Global economy, with changing trends, forces their demands on employers, as they are being challenged, almost always, to maintain profitability, productivity and keeping their workforce satisfied.
To stay competitive, it’s essential for the managers and the supervisors to keep their workforce engaged by utilizing the skills and talents of people to the maximum and create opportunities.
Job satisfaction is an important criteria for motivation, good productivity and high retention rates.
How to Improve Employee Morale?
Let’s recap on some of the points that are important for improvement on the morale and hence the job satisfaction.
1. Working conditions:
An employee is happy to come to his workplace which is neatly organized and is provided with proper basic amenities.
Besides the physical environment, levels of noise and stress, safety features, dangerous condition area, provision of proper resources for work etc.
Also, factors like flexible work schedules, working from home are considered to be part of working conditions.
Some work places do provide kids crèche as well!! Hence, working conditions plays a vital role.
2. Proper support:
Employees who are handling customers on daily basis are the front line of the organization or the brand masters of the company.
They are exposed to ill treatment by the customers or clients on everyday basis. To show support to these brand masters, it is essential to help out talking to the customers and clarifying their query.
This will show support to the employees and make them feel they are doing well. Managers must be ready to handle employees’ grievances.
3. Job enlargement:
A job may seem monotonous after a few years and employee would seem dull and unhappy.
To make the same job challenging, it is wise to add job tasks and responsibilities. This additional work tasks would require the skill set to implement new methods.
Doing so, the management is well aware about the additional tasks being assigned and observe that he/she can accomplish more.
They allow for improvement in the skill and create more opportunity for advancement. Such a change in the work tasks helps to boost the morale and thus job satisfaction.
4. Freedom to workers:
Freedom to operate their work assignments allows them to carry out the work in their own method and using their skill set.
For instance a job has to first observed taking measurements, written down and then entered immediately in the system.
But the employee would prefer doing the entry at the end of the shift to save him of unnecessary wastage of time. It’s better to allow them to manage their work time as long as the work is done accurately.
For most work assignments training is provided but having freedom to do in their style helps to get better results.
5. Behaviour of authorities:
Having to deal with a manager or supervisor who is always rude, will surely cause a low productivity in that area.
Even body language, eye looks, bad language, etc. can also cause low productivity. So behavior of authorities has a serious impact on the morale of the employee.
Such managers or supervisors are needed to be counselled or trained how to handle their team members. Higher authorities who have a stern behaviour tend to lose their talented.
6. Participation in decision making:
Allowing employees to participate in decision making either in day to day or major work assignments will bring trust with the management.
Decision making is to be gathered during regular internal meetings. The data for the making decisions has to be gathered prior and displayed for them to understand.
Their involvement and participation causes them to be more responsible as they have made the decision, wherein sometimes it concerns their future as well.
7. Counselling of employees:
Counselling is nothing more than motivation. There could be circumstances where the employee would feel dejected or frustrated.
Such employees will show less interest towards their work or make errors or would be having more absenteeism.
The manager who observes such behaviours need to coach them or motivate them. Sometimes a person to person talk with the concerned employee will help him to speak out his/her worries.
Even taking them out for cup of coffee will help them to speak out their concerns. So keep motivating your workers!
8. Promotion policy:
You would have seen that some companies have a set of HR policies which includes promotion after certain period of time or duration.
Included with the promotion is the increase in the benefits. It depends on the performance as well. This fixed pattern for giving promotion for employees will help to improve the morale.
All workers always look forward to having a promotion within certain period of time. So if your company does not have then try to adopt a scheme to make it applicable.
9. Proper incentive schemes:
All work related assignments that are usually accompanied with an incentive, gives happiness to the employee at the end of the month.
Providing incentives are like boosters to the morale. Incentives are mostly in the form of cash or prizes. The employee gets content with his assignments and gives a fulfillment to his career.
In other words it stands for job satisfaction. Hence, it’s appropriate to highlight and initiate incentive schemes that will fit the culture of the company and trend of the market. By doing so, it will impact the retention rate.
10. Opportunity for advancement:
Don’t allow your workers to stagnate in their career. There must be plans or schemes where the employee has chance for his /her betterment.
If you find an employee working as quality controller who has good computer skills then help him/her to get additional skill in it for getting promotion.
Opportunity can be created by the management to allow the employees to pick their path and hence their advancement in life. Companies who provide opportunities are where retention rate is better.
11. Job security:
It is always advisable for the management to provide job security to the employees working. There are various ways to give job security but schemes that focus on pension policies are better as it helps them to save for their future.
Some companies collaborate with insurance agents to provide health and life protection to them. This shows that they care for their welfare as well.
12. Salary/wages:
Salary is always the important criteria for getting into a job that all the employees look forward to. Any employee look forward to get their pay check at the end of the month.
Many companies make a commitment that the salaries are paid within a certain date. This commitment makes the employees trust the management.
Trust is the main reason for retention and hence forth the satisfaction. Those that have erratic dates will make the employees lose confidence and hence lose trust.
It’s widely seen that many working there make efforts to move on to another firm.
13. Treating with respect:
Employees, whether working at pantry or cleaning the shop floor or manager in the department, needs to be given due respect.
Being courteous makes a significant impact on the morale. Companies who treat their employees well are found to have better productivity.
If a Manager makes an effort to greet his subordinates and share a few words once in a day, then Manager is sure to see the extent of progress it generates.
Even saying a “thank you” to a tea boy will show how much you respect him. Those who don’t have this trend or habit are to be coaxed and counseled to make changes to themselves.
14. Employee recognition programs:
Employees always look forward to being recognized for their hard work that was done with passion and creativity.
Managers or Supervisors are advised to observe the work of their co-workers and devise simple recognition programs in collaboration with the HR.
The recognition programs are always aimed at providing motivation and create a job satisfaction environment. The morale is high in firms that have recognition programs.
15. Create cordial workplace:
Positive behavior is the most essential factor for creating a cordial workplace. Open communications between the management and employees are required to be fostered.
It could be in the form of staff meetings held regularly highlighting the progress, status and any evitable changes within the company, and even awards received by the company.
When information is able to trickle down, the employees feel valued. Communication is the key to increased job satisfaction and morale.
Though, sometimes, by observations it is best to assess the job satisfaction and morale, it is the most difficult method to utilize. Many companies invest to conduct an employee survey to know about their job satisfaction and how is their morale. As job satisfaction and morale are critical factors for impacting the productivity and bottom line efficiency, companies are required to handle the changing trends with new ideas to retain their skilled workforce.
