What are the crucial factors that determine a company’s success in 2021? Of course, you need a robust growth hacking and marketing strategy to help your business thrive. Also, you’ll have to develop a high-converting sales process to acquire and retain paying customers.
However, all your strategies and plans would be of no use in the absence of motivated and productive employees. You need an army of passionate and driven employees who believe in your product and share your vision for the company.
You want them to push their boundaries and do more than what their job requires to contribute to the overall growth of your company. Also, when your employees are passionate about their job, they’re less likely to quit.
They could even become loyal advocates of your brand, thus helping promote your business. They’ll go out of their way to get their work done and help you achieve your goals. That’s why entrepreneurs and business managers must develop a strategy for boosting employee morale.
This has become even more important considering the stress, fear, and uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If you want your business to sail through these turbulent times, you must focus on keeping your employees motivated.
In this blog, we’ve outlined a few simple techniques to help you boost employee morale and improve their performance. Let’s take a look.
1. Create the Right Work Environment
First things first – you need to create a work environment that’s conducive to teamwork and productivity. From hanging posters with motivational quotes on the walls to buying modern office furniture – there are various ways to create the perfect office environment.
The key is to use the work environment to showcase your company culture and values. To begin with, you should try tweaking the office layout so that employees can easily exchange ideas and collaborate with their coworkers. Instead of confining them to designated cubicles, use an open office layout to boost creativity and motivation.
Next, understand your employees’ preferences and create spaces where they can de-stress during a hectic workday. A mini yoga studio, dainty organic cafe, sleeping pod, games room – you can build a diverse array of spaces to help your employees relax.
Also, you could consider offering attractive perks to your employees. Even something as simple as gifting them branded sweatshirts or coffee mugs will go a long way to lift their spirits. Apart from these freebies, you can give them access to exclusive workshops and events.
2. Prioritize Communication
The most effective way of inspiring your employees is to facilitate continuous back and forth communication at the workplace. Start by ensuring that all team members working on a project have the right tools to communicate and coordinate with each other.
Also, you should allow employees to reach out to their supervisors and managers via multiple channels, including email, phone, and in-person meetings. It’s just as necessary to ensure that every employee receives timely feedback about their progress and performance.
This is also a good time to develop a mentorship program for onboarding new recruits. It’ll go a long way to encourage one-on-one communication at the workplace and help new employees open up about their apprehensions and challenges.
It’s worth mentioning here that communication is a two-way process. This means it’s equally important for the leadership to be transparent about company milestones and setbacks when addressing employees.
The last thing you want is your employees learning about a change in senior leadership from third-party sources. Make sure you share every important company update, whether good or bad, with your employees at the right time.
3. Acknowledge & Empower
The key to reinforcing employee morale is to make them feel they’re an indispensable part of your organization. This, in turn, involves recognizing individual employees for their professional achievements. Apart from offering incentives and promotions, you should publicly celebrate their success.
Likewise, it’s important to reassure your employees that you’re listening to them. Conduct one-on-one sessions with individual employees to understand how they’re feeling about their job and whether they’d like to change certain things. Allow them to make key decisions for their projects and seek their feedback while implementing new company policies.
Additionally, you should provide your employees with ample growth opportunities. Start by providing them with the right tools, resources, and training to perform their job. Also, encourage them to participate in relevant workshops, training programs, and other events to diversify their career.
Whether you’re running a small startup or a global corporation, the success of your company depends on your employees’ zeal and vigor. Make sure you create a company culture that lets each employee thrive and prosper in their career. Empower them with the right tools and knowledge and regularly communicate with them to understand the challenges they might be facing at their job.