As an employer, you may have many things to juggle.
For one, you want to keep your business afloat. Second, you have to take care of your employee's well-being.
You also have to give your investors and clients peace of mind. That way, they can continue making transactions with you.
So how do you juggle between so many things?
It all boils down to ensuring your employees' productivity and you can do that by boosting their morale.
How Employee Morale Is Tied With Productivity
By definition, morale is the mental and emotional state of a person.
The thing with morale is that it can be contagious. Meaning, someone with low morale can hamper your entire team's spirit. And this can impact their productivity.
For one, low morale disengages your employees. It is a sign that their efforts will be for naught, so why work hard for it? Mind you, disengaged employees can cost you $550 billion annually due to lost productivity.
That said, you must keep employee morale high. Here are five ways you can do it:
Know the Signs of Burnout
The first step in boosting employee morale is to know the signs of burnout.
Burnout leads to a high level of anxiety, exhaustion, and extreme stress. And this can hinder your employees from being productive.
In case you are unaware, unproductive employees can hurt your business. However, it is more affordable to boost their morale than to hire new employees.
That said, it would do you good to keep an eye on signs of burnout. Doing so can help mitigate it from becoming a problem for your business.
Maintain Office Cleanliness
According to a 2015 study by CDC Foundation, absenteeism costs $225.8 billion per year. And that's because employees tend to file sick leave often.
Fortunately, you can keep the cost down by maintaining office cleanliness.
At Maid Sailors Commercial Cleaning Service New York, we know that cleanliness can prevent the spread of disease-causing germs. Thus, a clean working environment supports employee health. And a healthy office is a productive office.
How can you maintain office cleanliness?
You can start by establishing an office hygiene policy. Next is to hire the right people who can keep your office in its pristine condition. It can be in-house maintenance personnel or a professional office cleaner.
Find Time for Fun
As the saying goes, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
This explains why team-building activities help boost employee morale. That's because such activities let you reap the following benefits:
- Have a change of scenery
- Encourage collaboration
- Cultivate teamwork and camaraderie
Are you managing a remote team? Don't worry, as there are a plethora of virtual team-building activities that you can do.
Provide Positive Feedback
You may identify yourself as brutally frank, but it is less likely to boost employee morale. Instead, it would be best always to provide positive feedback.
To do that, here are some quick tips you should keep in mind:
- Be as specific as possible. Let your employees know why you are commending them and what it is about. That way, they will know what skills they should hone.
- Share how it impacts the company. Aside from letting your employees know that they are good at doing a particular task, explain how it affects the company. Doing so can make them feel that they are doing something significant.
- Make it timely. It would be best to praise your employee as soon as you see that they did something right. Waiting too long would make them feel that you do not appreciate them.
Create an Incentive Program
Another way to keep your employees motivated to work is to create an incentive program. And we are not just talking about gift cards or free movie tickets.
The incentive should be relevant to your expectations from your employees.
For instance, if your sales team can close a significant deal, consider promoting them. Another example would be profit-sharing, wherein you share a part of the company's revenue with your employees. After all, they are your business's backbone and why you are still in the industry.
How Employee Morale can Impact Your Business
It is vital to understand the link between employee morale and productivity. That because it can help your business reap the following benefits:
Boost in Teamwork
A high level of employee morale leads to job satisfaction. And when they are happy with work, it will be easier for them to work as a cohesive. This can lead to getting things done and achieving business goals on-time.
Better Employee Retention
Aside from a boost in teamwork, an employee who loves what he does is less likely to leave. This means high employee retention. And high retention means you get to save millions from hiring and orienting new employees.
Improved Office Relationships
As mentioned earlier, a high level of morale allows your employees to work as a cohesive. That's because satisfied employees are less likely to show negative behavior and animosity. As a result, they get to establish meaningful work relationships with their colleagues.
Less Absenteeism
Studies have shown that work-related stress can negatively affect our health. This includes increased risk of cardiac diseases, weakened immunity, anxiety, and depression. And when not dealt with, most employees can file for a leave of absence often.
Increase in Productivity
To sum it up, an employee with high morale will always be happy to work and get things done. And this can lead to increased productivity. Productivity translates to increased revenue and more clients.
Employee morale has something to do with how people feel about their work and your business. When they feel good about what they do and where they work, expect them to be productive.