How to Manage Employee Morale

Low morale results in lack of productivity.

The most challenging aspect of a managerial job is to keep your employees motivated to maintain the high productivity levels within the team. If employees' day-to-day duties are too repetitive, or if the employees don't have a feeling of being appreciated, their morale goes down, resulting in a bad impact on the company's overall performance. Several strategies can significantly improve the morale of your employees.

Instructions

1. Create an employee of the month program and recognize your workers for their efforts.

2. Create a culture of mutual respect. Don't ever lose your temper. Say "Thank you" and "I appreciate your help." Make employees feel a part of an organization where they are respected as individuals.

3. Treat them with lunch and parties after achieving milestones in your projects. Allow the employees to socialize with each other in a non-work environment. Arrange team-building events and make sure that people have opportunities to know each other on a personal basis.

4. Provide your employees with enough opportunities for growth in their careers. Keep training them to equip them with new skills. Be honest and open while providing feedback on their skills and how can they improve them.

5. Make sure that pay cuts and layoffs only happen if the company or department is struggling. Don't use layoffs for improving organizational efficiency. If you have decided to layoff an employee, provide him enough time and resources for his next job search.

6. Conduct employee satisfaction surveys and try to improve the work environment according to their feedback. Keep your employees updated on the survey results and let them know about the impact of their feedback.

References

• "Preserving employee morale during downsizing"; MIT Sloan Management Review; 1998
• "Why Your Employees Are Losing Motivation"; Harvard Business School Working Knowledge; 2006