How to Boost Staff Morale
Boosting the morale of your office staff is vital, especially in hard economic times. Employees may see friends and relatives lose their jobs and may worry needlessly about the status of their own positions. Remember, above all else, that the employees are individuals with families who depend on them for their livelihoods.
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Communicate frequently with your staff, even if it is via a company intranet, newsletter or email. It is best to have staff meetings monthly or at least every quarter. This will give the employees a chance to voice concerns and to offer suggestions. If the company is having a hard time financially, be upfront with the workers. Let them know you are doing everything in your power to prevent layoffs, and have them offer suggestions on the best way to avoid this situation.
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Conduct surveys that utilize suggestions and complaints from employees to improve the work environment. Make sure that these surveys are anonymous, and that no signature or identifying information is needed. Ask the employees to rate different parts of the workplace and to give suggestions for any areas in which they feel need improvement are needed.
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Show appreciation of an employee who deserves accolades. Granted, the employee is there to do a job and to do it to the best of his ability, but during hard economic times, it is often hard to feel that your productivity has an impact on the workplace. It is true that low morale equals low profits in a work environment; so therefore, increasing morale should be utmost in the minds of managers. If an employee has done an outstanding job, stop by his desk and give him a pat on the back, recognize him amidst a group of his peers.
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Recognize that each individual who works in your employment is a person with problems, goals and joys. Instill in each other a need for community and to back up and help each other with different needs. You could implement a benevolent fund, that is available to families in need or who are going through a rough time.
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Create activities that inspire the employees to do their very best to accomplish goals. You may instill some type of program that involves competitiveness and reward one employee with a prize at the end of the month or at a quarterly meeting. The prizes can be as simple as a basket filled with scented candles, lotions and potpourri or it can be a gift certificate to a discount store, gas station or restaurant. Alternately, you can give the winner one entry for a drawing at the end of the year for an even bigger prize, such as a weekend getaway trip, a weeks paid vacation or even a new car.
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