How many cups of coffee does your team go through in a day? If cup after cup, your employees still don’t seem to perk up, you may have a larger problem on your hands. Workers who struggle to complete tasks and just barely completing their jobs may be struggling with low team morale. Low morale is a hidden danger for companies big and small that may be eating away at your bottom line. While you may assume that work is work, and your employees don’t need to feel good about the job they’re doing — that’s far from the truth. Companies that work to keep their employees happy and engaged actually outperform those with low engagement by 202%.
So rather than going back for another cup of coffee, consider what you could be doing to boost your employee’s productivity and engagement in the workplace. Keeping morale high is tricky. There are many factors that affect how happy your employees will be at work. While paying them competitively does help, keeping them engaged in the job they’re doing takes more than just paying them. Remember to give regular feedback and praise, while helping them grow as professionals. If an employee feels like they have unique opportunities, they’ll feel more invested in the work they do.
Helping your team feel more excited about work can be as simple as adding a few plants to boost productivity by 15%. However, keeping your team’s morale up requires that you continually invest in making sure their experience at work is the best it can be.
Keep reading for areas at work that will help keep boost morale in your office:
The Incentives
It’s no secret that money matters to employees. In fact, 44% of employees would leave their jobs for better pay. Competition for skilled workers has increased over the last few decades, so employees with valuable skills can usually command a fair market rate. This means that it’s important for you to pay competitively. This does not mean that this is the only thing that matters to your employees.
With advanced communication technologies making it easier to work remotely, many companies are offering work from home benefits that help the work-life balance of their teams. And 3 out of 4 workers are more productive from home. Offering this incentive is sure to attract and keep talent, all while saving you money.
The Culture
Nobody wants to spend most of their days at a stress-inducing thankless job. That’s why practicing gratitude and making employees feel appreciated, can actually result 87% less likely to leave their organization. In addition to feeling recognized, employees want opportunities to grow as a professional. And as a boss, you should want them to grow, too. Promoting from within can save your company tens of thousands of dollars. So implement a mentoring program to support your employees as they grow.
The Communication
Communication lines that are weighed down by out-of-date practices or endless email chains can greatly impact your team’s productivity and morale. 86% of executives say that ineffective communication is a big reason for failures in the workplace. Work to increase the overall efficiency of the communication in your office by eliminating unnecessary ones.
End meetings with attainable goals, as a surprising 46% of employees leave their meetings with no idea what they’re supposed to do next. Make an effort to reduce email chains by switching to a work communication platform or going a little less heavy on those CC’s.
And once works stops, stop emailing. If you’re still working, schedule your email for the next day, or send it in the morning. 26% of people feel pressured to respond to work emails outside of normal hours, leading to burnout and low morale.
The Environment
The details make a difference. Simply having access to some natural light with a window can make 54% of employees feel more committed to their role. A light, clean, organic feel can help reduce stress, decrease burnout, and ultimately improve morale.
At your employees’ workstations, provide the latest technology to signal to your employees you’re invested in them, and to help them be more productive. If you can swing it, providing two screens can help boost your employee’s productivity by 50%. Over time, the second screen will pay for itself.
The same goes for other little expenses. Providing office snacks may seem like a good way to throw profits away, but in actuality cuts down on energy slumps, increases productivity, and makes 57% of workers feel more appreciated.
The Management
You can have a tremendous positive impact on your employees. Whether you work with them directly or hire managers to handle the day to day assignments, great management teams can make all the difference. When bosses are too intense, micromanage, are quick to anger, or don’t clearly define the employee’s objectives, it can negatively impact everyone. Im fact 58% of employees say that poor management is their biggest obstacle to productivity.
So as a manager, it’s important to keep the employee in mind just as much as your business outcomes. Mind their workloads, and give feedback on a weekly basis to keep their attention focused on in the right places. Employees who feel like they don’t have enough time to complete their work are 68% less productive.
Take time to get to know your employees and their strengths. While not always possible, it’s important to find opportunities for your employees to work with their strengths to increase their engagement
Managing a team can feel like a balancing act — pitting the profits against the employee’s happiness. But this is a misconception. Often times the most successful companies are the ones with the happiest employees. It makes sense. We all do our best work when we feel like we’re appreciated, and have opportunities ahead of us. So no matter if your business is just starting out, or you’re a seasoned manager, take some time to focus on your employees, and you’ll be sure to see the positive impact on your business in a multitude of ways.
For more tips, check out these 29 data-driven ways to boost employee morale by Fundera:
Meredith is Editor-in-Chief at Fundera. Specializing in financial advice for small business owners, Meredith is a current and past contributor to Yahoo!, Amex OPEN Forum, Fox Business, SCORE, AllBusiness and more.