How to Boost and Improve Employee Morale

The level of employee satisfaction directly affects how well your company is doing. To put it another way, if your employees are not motivated enough to get their jobs done then they are lacking productivity. Establishing a corporate culture that values employee morale is therefore advantageous for employers.

WHAT IS EMPLOYEE MORALE?

Employee morale refers to the overall psychological and emotional well-being of employees within an organization. It is a measure of how satisfied, engaged, and motivated employees feel in their work environment. High employee morale is characterized by positive attitudes, enthusiasm, and a sense of commitment toward their work and the organization.

HOW TO BOOST EMPLOYEE MORALE?

These positive and humorous suggestions might help you understand the meaning of employee morale.

1. EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

Who doesn’t like a little positive recognition? We shouldn't disregard the fact that employees are also people with feelings. Recognition helps employees to stimulate dopamine (a feel-good hormone) in the brain which makes them feel happy and improves their work productivity. We can further divide employee recognition into the following types of boosters:

• Employee of the Month: Many businesses create an "Employee of the Month" program because they understand the importance of employee morale. Everyone wants to stand out from the crowd and choosing a worker from your workforce that has exceeded exceptional performance will enhance their confidence and entice others to get acknowledged for their hard work as well.
• Build a Wow Wall: A wow wall creates a grand gesture for your employees. It will remind your workforce that they are making an impact on clients. Here you can pin up quarterly progress reports, positive customer feedback, photographs, positive affirmations, client testimonials, completed projects, etc. It will provide a quick confidence boost to your employees. Make sure it is visible to everyone on the team.

2. IN-OFFICE ACTIVITIES

Statistics show an average person spends one-third of their life at work. During this time, employees attend countless meetings, log hundreds of overtime hours, etc. Sometimes, professionals get drained following this monotonous routine. Therefore, to break this daily repetitive cycle, an encouraging and fun company culture is required. You can boost your employee’s morale by using some of these office event ideas:

• Begin a Club: It is never too late for anyone to show off their hidden talents or hobbies, which may be fading away in this monotonous wash, rinse, and repeat routine. Start a club in the office where your employees can share their hobbies, talents, and skills with their teammates. If they are talented performers, ask if they’d be willing to lead a dramatic club, or if they like music, ask them to arrange a music contest, or simply have a karaoke night at the office.

3. ACTIVITIES FOR TEAM BUILDING 

As the saying goes, "Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success." 

Employees work in proximity to one another and depend on each other to acquire the best possible results from their group efforts. Therefore, the group of individuals that are working as a team must have better communication so they can solve their work-related issues. Check out these fun exercises for establishing teams:

• Arrange a Game Night: Team building games are competitive activities that can bring your team closer and can be helpful to improve employee morale. The fun team games enhance the engagement of employees by increasing the chances for them to socialize, break away, and unwind from their daily routines. These activities may include, Bingo, department parties, office art projects, social media challenges, ice-breaker questions, team quizzes, or team charity drives. The main purpose of such activities is to give your employees hassle-free time to bond and connect, which will result in better communication and job retention.
• Plan a Company-Wide Retreat: Scheduling a staff retreat is an impactful exercise. Getting acquainted with your coworkers in a new setting helps them to engage in better work relationships. Treating your workforce to a yearly retreat may not only boost their morale but also provide them an opportunity to acquire new perspectives to enhance productivity.

4. HOLIDAY IDEAS

Why not share some seasons’ greetings? Let’s add some holiday cheer to your work calendar. Holidays are full of festivities, family traditions, and themed decorations. Consider your employees as your family and celebrate a little with them before sending them off for the holidays. Soon enough, they’ll be back to hundreds of unread emails. 

Here are some fun ideas to give your employees something to be cheerful for:  

• Host a Thanksgiving Lunch: As we said earlier, your employees are your work family, therefore, let’s thank them for being part of your team. Show them a little appreciation with a turkey on the table for lunch to celebrate the holiday. Moreover, at the farewell, give them a small bonus such as a gift card, a voucher, or simply some company swag.
• Arrange a Holiday-Themed Decoration Contest: Bring the holidays to work. Organize an office competition with a holiday theme to determine who has the finest artistic vision.  Let employees decorate their favorite corner of the office or their desk with the holiday around, such as if it's Halloween allows them to get the best of their spooky side to the office or let them hand-carve pumpkins, or if it's Christmas why not bring a Christmas-tree to the office and let them decorate it, etc.

5. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR REMOTE WORKERS

In the era of remote work, implementing effective employee engagement strategies has become paramount. One powerful tool that organizations are utilizing is surveys for employee satisfaction. These surveys provide a valuable opportunity to gauge the engagement levels and overall satisfaction of remote workers 

A third of those who work from home report experiencing occasional isolation or loneliness. Post-pandemic, working from home has become a normal practice. To keep your WFH employees engaged and encouraged, follow these morale-boosting activities to support them:

• Virtual Game Break: At present, there are hundreds of free, multiplayer game options online that can keep your WFH employees engaged. Arrange a fun game night for employees to play together online. You should be part of the fun, too.
• Virtual Birthday Parties: As WFH employees are also an essential part of your team, never forget them, especially on their special day. Mostly, we celebrate employee birthdays in person with a cake and card, but virtual birthdays are fun, too! You can send a cupcake to the birthday person by booking it online, or send them a thoughtful card or an email with a birthday wish. Why not make a birthday shout-out on tape? Both your employee and those around them will value it very much!

WRAPPING UP

Take action the moment you see low employee morale. The best thing you can do for your company and your team is to embrace changes that positively benefit all employees.