Employee Morale

It seems you can’t turn on the television or radio this week without hearing about Steven Slater, the flight attendant who made an angry exit from his job. As an employer, the topic of employee morale comes to mind. The following are a few ways to ensure your talent doesn’t walk out the door, or emergency exit.

Feedback:

Don’t limit feedback to only letting employees know when there’s a problem. Be sure to let them know when they’ve done a good job.

Feedback should be reciprocal. Give employees the opportunity to provide feedback on how to improve the work environment or processes related to their job. This can be as easy as setting up a suggestion board or box.

Communication:

Open and continuous communication is important to ensure employees are informed about matters affecting them. Employees who understand how they contribute to the success of the organization are engaged and willing to put in a great deal of effort beyond what is normally expected to help the organization succeed. Communicating the vision of the future of the company and the plan to get there ensures ‘buy in’ from employees and has a positive effect on morale.

Physical Work Environment:

In addition to contributing to positive morale, the physical can also contribute to productivity and safety.

Aspects of the work environment that should be considered include:

- Lighting
- Plants
- Flowers
- Artwork
- Noise
- Distractions and interruptions
- Physical design and organization of the work area
- Social Responsibility

Employer supported volunteerism allow organizations to foster a more personal link to the community by sharing its employees. Employees who participate in giving back to the community feel good about themselves and feel good about the company they work for.

Improving morale is an ongoing process and part of a work culture. What does your organization do to ensure employees are proud to say you’re their employer?