Employee Engagement: 7 Ways to Boost Morale

November 16, 2014 Employee Performance and Coaching, Employee Relations, Management & Leadership, Teams and Organizations

A happy employee is a productive employee. A happy team is a productive team. This may be a simple way to describe how an organization benefits from employee engagement, but creating job satisfaction for one’s staff can frustrate even the most experienced of managers. And yet, employee engagement can be the difference maker between seeing your business flourish, and watching only disappointing results trickle in. Additionally, a disengaged staff can lead to retention issues, affect your recruiting efforts, and simply weigh down your entire enterprise with poor performance. It is for these reasons that managers at every level of an organization must find ways to build an engaged workforce. I am going to describe seven easy tips for boosting morale in your business.

What Makes a Work Environment Engaging?

Before we can talk about building engagement, we need to know what it is we are trying to achieve. In an ideal world, managers would let employees show up when they want, do whatever they want, and get paid as much as they want. But of course, that’s not the world we live in. So, how else can we create job satisfaction and build workforce engagement?

There are many views of what makes for an engaging work environment, but I’ll offer up my own definition. An engaging work environment is:

What Makes an Engaged Workforce?
A workplace in which employees feel their work is important and valued by others.
An environment where the work is interesting and stimulating.
A place in which employees are given opportunities to learn and grow at will.
A workplace in which people want to do their best because they feel part of something good.
An environment which allows employees to balance their paid jobs with their jobs at home.
A place where employees and teams share trust and mutual respect for one another.

Such a description may conjure up images of just a handful of companies like Google, Apple and Southwest Airlines. But fostering an environment where all of these things coexist is completely possible for any organization.

However, we cannot ignore the challenges. Managers and employees are always busy and taking precious minutes away from the next email can seem like a crime. In addition, we are always battling resource gaps, which can make it even harder to create that optimal work environment. And season tickets to the local sports team are always the first thing to go when budgets need to be trimmed.

Despite all this, I am here to tell you that there are ways that managers can overcome these challenges that do not require they blow through their budgets. While some of these tips are entirely free and can be used at a manager’s discretion, some do cost a little bit of money. But do not look at these as expenses. See them as investments. These are investment into your team’s morale, which in turn will pay dividends in the form of fantastic results.

1. Shower with Praise

During your regular department meetings, take a few minutes at the beginning of the discussion to recognize people individually in front of the rest of the team for some recent contributions. Public praise for a job well done is one of the most powerful ways a manager can make employees feel valued. Just be sure to keep a record of who you acknowledged so you can make sure to give each employee a shout out over time, and not consistently recognize your high performers. Everyone on your team is recognition-worthy in some way.

The Impact: Not everyone likes the spot light, but a brief high-five from the boss from time to time in front of peers is a great morale booster. Further, it helps you as the manager reinforce (and broadcast) the behavior you seek from your team. If you really liked how Suzie stayed late on a Friday to make sure the report was issued on time, state that. Tell people in your recognition of Suzie that it was her dedication and hard work to meet a deadline that earned her your appreciation. Did a customer compliment the technician that came to fix their air conditioning unit? Customer compliments are especially good morale boosters.

2. Bring in Breakfast

Schedule your monthly department meetings around 9AM to ensure all employees have reached the office and have had time to settle in. Further, schedule them on Fridays, when people are typically going to be in a good mood. Bring in breakfast – coffee and bagels – to let them snack as you run through your agenda.

Each month, when my employees walk into the board room they are always eager to see what refreshments are there for that particular meeting. Between fresh pastries, fruit, and coffee, you typically spend less than $100.

The Impact: Food is a great way to brighten your employees’ day. It’s a simple gesture to give a treat to them to thank them for their hard work. For my team, the few minutes of social time I afford them before we get into the agenda is a great way to take the edge off the normal workplace grind. It’s also a quick and easy way to show your employees you care and are willing spend a little money on them.

3. A Spontaneous Lunch

Periodically, take a small group of employees out to lunch. Maybe you just take one employee, other times you might want to invite a group of 4 or 5 for an informal discussion. Whether they are planned a day or two in advance or just spontaneously on your way out the door, a simple lunch meal with your employees can afford you some much-needed time to talk to your staff without the distractions of phone calls and emails. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself this: How easy is it for you to give an employee 5 minutes of your undivided attention if they stop you in the hallway? Everyone needs to eat lunch.

