Acknowledgement of things like birthdays or workplace accomplishments boosts morale.
High morale in the office translates to happier employees, both at work and at home. Conversely, the stress of low morale increases the number of sick days taken by employees, according to the American Psychological Association. An initiative to boost the overall workplace morale benefits both employees and the employer with higher job satisfaction, greater productivity and fewer absences.
Competitions
Friendly competition offers a way to let loose at the office while bonding with team members. Set up a game-style competition between different departments or against another small company in the area. Ideas include a field day event, costume contest or decorating contest. Another option is to create teams to participate in a local event like a fun run. The teams compete against one another in the event and in their fundraising efforts.
Staff Brainstorming Sessions
Company leaders often feel they need to make the decisions and have enough knowledge to do so effectively. This leaves employees feeling ignored and undervalued to the company. Get staff members involved with brainstorming sessions to share ideas for improving the company. Whether you hold a company-wide meeting or smaller gatherings with individual departments, employees get a chance to offer input into the company's decisions. An off-site meeting gives the employees a change of scenery that can also boost morale. Invite a few employees each week to a brainstorming session over lunch at a local restaurant, or plan a company retreat with team-building activities and brainstorming sessions.
Schedule Flexibility
Flexibility in an employee's schedule gives her more control and makes her feel more valued by the company. The ability to change her schedule somewhat shows her that her time outside of work is taken into consideration. The opportunity for flexible hours is limited in some industries, so this option won't work for all companies. Possible scheduling options might include coming in earlier or later to start the shift, or working four longer shifts to get three days off per week.
Food
Food incentives keep the employees fueled while showing appreciation and boosting morale. A pizza party as a reward for completing a large project is a simple idea. Another idea is to host a monthly birthday breakfast for all employees who have birthdays that month. If food isn't in the corporate budget, invite the employees to each bring in a snack to share for a food day. Add in a casual dress day to further boost the morale around the office.
Individual Recognition
Individual recognition shows employees that you pay attention to their accomplishments. Create a corporate recognition program that identifies employees who go beyond the minimum job requirements. Ideas include gift cards, company-wide emails describing the employee's achievement, a recognition bulletin board or personalized notes hand written by the head of the company.
