10 Strategies for Boosting Staff Morale

Posted on July 24, 2017

10 Strategies for Boosting Staff Morale

Low morale can be a serious problem for your business. Unhappy employees make unmotivated, unproductive team members. Worse yet, low morale can be infectious, spreading from worker to worker until the whole office is affected. If you’ve noticed your staff seems less energetic than usual, it might be time to give them something to get excited about.

There are hundreds of ways you can boost staff morale, but we’ve collected ten of our favorites below. Some require a significant investment; others take only your time. Some are tried and true strategies, while others take a more creative approach. See how many you can use to kickstart your team.

10 Ways to Boost Employee’s Morale

  1. Encourage your workers to do work that excites them. Let workers spend a set number of hours every week on a work-related project or proposal that they’re passionate about.
  2. Very few workplaces celebrate employees’ day-of-hire or workiversaries, but more than 8 in 10 workers say they’d appreciate them. Unsure how to celebrate? Ask your workers and find out what they’d like best.
  3. A surprise, company-wide bonus can be one of the more expensive ways to boost morale, but it’s a near-surefire way to improve the mood in your office. According to one Harvard study, workers are so much more productive after a bonus that the cost-to-benefit ratio is typically equivalent to hiring an extra employee.
  4. Contact local businesses that your employees love and try to create a special discount program for your company. Workers will love the exclusivity, while local businesses will appreciate the repeat business.
  5. Does one employee have a track record of demeaning, insulting, or picking fights with others? While it can be a difficult decision, letting bullies go can allow other workers to breathe and feel comfortable at work again.
  6. Give your workforce a chance to give back to the community. Offer workers a paid day or half-day each month where they can volunteer with an organization they care about.
  7. Reflect on your personal management style. Are you too harsh when giving criticism? Do you show workers they’re appreciated? Consider whether small personal changes could help.
  8. Take a more democratic approach when possible. If you’re making changes to the office, consult your employees on what would make their jobs easier. If you’re holding an event, let workers submit ideas secretly, then have them vote on the one they like best.
  9. Keep an ear out for the small complaints staff members make. While some of these complaints can seem trivial, they’re the things your workers care about and fixing them shows you care too.
  10. Sometimes, morale problems are tied to an unhealthy workplace. Issues like air quality, unclean bathrooms, and poor worker health can have a serious impact on morale. If areas in your workplace are noticeably unhygienic or workers seem to be sick more often than usual, consider making adjustments to your workplace cleaning services.