The Impact: Again, food is a great way to give employees a simple perk. More importantly, it gives managers time with their employees away from the office, where they are naturally more relaxed and willing to talk about issues or bring up any concerns without others present. From an employee’s perspective, it gives them a chance to socialize and get face-time with the boss.

4. Hold a Team Dinner and Social Outing

A team dinner and social outing is an excellent way to get the team out of the office to recognize and reward employees for their contributions. In my case, I usually have one or two dinners a year, typically after a major project was completed, or just as a general thank you for the team’s dedication and continued efforts.

The Impact: Still with the food theme (I know), a team dinner at a place such as Dave and Busters or some place where the team can socialize and interact openly builds camaraderie. It also serves as a great way encourage people to spend time with one another outside the pressures of the office. Remember: your employees spend at least 40 hours a week together, so it’s important that they have strong relationships – or can at least tolerate one another. For these events, inviting spouses and providing for some recreation creates a sense of unity, family and leave the team members with great memories.

5. Send Employees to Training

Every year when you plan your budget, put in $3,000 for each employee to attend a seminar or training class. Don’t make training classes mandatory (although you should highly encourage it) because some employees may not want to take one. However, should an employee expresses interest in taking a class or attending a conference to help develop their skills, you want to be in a position to simply say ‘No problem.’

The Impact: Keep in mind that careers evolve over time. A key element of employee engagement stems from the fact that most people want their careers to be fulfilling. They want opportunities to learn and to develop their skills. And… today’s employees want a workplace and a boss that will encourage and support their professional development interests. Publicizing your support for skill development is also an excellent way to attract new talent and to retain your current employees. Why would they go anywhere else if they can gain the skills they seek right where they are?

6. Friday Afternoon Recognition Reminder

We are all guilty of inconsistency when it comes to recognition. Someone did something great, but you’re tied up in a meeting. When you get back to your desk, you’re onto the next thing and forget to respond to that email or swing by that person’s desk to say thank you.

To help carve out a few minutes, set a Friday afternoon reminder on your calendar to spend a few minutes reflecting on the week and use the time to recognize performance of your staff. If you wait until Monday, you’ll be too focused on the week ahead. Perhaps it’s a simple email as a ‘thank you,’ or maybe an old-fashioned hand written note. Some companies have reward programs for cash awards or points that can be used in exchange for merchandise. Regardless of how you express appreciation and support for your employees, finding a time slot to do this every week will make you more consistent with recognition.

The Impact: Let’s face it, we’re all busy – managers, employees, peers, etc. When an employee has a great success or achieves a major milestone and it goes unnoticed by the boss, it can be disheartening. A phrase I often hear from clients is ‘I work very hard, but don’t feel that my work or efforts are recognized by management.’ Your employees work hard, too.

Improving the consistency with which you recognize employees ensures that the little things are given praise each week. When employees feel their work is valued and appreciated, it will boost morale and encourage employee retention.

7. Offer Flexible Work Hours

It’s not 1957 anymore. In most offices these days, there is no firm 9AM to 5PM policy as there once was (unless of course you have specific shift times). Unless your company or organization has a specific policy for working hours, be flexible. Even if you like to be in your office by 6AM to beat rush hour, don’t demand your employees do the same. Some employees may want to come in early and leave a little early to spend time with kids before they go to bed. Other people may want to come in a little later and work later so they can go straight to the gym in the evening on their way home.

Instead of strict working hours, you can build morale and engagement among your staff by offering flexible working hours and affording them some convenience. To do this, set up ‘core’ hours. In my office, I require employees to be in by 9AM and to be there until 3PM, but if they want to come in early or stay later, they are welcome to do so. They are there between those hours to ensure our customers can reach them and I know when I can find them, but beyond that, it’s up to them.

You can also consider an 9-80 schedule, in which employees get every other Friday off, but must work an extra hour Monday through Thursday.

The Impact: Every employee has their own life and lifestyle, and convenience is a massive morale booster. Perhaps someone needs to drop a child off at day care, or wants to be home when the kids get home from school. Either way, in today’s work environment people value employers who give the employee latitude and flexibility.

Boosting Employee Engagement

A lot of clients I work with talk about employee engagement like it is a mythical thing that only exists on paper. But this could not be farther from the truth. It doesn’t take much to create a workplace that makes people want to be there. Employee engagement starts with recognition. Show your employees they are valued and that their efforts are recognized and you will be amazed at what happens next.

How do you build morale and engagement where you work? We’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment and share!