The morale of your staff has a direct impact on their productivity and the way they treat your customers. Taking steps to ensure employee satisfaction can have a significant influence on your ability to hire and retain good workers. Here are ten ways to improve employee morale at your small business.
New Equipment
Purchasing equipment or software that can make the job easier for your employees is a great way to boost morale as well as efficiency. It can be very frustrating trying to perform a task on an outdate piece of equipment. These are a necessary investment that will have a positive impact on employee satisfaction.
Funding Higher Education
Offer to fund a part or all of your staff’s college education is a great way to build loyalty and improve the skillset of your team. The risk here is that they’ll leave for greener pastures once they get their degree. In some cases, businesses will offer this perk to those looking to major in something related to their business.
Shares Of Your Business
Offering your employees a stake in your business not only provides them with a great financial perk, it can make them work harder to make your business successful. When an employee knows that the work they do has a personal impact, they are likely to go above and beyond. There is a lot of number crunching to be done before offering this, but it can be a great incentive.
Company Outings
If you’re looking for a big boost in morale, a company outing could be just the ticket. You’ll want to organize a trip that will be enjoyable for everyone. Posting a questionnaire to your employees with different choices is a good way to determine where to go. Since this trip is for your employees, you’ll want to make sure all expenses are paid. If you’re looking to take it a step further, allowing families to join is a great way to endear yourself to your employees. Company outings don’t always have to be big events. Taking your employees out for a nice lunch or dinner can be enough to lift their spirits. It’s also something you may be able to do more often than a large excursion.
Break Room Improvements
Something as simple as upgrading the vending machines in your break room can make a big difference in a work environment, having a variety of drinks and healthy snacks will ensure your employees stay energized and will not have to leave work to purchase these items. Some key items for a great break room include a microwave, toaster, coffee machine and a refrigerator. These are items that will allow your employees to save money on lunches and make them comfortable while on their breaks. Providing entertainment with a television and even table games is great way to enable your workers to take their mind off of work for a moment and relax. You’ll also want to include comfortable seating and plenty of table space for them to prepare meals.
Fitness Memberships
The health of your employees can impact your bottom line dramatically. Exercise is proven to release endorphins and can make for happier workers. Providing a membership to a fitness club is a great way to improve the health of your workforce. Not only will they be happier, you will also see a reduction in sick days and a boost in productivity. Gym memberships can be expensive on an individual basis, but as a company owner, you should be able to get a discounted group rate to offer your employees.
Random Tasty Treats
An inexpensive way to boost morale is to offer complimentary snacks on occasion. Having yourself and managers go around the work place offering pizza or root beer floats is sure to put a smile on your employee’s faces. Make sure you have alternatives for any employees that have allergies or are watching their diet.
Rewards for Performance
Reminding your employees that they are doing a good job is important. This can be done in a few different ways. You can have some friendly competition within the office for gift cards or other items. It can be something like who gets the best sales or who has the best customer service, you just adjust the goal to suit the kind of business you have. You could also implement a bonus program that is seasonal or maybe even a surprise to your employees. Things like a little extra cash in their check can make an employee feel like they are going in the right direction.
Improved Benefits and Time Off
Employees invest a lot of themselves to help your company become better. It is pertinent that you show the same investment in them. Having good health benefits and reasonable PTO can make employees really feel their time spend is worthwhile.
Motivational Seminars
Including your workforce in industry related workshops can help them to truly understand the direction that your business is heading in. These types of seminars also help employees feel more included in the company’s future. Another option might be paying for your employees to attend periodic, perhaps annual, motivation conferences. This may be a good way to get the year rolling.
