5 Tips for Boosting Office Morale

A healthy work environment is a happy work environment, so follow these tips to boost morale in your office.

1) Make People Feel Valued

It’s important to show employees that you appreciate the work they do. While financial rewards and flashy incentives are often believed to provide motivation, some psychological studies have shown these external motivators can actually reduce creative output. Thus, rather than showering your workers with incentives, just show your appreciation daily with a smile and a few kind words, then give occasional rewards to those who have made significant achievements.

2) Encourage Social Interactions

Many causes of unhappiness in the workplace can simply be down to bad communication or a sense of isolation. Encourage social interaction between staff at lunch and at regular work events. Not only will this help in the development of new ideas, it will also help to build up trust within your organisation.

Communication between staff and their managers should be particularly encouraged, but if staff are unable to raise issues verbally then consider introducing an anonymous suggestion box.

3) Introduce Perks

Many of the biggest companies have large rewards packages that come with being a member of staff, so introducing a few perks into your business can be a good idea. Everything from free private medical insurance to extra holiday could be included.

It may seem difficult for a smaller company to compete with larger organisations, but by doing a little research into what your employees would like you may be able to reach a compromise. Try negotiating a discount with a local gym, reward loyal employees by allowing them to take extra holiday and hold regular work do’s. Employees will be less tempted to move elsewhere if they’ve already got a great compensation and benefits package where they are.

4) Liven Up the Work Environment

Dull and drab work environments are sure to lower everyone’s mood, so introduce colour and life to liven up the space. Rather than allowing employees to work under harsh artificial light, replace solid partitions with glass office partition systems and allow natural light to flood the space. Introduce a little more of the outside world by placing a few pot plants around.

You could also put up pictures or create colourful displays with all of your main projects. This would have the added benefit of keeping everyone in the loop. It’s also good to encourage employees to personalise their own spaces. If you have a spare room available then you could put in a few bean bags and create a brainstorming space, which will facilitate creativity and provide workers with a great alternative to sitting at their desks.

5) Provide Direction

If employees become confused about the direction they (or the company) are heading in, then morale can drop. Provide a clear career path for each employee and let them know what is required of them in their current role to increase the chance of them making it to the next rung in the ladder.

Hold regular meetings about new developments for the company and review how well existing processes are working. It’s always good to show employees that their opinions are valued, so encourage them to get involved too.

By following all of these tips your employees’ happiness should increase and so will their desire to be an integral part of your organisation.

Do you have any other tips for boosting morale in the office?