Are you continuously trying to solve problems in your company, but not seeing the returns you expected? Perhaps you’ve checked budgets, changed suppliers and even improved customer service, without much ROI. The question: what’s your HR approach like?
So many managers and business owners are realising the importance of boosting the morale among their teams. It does take some creativity to find the right methodology though. It may not be higher salaries they want, but skylights, plants and training.
Skylights you say? Here’s the lowdown on improving office environments, team spirit and your bottom line. It’s all connected!
Why is Office Morale so Important?
Of course, there are multiple factors that determine your business outcomes. But your team plays some of the most important roles overall. They’re the ones that need to help you realise your vision. And remember, they work with your customers, partners and suppliers and are bound to discuss your company as an employer. What they portray, do and say will affect production, service provision, your reputation and so much more.
And when they don’t really want to be in the office, none of their interactions with others may shine a good light on your brand. They may think ‘why keep the customer happy if I’m actually looking for another job?’. Also, morale affects how happy workers are and how well they work together. And both those characteristics affect productivity.
So, it’s vital you give this topic some attention, right?
How do You Measure Office Morale?
Getting nervous about how this aspect is impacting you? Do you even know how to measure office morale?
Some information you may already have, so use the following to determine the general state of affairs in the office:
- Research employee grievances that may have been ignored up until now but requires management’s attention.
- Send out a survey about workers’ opinions, attitudes and viewpoints, which they can complete and submit anonymously.
- Set aside some time to observe your team and gauge their motivation, happiness and passion for their tasks.
- Start an open-door policy to make it easier for team members to gain access to management and share their concerns.
- Create a suggestion box for ideas about improving aspects of the business. By comparing suggestions and seeing what gets mentioned the most, you’ll identify problem areas quickly.
Boosting Office Morale – 4 Important Tips
Enhance Working Environment
First of all, consider how you can make the workplace more welcoming. Look at this from all possible perspectives by talking to your team about what will make your building a better office:
- Some teams want better kitchen facilities to make lunch time easier.
- Perhaps you need to add some indoor plants or install commercial skylights to make the space seem less clinical. Many workers want to feel more connected to nature, even while at work.
- Modern commercial skylights or additional artificial lighting can also be the solution to providing sufficient lighting. Employees want to feel their needs matter, even if it’s just to ensure they don’t have to squint while doing their jobs.
Use Incentives and Rewards Correctly
You can also create some buzz in the office if you use incentives and rewards systems. They may get excited by competing against each other to earn advantages, or the need to outperform others for certain prizes will spark some healthy competition at the office.
You’ll benefit from better performance that earn certain rewards, while your team can enjoy a few perks.
But, similar to the point above, first have a discussion with the team to discover which incentives will work and what they find valuable. If they don’t find your offers valuable or worth sacrificing for, your system may not do much for office morale or your company’s output.
For example, if your team finds family time more important than a few dollars extra each month, a day off may be a better motivator than cash bonuses. If you have a young team just starting out in their careers, you may get better results from offering personal development courses rather than silly, fun products they can buy themselves.
Empower to Produce
Something that easily ruins office morale is when workers feel they’re treated unfairly. A situation you continually must monitor is not expecting more than what your team can realistically achieve. If you need a better outcome, such as higher productivity, you may first need to empower them to be able to reach that goal. This may require upgrading equipment or training team members in a certain field.
You’ll maintain positive morale by equipping workers, and aspects like using new tech will also bring a sense of excitement to the office.
Help Them Grow
Here’s an aspect that’s true of almost any team member: having a need to grow. To prevent workers from feeling they have stagnant careers, offer training in new fields or sponsor further studies. As long as it’s relevant to your industry, you’ll benefit from their newfound knowledge. Your support for their futures will result in loyalty and positive attitudes around the office.
Final Thoughts
Smart leaders know one of their most valuable assets are their staff. Implement a few smart policies this year to support their needs and preferences. The higher morale will bring you ROI you can’t imagine!
