Employee morale in the workplace is a major driver and backbone of the success of any organization. It refers to the physical/emotional well-being and job satisfaction that an employee experiences at his/her workplace. Moreover, it is reflected in their performance, outlook and approach to managing tasks.
High employee morale leads to increased productivity, motivation, efficiency and engagement at work. Rather, low morale results in disengaged employees, which is a reflection of low productivity, unplanned/prolonged absenteeism, high staff turnover, etc. It also compromises project quality leading to customer dissatisfaction and reduced profitability.
As a result, it is critical for managers to address issues of low employee morale and implement deliberate steps to encourage the same.
This blog highlights several ways organizations can improve employee morale and maintain a healthy work environment. But first, let’s look at the negative effects of low employee morale.
1. How can low employee morale negatively affect a company?
The success of an organization largely depends on its employees. However, workflow is disrupted when resources are underutilized, hindering their professional growth. In addition, lack of empowerment, poor communication and inflexible working conditions also contribute to low employee morale. It leads to withdrawal from work, avoiding participation and interaction with peers, and taking frequent unplanned days off.
As a result, the performance of employees decreases, and with it their productivity, which leads to turnover. When organizations fail to address these issues in a timely manner, it negatively impacts business goals, reduces efficiency and hinders on-time project delivery. Moreover, even if they manage to deliver projects on time, the quality is far from acceptable, leading to the loss of customer recurring deals.
Let’s talk about the action points for organizations to fight low employee morale in their workplace.
2. 7 Effective Ways to Improve Employee Morale in the Workplace
Spotting low employee morale is not enough. Organizations also have to work with it. Below are some strategic solutions that organizations can implement to solve the problem.
2.1 Assign work based on skills and interests
When employees are assigned work that is beyond their expertise, they come under pressure and work stress arises. Furthermore, it disconnects them and lowers their morale. Therefore, it is important that managers allocate work based on the qualifications, skills and experience of the employees.
Managers can also encourage employees to select projects or tasks that interest them. This will increase their motivation to work and achieve high performance. In addition, the freedom to choose work will make employees feel trusted by their managers, increasing retention and improving their morale.
2.2 Provide cross-departmental opportunities
Employees who work on the same task or project for a long time and with the same team are bored because the work becomes monotonous. This can reduce their engagement and lower overall morale. Therefore, managers can provide cross-departmental opportunities to increase engagement, improve productivity and diversify their skills.
In addition, when employees are exposed to different types of projects, it helps them hone multiple skills and grow professionally. This also promotes creativity and knowledge sharing and improves their morale.
2.3 Give autonomy and avoid micromanagement
Micromanagement stifles creativity and trust, leading to low morale among employees in the workplace†It can also lead to work stress, increased absenteeism, reduced motivation and unplanned turnover. Micromanagers scrutinize every step their employee takes and criticize them if it isn’t according to them, resulting in poor workplace relationships.
Therefore, managers must give autonomy so that employees can work in a way that suits them best. It enables employees to creativity and a new perspective in making decisions on their own terms. In addition, it will further stimulate employees’ attitudes towards work.
2.4 Implement an open door policy for communication
Employees feel disengaged and demotivated when there are communication gaps in the organization. As a result, they do not freely express their ideas, do not ask questions and do not communicate with their seniors. Therefore, an open door policy within a company is essential to measure and maintain employee morale.
Open communication promotes a welcoming work culture that enables managers to encourage healthy discussion and provide constructive feedback. Furthermore, it will restore trust and strengthen employees’ relationships with their colleagues and management.
2.5 Conduct training and further education programs according to IDP
When the workplace stagnates, employee morale can decline. This also leads to low-quality work that does not satisfy customers and stakeholders, reducing profits. For example, companies can provide professional development opportunities, according to individual development plans or IDPs, and conduct training and retraining programs for their employees.
It can enable employees to hone new skills in line with the changing demands of the markets. Furthermore, training and upskilling programs will also help organizations deliver quality projects and gain a competitive advantage.
2.6 Reward and recognize employees regularly
When organizations don’t value employees’ contribution and efforts, their morale plummets. This will also lead to low productivity, high turnover, etc. Therefore, managers should give their employees enough credit and celebrate their achievements from time to time.
While they aren’t always monetary, they can offer non-cash rewards such as access to a course, a thank you note, a ticket to their favorite team’s football game, and shout out on the company’s social media. This will enhance a positive work culture and boost employee morale. As a result, employees will put in extra effort and achieve better results in the future.
2.7 Provide recreational activities for employees
Employees spend long hours brainstorming, researching and attending meetings with customers. As a result, they have hectic schedules and stressful hours. Unfortunately, it can lead to physical and mental health problems that reduce their ability to perform at their best and lower employee morale.
Therefore, organizations can organize recreational activities, games and events that employees can regularly participate in and have fun with. It will help employees build stronger bonds with their colleagues, release work stress and take a break from their sedentary lifestyle. In addition, such activities will help improve their morale, allowing them to perform the tasks better.
The following section explains how resource management software can help boost employee morale in the workplace. Let’s see,
3. How can a Resource Management Tool help?
savior Resource management software enables organizations to maximize the potential of their workforce. For starters, it offers 360-degree visibility and advanced filters that help managers allocate the most appropriate resources to the right projects that match their skills. This eliminates cases of under-/over-allotment.
In addition, the utilization reports and heatmaps help to make optimal use of employees. It also allows you to avoid overutilization and eliminate employee burnout.
The tool also enables managers to publish open vacancies stating specific details such as skills, qualifications, experience, etc. It gives employees the freedom to choose work that has their interest and expertise, which increases the commitment and morale of the promotes employees.
Conclusion
Employees are the engine behind an organization. Therefore, managers must remain alert to the signs of low morale in their workplace. They can implement the aforementioned strategies and combine them with a robust resource management tool to improve employee performance and increase overall profitability.
So, how do you maintain employee morale in the workplace?
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