5 Important Tips to Increase Employees’ Morale

Happy employees make better employees. It’s important to take the pulse of your company and its employees from time to time. High morale can go a long way toward improving work quality and efficiency. Check out these tips from Mercedes-Benz of Annapolis for keeping your employees happy (and your profits high).

The Little Things

Liberal use of the words "thank you" and "good job" are simple ways to make employees feel appreciated. Sincere praise, public and private, puts the spotlight on both good employees and desired results. Be sure to point out specific behaviors or results when giving praise. Take a genuine interest in your employees’ lives. Call them by name. Recognize important events with a card or a personal visit. An occasional "attaboy" will have little effect, however, if employees are not treated with respect. Losing your temper, swearing, or chewing out an employee in public will undo much of the good work you do to increase morale.

Training

Make sure your employees have access to the training they need to succeed on the job. There’s no sense in getting the newest technology if nobody knows how to use it. Employees see a lack of training as a sign of incompetence and neglect. Send employees to conferences, classes, and off-site training, if appropriate. Not only will it show them your willingness to invest in them, it also plays to your benefit because well-trained employees give you an edge over the competition.

Mingling

It’s important to provide opportunities for employees to mingle with each other when not working. (Note: This does not include the weekly meeting where everyone is stressed out because they have piles of work to do but aren’t doing it because they’re in a meeting.) Throw parties. Celebrate birthdays, holidays, or company milestones. Get together for lunch or after work on a Friday at a local eating and drinking establishment. Be creative. Organize a community service project. Not only will your employees be helping the community, they’ll gain valuable team building and organizing experience.

Honesty

Your company policy should support honesty, not just with customers but with employees. This especially holds true in a climate of economic uncertainty. Give honest job evaluations. If you don’t think a specific employee is performing to expectations, tell him and give suggestions for improvement. Allow your employees to be honest with you. They see things that you might not. Allow them to express concerns and suggestions for improvement. Be careful when addressing potential layoffs or cutbacks. You need to be upfront, but not to the point where it drags down worker morale and productivity.

Positivity

Increasing employee morale begins with the person in charge. Be positive when dealing with employees or customers. Never complain in front of an employee. Smile. Don’t get dragged into workplace gossip. Take constructive criticism with pleasure. Be a leader.