Employee morale is more than how happy your employees are; itβs also about how healthy your company culture is, how well you and other leaders communicate with your staff, and how effective your managers are.
Employee morale is only high when they feel valued by their employer. And, with so many stressful diversions lately, itβs more critical than ever to make sure your employees get the support they need to bring their best selves to work every day.
Here are five strategies to contribute to a thriving culture and maintain high staff morale throughout the year.
1. Give your employees the tools they need to solicit feedback
Managers have traditionally led the feedback process as a way to assist employees course correct and progress. However, the most incredible method to improve the free flow of feedback is to encourage people to seek it out on their own.
βAsking for feedback is an incredibly effective way to self-improvement, especially when itβs part of fundamental performance management. Itβs even possible to think of it as a projectβs last deliverable. According to Gallup, βrequested feedback allows teams to display the caring that everyone requires to feel engaged.β
Helping people ask for feedback when they need it most empowers them to take control of their own growth, allowing them to learn new abilities and correct bad habits in less time. Nothing motivates people more than seeing how far theyβve come.
2. Corporate gifts to increase morale and productivity
If your companyβs employee morale is in need of a boost, consider providing high-quality gifts to your employees. Everyone wants to be recognized, and even the tiniest gift gesture may go a long way toward increasing staff engagement and overall performance β meaning your company can benefit from your gifts just as much as your employees can!
Gift Cards
A gift card is an excellent gifting option because it is versatile and allows your employees to select their own gifts. Gift cards, whether wrapped as a present or enclosed in a stylish envelope, can still be presented as pleasant surprises to open.
Even better if you know your employeesβ favorite store or online shop, as this demonstrates that you put some effort into the gift while still allowing them to choose what to buy with the gift card amount.
Office supplies
It is crucial to provide office supplies as gifts if you have employees based in the office. Gifts that include ornamental items for their desks or even personalized office goods can make your gift particularly meaningful for your staff.
While generic office supplies may not appear to be one of the most outstanding team gift ideas, they can be helpful in personalizing your teamβs workspace, ensuring that they have what they need, or simply investing in amusing stuff for around the office.
Customized promotional products
If youβre already planning for a unique promotional product for your clients or an external firm, thereβs no harm in including an extra gift for your employees. If youβre going to the trouble of showcasing your brand and treating clients to something extra special, itβs only fair that you do the same for your dedicated employees.
Thatβs why easy gifts could include ensuring that each member of your team receives aΒ bespoke promotional productΒ β even better if itβs something they can use around the office or even outside the office to display your company logo.
3. Assist your staff in their personal and professional growth
Giving your employees all of the tools and resources they need to execute their jobs properly is the first step in ensuring their success. This includes formal education. As your team grows, you can put this into effect from an employeeβs first day on the job and beyond by developing a knowledge base of vital information and best practices for new recruits.
Because remote employees may not have the same access to your desk to ask one-off questions, building a detailed training strategy is exceptionally critical for getting them up to speed.
But keep in mind that your staff doesnβt just exist to assist your company in a professional capacity. Employee development must be holistic in order for them to grow both personally and professionally. Encourage people to develop more extraordinary soft skills like empathy, emotional intelligence, and communication to help them live more fulfilled lives. This will also help them prepare for future leadership positions.
4. Improve your managersβ coaching skills
Teaching your managers to look for their staffβs unique abilities will promote an environment that builds on such qualities, which will help firms stay agile through difficult times. Managers can implement this strategy by assisting employees in creating job descriptions that align their passions with the companyβs mission. Employee morale, engagement, and productivity all improve as a result of this.
Effective managers emphasize not only pushing for outstanding performance but also assisting employees in discovering their innate skills and seeking out chances to apply them. This not only allows managers to boost the capabilities of their teams but also taps into a deeper, more organic sort of motivation for employees.
5. Show your staff how much you value them
High-performing teams, according to studies, are considerably more supportive and complementary than low-performing ones. Leaders who acknowledge their employeesβ abilities and contributions are considerably more engaged, productive, and innovative.
What makes gratitude so potent is that it spreads like a virus when itβs shared. You may assist increase employee morale almost instantaneously by sending a simple thank you note or simply acknowledging someoneβs hard work. Furthermore, regular recognition might help to relieve some of the stress that employees may be feeling on a daily basis.
Employees can be confident in their work when they feel supported and encouraged to accomplish their best. Take these suggestions and put them into action to keep staff morale high.
