Boosting employee morale

It is not uncommon for employees to become unhappy and disinterested in their jobs. When an employee is in this state, they are not as productive and your turnover rate will increase. How can you boost employee morale to get everyone excited about coming to work? Here are some easy steps to follow:

Step # 1 - Make your employees feel valued
You can boost employee morale by making your staff members feel like they are important. Involve them in some of the important decisions you need to make for the company to let them feel like they are a major part of the company. Set aside some time for weekly meetings with your employees to go over their job duties. This is a great time to listen to your employees concerns and help them solve their problems. Listen to some of their suggestions and try to use them with your company procedures and policies.

It is easy to make your employees feel valued when they know they can talk to you anytime they need to. Have an open-door policy so they know you are always there to listen to them. Another way to give your employee's time to voice their opinion is through an anonymous comment box. Try to give your employees ample opportunities to talk to you so they feel like a vital part of the organization. In return, you need to recognize the hard work they are doing. If they have been working non-stop on a project for a couple weeks, walk by their office and let them know how much you appreciate their hard work. Simple positive comments can really go a long way toward improving employee morale.

Step # 2 - Rewards
When your employees work hard, they deserve to be rewarded for it. You can reward your employees with cash bonuses or simple prizes like $25 gift cards. Performance bonuses are a great way to encourage your employees to work harder and it really helps to boost morale. Some people really want to be rewarded with time off work so they can spend the day as they please; this is a great reward for small businesses that want to find a way to boost employee morale.

Step # 3 - Surprises
Another great way to boost employee morale is to start surprising your employees. On a Friday afternoon, close the office an hour early and don't tell your staff members until you are ready to close-up for the weekend. Even getting an extra hour can really brighten the spirits of some employees that feel trapped at their desk. Another way to increase employee morale is to surprise your staff members with lunch. Order a pizza or have some food catered during a meeting. Try giving your employees an extra 30 minutes on their lunch break to spend doing something productive like exercising.

Step # 4 - Friendly atmosphere
Encourage a family-friendly atmosphere for your employees and customers. When your employees know you not only care about them, but you care about their families, they are less-likely to feel invisible at the company. If you can, try to learn some names of their family members and ask about them during casual conversations. You can even have days where staff members can invite their family members, like a company picnic or dinner.

Step # 5 - Dates
Another simple way to improve employee morale is to remember important dates. Birthdays need to be recognized, as well as anniversaries with the company. Offer nice gifts to your employees for their anniversary dates (5 year, 10 year, etc) and for their birthday. This is a small way to let them know you care about them and appreciate their hard work.