4 Ways to Boost Employee Morale and Motivate Staff

Look behind the scenes of any successful business, and you will probably find a team of loyal, hard-working, and eager staff. If you run your own company or department but feel that your staff need a bit of encouragement or they aren’t as driven as they perhaps could be – don’t worry. There are lots of things you can do to turn things around.

Here are 4 ways to boost employee morale and motivate staff.

Create a friendly and welcoming working environment

If your staff dread coming to work, then they are not likely to give their best during their working day, nor are they likely to be at all motivated. Are your staff able to get on with their work and have a bit of banter now and again with colleagues, or are you inclined to micro-manage or implement a no-talking policy? If it’s the latter, then you will never get the best out of your staff.

As long as the work is being done, don’t be afraid to allow your staff to let their hair down a little. The happier they are, the more motivated they are likely to become. Give them some leeway, and you might be surprised to see how productive things become.

Recognize their efforts

Commending staff can do wonders for morale and motivation. If someone has been doing a good job or working exceptionally hard – tell them! Make it know that you recognize their efforts and reward them where necessary. If they can see that their hard work is paying off and is noticed by their superiors, it will make them far more inclined to keep going.

Research also suggests that peer recognition builds morale and motivates staff, so it’s something else worth investigating. Positive feedback from coworkers not only builds camaraderie but does wonders for teambuilding too.

Do you have structured procedures?

Staff can become very frustrated if it’s not clear what is expected of them or if they are unsure how things are supposed to be done. Where possible, make sure that policies and procedures are organized and well structured. Staff will become less irritated and exasperated and are more likely to work as a team to reach a common end goal.

If your procedures do need tightening up, take a bit of time to go through them and put together a procedure manual to reduce any future dubiety.

Encourage socializing

Believe it or not, socializing outwith work can be hugely beneficial, so organizing a few drinks after work or an afternoon bowling, for example, could work in your favor.

Socialising gives employees the chance to get to know each other and you on a more personal level. It can result in far better communication between departments and make everyone way more motivated to help each other.

If you are after some inspiration, there are lots of ideas online, and many companies also host more formal team building events that can also be lots of fun.