Team morale can play an integral role in productivity, particularly in an age where a growing number of employees value work-life balance and wellbeing more than salary. If you run a business, it’s always beneficial to be proactive in looking after your employees and encouraging cohesion and collaboration. In this guide, we’ll discuss some brilliant ways you can boost team morale.
By Team Savant
Image: Brooke Cagle
Supporting And Encouraging Career Progression
According to a survey by LinkedIn, over 90% of employees would stay at a company if their employer supported progression and actively invested in their careers. Encouraging development and offering opportunities is mutually beneficial for employers and employees. Employers can increase retention rates and benefit from a more skilled workforce while employees can develop new skills and improve their career prospects and chances of climbing the ladder. As an employer, you can facilitate development by providing training and access to courses and workshops and recruiting internally. It’s helpful to spend time talking to your employees about their individual goals and targets so that you can tailor your approach.
Health And Safety
Health and safety should be a priority for every employer. Employees should feel safe in the workplace regardless of the job they do. As the boss, it’s your responsibility to promote and champion health and safety and to protect your team. From buying an electric hoist to prevent injuries in a warehouse or manufacturing plant to providing safety equipment on a construction site and carrying out regular risk assessments in an office, it’s crucial to minimize the risk of injuries and accidents. Pay attention to guidelines, make sure your business is fully compliant, and listen to your employees if they report problems or raise concerns.
Communication
Communication is key when establishing strong relationships with employees and encouraging them to fulfil their potential and take satisfaction from their role. As an employer, it’s hugely beneficial to encourage open communication and to create a culture that enables everyone to share ideas, thoughts, concerns or suggestions. Take time to speak to employees one-on-one, arrange regular team meetings and make sure your door is always open.
Achieving A Healthy Work-Life Balance
A healthy work-life balance is one of the most sought-after perks for employees and job hunters, particularly among millennials. There are several ways employers can encourage a better balance, including establishing core hours, providing flexible working options, injecting an element of fun into the working week and championing socialisation outside of working hours.
Rewarding Effort And Achievement
We all like to be praised now and again. If you feel like your efforts go unnoticed or you never get a thank you for working overtime to meet deadlines or help out in a crisis, it’s natural to be hurt, upset or frustrated. Employees who feel overlooked may be tempted to look elsewhere. If you are an employer, it’s essential to reward and recognize hard work and achievement. Rewarding employees can help to improve wellbeing, boost productivity and increase retention rates.
Employees who are happy at work are likely to work harder and be more willing to stay loyal to the business. As an employer, it’s beneficial to try and take steps to enhance and boost team morale. From ensuring employees feel safe at work and championing progression to rewarding efforts and prioritising a healthy work-life balance, there are several ways to take care of your team.