Give employees something more to look forward to than a paycheck.
Boosting work-place morale is an important issue for companies that have been hit hard by economic downturns. Companies offering fewer payraises or laying off employees can seriously degrade employee confidence. Employers can try a few low-cost solutions to giving employees a sense of camarderie and excitement in the workplace. These moral-boosting ideas may even strengthen employee productivity.
Instructions
1. Host a weekly planned breakfast where employees sit down and munch together or surprise employees with doughnuts and coffee. Greet them as they walk through the door with a coffee and a doughnut. Serve an afternoon snack, such as wheeling around a cart with popcorn and drinks.
2. Make schedules more flexible. A 2010 ABC News report highlighted a company that gives employees a Friday afternoon off if they've worked late or taken on extra hours in previous weeks. The same ABC News story reported on a Canadian home nursing company that has made work schedules for employees with small children more flexible. Parents with children can take "The Mommy Shift," in which their part time schedule is conducive to picking up and dropping their kids off at school.
3. Employees can be organized into "morale boosting teams" in which they brainstorm company-wide events or get togethers. Each employee is given a chance to participate.
4. As company dress code permits, have a theme day each week or once a month. Employees may sport their favorite athletic team regalia, wear a hat or a favorite shirt. You may even have an awards ceremony in which employees are recognized for the best outfits.
5. Organize a weekly lunch or dinner where employees bring their own lunches but meet up and get to know each other. Arrange so that employees from different departments or teams get a chance to sit down together.
6. Start a company newsletter. Each month a different employee is singled out for his work achievement and dedication to the job. Write up a report on the employee describing his achievement.
7. Set up an anonymous suggestion box in which employees can submit ideas for workplace improvements. Don't be afraid of criticism.
