit training materials to address common problems that arise. Highlight the accomplishments, how-to’s and success stories of employees.

4. Use a company mascots, casual dress day or themed apparel to promote a sense of team spirit. Give a five minute relaxation breaks or pictures of great vacation scenery as rewards for group achievements. Encourage employees to start book clubs, craft circles or other activities that they share in common with co-workers.

5. Lead by example. Model the behavior you seek in your employees. Get in the trenches to reinforce the significance of the role employees play in company success. People in leadership positions need to be enthusiastic and confident about the company’s goals, mission and vision. Make company morale a priority.

6. Promote open communication. Employees who are dedicated to the company’s future and success instinctively work towards accomplishing their goals. Not only do employees contribute more to the company's goals when they understand the employer's expectations, but they also guide others toward that goal without prompting.

7. Hold employees accountable. Set goals and clearly delineate how to accomplish them. Be ready to explain to your employees how to establish smaller achievable goals. Be available to employees who are not meeting company goals. Help them identify challenges, work together to overcome obstacles and explain how to attain individual success. Encourage your staff to be proactive problem-solvers and welcome their contribution.

Tips & Warnings

• Be creative. Constantly convey the importance of morale by coming up with ways to create a productive and exciting place to work.
• Balance self-motivation with company motivation to improve morale. Employees need to have a stake in contributing their overall satisfaction.
• Print posters with inspirational sayings and place them in highly visible areas.
• Morale is the responsibility of everyone. In the end, employees are responsible for the value they place on morale.
• Do not focus all your attention on negative, non-motivated employees. If held accountable, their actions eventually cause them to improve or leave.

[rosie327]

on 8/2/2008 ps - go to http://www.BenefitsByRosie.com or contact me for more info.

[rosie327]

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