Employee moral is more than just hosting a Christmas party. Happy employees = happy customers! Here are our top ten ways to improve employee moral.
1. KNOW YOUR TARGET EMPLOYEE
Finding the right employees can be like finding the right customers. Think of the hiring process as a marketing campaign. Assess the kind of person you are looking for and what is right for your business. Think about your customers when interviewing potential candidates. Do you want a moldable college student? An experienced hard worker? Do they need to have a passion and knowledge of your industry? Know the type of people that make up your staff. What do they value? Free lunches or 401k contributions or both?
2. DON’T THROW PENNIES
Many large companies draw people in with temporary perks. Free lunches, ping pong tables, complimentary gym, and over-the-top parties are a few examples. While these are great perks, many companies substitute these for actual perks, such as health insurance, 401k contributions, tuition reimbursement, and extended vacation time. We call this throwing pennies to distract from acutally providing more costly and helpful perks.
3. …UNLESS YOU’RE OK WITH A HIGH TURNOVER RATE
Some companies (and their employees) are okay with this. Many call centers, temp agencies, and sales teams, are okay will providing these temporary perks because they know that their company is a pit stop for the individual. The company expects their employees to leave after a year or two, so investing in the individual would be a poor choice. In this instance, free lunches benefit both parties.
4. ASK YOUR EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY WANT
In a lot of cases, particularly small businesses, employees may rather receive a Christmas bonus than a fancy party. Give your employees options if the budget doesn’t allow for multiple end-of-year perks.
5. PRACTICE SERVANT LEADERSHIP
The best (and most sustainable) form of leadership is servant leadership. Ask, “what can I do for my employees to make their job easier?” That is what you’re there for! To direct the company/department and enable your employees to do the best job they can. You get back what you give out.
6. GIVE THEM A REASON TO BELIEVE
The best employees are ones that BELIEVE in your business. Make your mission statement, values, and morals clear to employees. Their buy-in will take your business to the next level.
7. CELEBRATE THE SMALL THINGS
Birthdays, anniversaries, and promotions may seem like they happen all the time to you, but they only happen once a year for your employee. Make a gesture, even if it’s sending a card. A little goes a long way!
8. RECOGNITION
If an employee nails a proposal or executes a big project, thank them and recognize them to their peers. Remember when we were in school and got rewarded with As? That doesn’t exist in the business world, so make sure you still give positive feedback!
9. PROMOTE FROM WITHIN
Hiring from the outside may be necessary in some cases, but repeated offenses can be a slap in the face to your employees. If they aren’t worth promoting, then why waste their time? Coach them so that they will be worthy of a promotion or cut them loose–you’ll both feel better in the long run.
10. HAVE FUN
Above all else, have a healthy perspective. It’s a job. People make mistakes. Your employees will be loyal out of love, not fear. Make sure you are being a person that people want to work for. Improve employee moral and your customers will notice!
President and founder of DVI, Aaron Boerger realized early in life that he had a unique combination of x-ray vision and business acumen for seeing the weaknesses that held businesses back – and the ability to define the right tools, technology and strategy to make them stronger.
From founding a successful technology support business in his early teens, to serving as Chief Operating Officer for several companies in the financial, technology and marketing industries, Aaron has developed a reputation for reinventing technology implementation tactics – and the willingness to tell people not what they want to hear, but what they need to hear, in order to achieve success without overwhelm.
Aaron will always go the extra mile to provide the accountability and support his clients need to achieve their goals, yet isn’t afraid to tell them when they are doing something wrong.