Employee morale doesn’t simply translate into how happy your people are;
- It’s a direct reflection of how healthy your company culture is
- How well do you and other leaders communicate with teams
- And how effective your managers are.
High morale only occurs when employees feel taken care of by their company. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that positive work cultures are more productive than those that aren’t. And while there are many benefits of remote work, some remote workers report feeling less satisfied with their sense of belonging. After all, it’s the social connection and bonds between colleagues that are foundational to all organizations’ success.
Moreover, people who feel a sense of connection to their work, teammates, partners and organization don’t just show up for their 9–5. Instead, they look forward to the opportunity, are resilient in the face of challenges and exceed goals faster. And these days, it’s easier than ever to gauge the culture at a potential workplace, with sites like Glassdoor allowing employees from all levels and departments to rate a workplace’s culture.
This article will first highlight the importance of positive employee morale and explore the relationship between employee morale and productivity. Then it will identify its causes, and lastly, ways to boost employee morale will be explored.
The estimated read time is 6-8 minutes.
What is Employee Morale
Employee morale is the outlook, satisfaction, attitude, and confidence that team members have at work. It reflects how healthy the company culture is, how well employees are supported, and how engaged employees are. Ultimately, it reveals the workplace mood!
Moreover, while employers can’t give employees positive morale, they are potent contributors to employee morale. When team members feel taken care of and supported by their company, it fosters intrinsic motivation and creates a space that allows them to perform at their best.
Impact of Positive Employee Morale
With sites like Glassdoor being an important source of information for candidates looking to potentially join your businesses and a popular destination for disgruntled current (or former) employees, nurturing your staff morale is a strategic move.
- Positive employee morale leads to increased productivity and efficiency in the workplace and, as studies have shown, produces higher quality work.
- Staff morale can keep a company afloat: you might have to rely on your staff to help it pull through if your company hits hard times.
- Solid company morale will lead you to attract and retain top talent, reducing staff turnover.
- Positive employee morale helps reduce your business costs. For example, high employee morale helps reduce workplace accidents, leading to fewer absences and relieves lower workplace stress, leading to less paid time off.
Team Morale and Productivity
The bridge that connects employee morale and productivity is meaningful work. Unfortunately, staff morale slowly declines in the absence of meaningful work, and toxic behaviours surface.
Furthermore, employees who report having an above-average workplace meaning tend to stay where they are.
Increasingly, employees choose to work for companies that align with their values, offer supportive and healthy workplace cultures, and provide meaningful work.
When these elements are present, employees are more productive and stay with the company longer — regardless of the company’s prestige.
With this in mind, it’s essential for managers to:
- Monitor the level of morale in the workplace regularly.
- Address problems promptly and effectively.
- Nurture relationships with their staff.
- Create a psychologically safe work environment.
- Understand what employees classify as meaningful.
- Provide meaningful work based on employees’ needs and goals.
Causes of Low Employee Morale
AlthoughteEmployee morale is complex, what matters to one team member might not impact another. But some core factors can bring morale down across the board:
- Workplace Burnout
- Poor leadership
- Lack of growth opportunities.
Ways to Boost Employee Morale
- Prioritize employee recognition
- Promote work-life balance among employees
- Train your managers to become better coaches
- Give employees a voice
- Build trust by empowering your employees
- Support health and wellness
- Live your culture and values
- Emphasize communication and connection
- Don’t ignore the power of small gestures
Boosting Team Morale Is An Ongoing Effort
Employee morale is a crucial measure of an organization’s health and needs to be constantly measured and tended to throughout life. Therefore, leaders must regularly use employee satisfaction surveys to measure mood for continued insight into employees’ feelings. Furthermore, creating a healthy and positive culture goes beyond free merch or a booming social calendar. Ultimately, morale is cultivated by the big stuff (like policies, career growth, learning and development) and the small stuff (like social events, regular recognition and swag).
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