6 Tips for Boosting Morale in the Workplace
The article offers six strategies for improving workplace morale after the holidays, including allowing employees a remote "catch up day" to ease back into work, creatively celebrating accomplishments with rewards or recognition, and having management highlight employee achievements to C-suite executives to enhance engagement, motivation, and retention.
As we begin our journey into 2019, many employees across the U.S. are returning to the office, often feeling slightly agitated and groggy after time off spent with family and friends during the holidays. Not many people can easily shift from the enjoyment of holiday festivities back to the reality of executing Q1 goals at work. To help combat the post-holiday slump, business leaders can try these six tips for boosting morale in the workplace.
Boosting Morale in the Workplace
By following these ideas, you can help improve employee engagement, communication, employee retention, and more.
1. Give Employees a “Catch Up Day”
There is no worse feeling than the dread of returning to work after a long vacation. To help offset these negative feelings, managers should consider allowing employees to work remotely for their first day or two back at the office to catch up on emails and administrative tasks. Marking these days as “do not disturb” can help employees ease back into their routines. After catching up, employees can return to the office feeling less overwhelmed, which can help increase motivation around the office.
2. Spice Up the Way You Celebrate Employee Accomplishments
Leadership can celebrate employee wins and accomplishments in various ways. Positive confirmation from leadership is crucial for overall morale. Management can creatively award accomplishments, such as implementing a points system for completed assignments, goals hit, or teamwork. Employees can redeem points for prizes like gift cards or electronics. Alternatively, a simple thank you card for hard work can go a long way. The key is to show appreciation consistently.
3. Management Should Show Off Their Talented Subordinates to Leadership/C-Suite Executives
Management can boost employee morale by communicating accomplishments, wins, and goals to C-suite executives. For example, if an employee's work leads to significant results, managers should share this success with higher-ups through emails, meetings, or calls. When employees feel appreciated, they are more successful in their jobs.
4. Provide Ongoing Training to Employees
Continuing education should always be a priority. It benefits both employees and the company. Employees gain new skills and feel they are progressing toward their career goals, while employers benefit from a more skilled workforce. Managers should advocate for education and training budgets to send employees to training, conferences, or online classes.
5. Give Employees a Roadmap for Advancement
Most employees aspire to grow, not remain in the same position year after year. Managers can improve morale by providing a clear blueprint for advancement within the company. If the organization is too small for traditional advancement, managers should support employees in finding new positions when they have outgrown their current roles. Transparency and clear guidelines for progression and promotion are essential.
6. Evaluate Departmental Meetings and Eliminate Unnecessary Ones
Unnecessary meetings can be frustrating and drain morale. Managers should assess which meetings are truly necessary and eliminate or combine those that are not. Employees should also be encouraged to share feedback about meetings. When meetings are not worth the time, managers should be proactive in removing or restructuring them.
Successful employers understand that boosting employee morale is crucial to organizational success. These ideas can help employees overcome the holiday lull and start the year strong. Employers interested in improving morale year after year should focus on a strong benefits program to attract and retain top talent.
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