Boosting Company Morale and Why It’s Important
No one wants to stay in a job they don’t enjoy. It’s difficult to work hard for a business you don’t connect with or believe in, let alone to put on the workwear every day. Unhappy workers will drag your company down. To be a successful leader, you need to understand how to improve employee morale and job satisfaction levels.
Engaged Employees Are the Key
There’s less resistance in choosing to go the extra mile when you care about what and who you’re working with. Employees work harder when they truly feel like they have a meaningful place in their team and that others are relying on them. Employees who feel connected to their team are more likely to take on extra tasks and be a more positive influence on the workplace as a whole.
The more engaged workforce is, the more they will benefit your organization:
- The top 25 percent of engaged workers are 17 percent more productive.
- Workplace safety incidents drop by 70 percent.
- Absenteeism drops by an incredible 41 percent.
- Customers give engaged employees 10 percent better ratings.
Best of all, engaged workers are 21 percent more profitable to your business when compared to those in the bottom 25 percent.
Putting the numbers aside for a moment, let’s look at another practical benefit.
Engaging your employees cuts down your turnover rate significantly. That translates into less onboarding expenses and more workplace stability. These trends have less to do with a worker’s paycheck amount and more to do with how satisfied they are with their job.
Employers must understand the true power in the company will be less in their hands going forward. A happy workforce is a productive one, and the most successful companies fundamentally know this.
How to Improve Engagement
Now that you understand the benefits of having an engaged workforce, you may find yourself wondering how exactly you achieve increased levels of engagement. The specifics of how you choose to get your employees to participate in your culture is up to you; every business is a little bit different.
Levels of engagement depend upon the results you are seeking to achieve, the resources you have available, and what works for your specific business model.
Here are a few universal engagement strategies:
- Utilize technology and intranets to encourage socialization.
- Don’t micromanage your employees; value their input.
- Demonstrate trust unless a reason to restrict trust occurs.
- Give workers a chance to prove themselves when they falter.
- Always show your gratitude for their hard work, no matter what.
- Boost morale by offering more flexibility in work tasks or hours.
Above all else, consider how you can improve the lives of your employees with simple changes. Just an option to spend a little more time relaxing every Friday might be enough to improve engagement for one business. Conversely, creative industries tend to benefit from improvements to decentralization and collaboration instead.
Employees Work Harder for Leadership They Respect and Understand
Workers will only do the bare minimum to keep their job (or less) when they don’t have a sense of solidarity with their managers. It’s management’s responsibility to instill a sense of unification among the entire workplace.
One way to do this is to keep your workforce on the same page at all times regarding the company’s vision and short-term goals. Employees have an easier time accomplishing their tasks if they understand what they’re working toward.
Also, don’t underestimate the importance of having good relationships with your workforce. Everyone’s leadership style is a little different, but you’re doing something right if your employees are engaged.
Your company has more to gain by going the extra mile to engage your employees than it has to lose. One of the best ways to unify a team is to wear uniforms that showcase loyalty and dedication. You can order a new set of high-quality, professional work clothes from Prudential Overall Supply today.