Creating a positive work environment that boosts employee morale and productivity among employees doesn’t have to be costly. While monetary benefits are still important, modern employees seek more than just financial compensation.
They value of employees being recognized and cared for by their employers is undeniable. Organizations that prioritize their employees’ time, effort, and personal growth tend to foster stronger connections with their workforce.
While improving monetary compensation and benefits can keep employees satisfied to a certain extent. The fact is more and more professionals are looking for something more. With creativity and little personal touches, you can apply these 10 cost-effective ways to boost employee morale.
In this article, we will explore various ways to improve morale and productivity at the workplace without breaking the bank.
Acknowledge individual employees
A simple show of appreciation can go a long way.
Publicly acknowledging a person or a team for a job well done is a wonderful way to inspire and motivate people. This can be done via the company bulletin board, an internal newsletter, or social media.
Employee recognition can even go beyond the four walls of the office.
For example, several US and Canadian hospitals, in partnership with local media companies in their community, launched the ‘Hospital Heroes’ program. This was a special ongoing series spotlighting the extraordinary efforts being done by these health professionals.
Another option is to provide courses, gift cards, or event tickets for employees who perform well.
Of course, regular performance reviews are the best way to assure employees that their good work is seen and valued by the company.
Go beyond the open-door policy
Some leadrs are happy to offer their employees a listening ear by providing an “open-door policy”. This encourages openness & transparency. However, leaders who actually go to the frontline and talk and listen to their employees, tend to better inspire their employees.
When this happens, employees are more engaged and seek the opportunity to be given an opportunity impact in their workplace. Something as simple as creating open channels where every member of your organization can feel comfortable asking honest questions and giving feedback is a good starting point.
This will help create a culture of open communication within the office.
Promote work-life balance among employees
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not only vital for overall health and relationships, but it can also improve your staff’s productivity and performance.
When in place, it is more likely that people will work harder, make fewer mistakes, and become advocates for your company. After all, burn-out is one of the most common reasons why employees quit.
To implement work-life balance, organizations can encourage strict implementation of time off. Some companies prohibit their staff from sending work emails between certain hours to encourage them to focus on their personal life.
Vacations or breaks from work also provide workers the chance to recuperate and recharge..
Run a calm, healthy and organized workplace
Sure, a high-pressure, intense work environment can push your employees to give maximum output. However, this is not sustainable in the long-term. Your goal should be to minimize stress, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and to promote a calm, well-organized environment.
An employee assistance program (EAP) that provides support to employees is a good way to help in this instance.
Another option relates to the stress of the commute. Upon arriving in the office, finding a good parking spot can greatly affect your employees’ mood before they even step foot into the office.
From our experience, if this is a persistent problem for employees it can make them dread going to work. This is dangerous as it damages employee morale, which affects the productivity of your workforce. This is why managing parking is so important.
By bringing things like access management and parking allocation into one ecosystem, Wayleadr’s software uses data to ensure every journey is as short and as easy as possible for employees.
For example, ESB used Wayleadr to develop a ‘know before you go system‘. This meant they could distribute parking equitably among staff. This meant staff knew they had a space when going into the office. This certainty helped massively to create a calm, healthy & organised workplace.
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Discover how ESB increased 6,000 employees satisfaction with only 127 parking spaces.
Learn MoreOffer employee growth
You can boost employee morale by giving your team a sense of purpose. After all, if they have a goal to work towards, then they also have something to be excited and happy about.
Studies have shown that Millenials and Gen Z want their work to be meaningful: they rank career growth opportunities higher than any other generation when it comes to accepting or rejecting a job offer.
It is a good idea to arrange courses or conferences to improve your staff’s skills, or develop programs to help them grow professionally and personally.
Add greenery
Research from ScienceDaily states that adding greenery to offices make staff happier and more productive than ‘lean’ designs.
In the first field study of its kind, researchers found enriching a ‘lean’ office with plants could increase productivity by 15%.
Our research suggests that investing in landscaping the office with plants will pay off through an increase in office workers’ quality of life and productivity.
Marlon Nieuwenhuis, from Cardiff University’s School of Psychology,
Aside from helping improve people’s moods and performance, putting plants in indoor spaces improves air quality, which minimizes the occurrence of headaches, eases dry skin and reduces the risk of catching colds by 30%.
Make the workplace fun
Though you might want to stay formal during office hours, it’s equally important to relax, laugh, and connect with others.
You become more relatable and approachable when you bring more of your authentic self to the office.
To give people the chance to bond and have fun together, organize after-work or breaktime fun activities.
Simplify your employees' parking experience
Try Wayleadr's employee parking management and provide your employees with a hassle-free parking experience
Book a DemoTrain your managers
Managers have a direct impact on employee engagement and morale, and training them in areas of emotional intelligence, communication, and different leadership styles is one of the most important ways you can boost employee morale.
Studies find that job satisfaction and self-esteem generally increase when employees have a better understanding of the workings of the company.
Small perks with big personal impact
Extra employee benefits are always welcome and can be powerful tools in improving company morale and loyalty. Such extras do not have to be expensive to be appreciated.
Here are some low-cost perks that you can consider:
- Free food – A well-stocked fridge full of food, or the occasional catered lunch will not break the bank, but could have a massive affect on morale.
- Wellness programs – Health and wellness seminars, sports events within the company, or even a deal with your local gym for discounted membership rates will boost your employee’s feeling towards your organization.
- External events – Simple, family-inclusive events offer your team the opportunity to bond and establish camaraderie at a relatively low cost.
- Flexible work time – Being allowed the luxury of working from home once a week or as needed based on family needs is one of the most popular incentives that employees cherish.
Ensure that employees see the results of their hard work
Showing employees the results of their hard work is an incredibly rewarding experience. It helps them feel more connected to the organization’s mission and goals.
You can share success stories of the company by sending office-wide updates regarding business milestones
You can also organize occasional meet and greets with the client base so that your staff can personally meet the people they are serving. Regular performance reviews will also keep your team updated to the company’s progress and the improvements that still need to be done.
No matter what method you use to boost company morale at your workplace, it is important to do so from a genuine place of concern and appreciation.
A company with a positive culture and happy employees is more likely to achieve more, attract better talent and more loyal clients, and establish a positive and stronger brand reputation in the community.
Wayleadr is trusted by world-leading employers like Uber, Universal Music, CBRE, eBay, Sanofi & Colliers International. Schedule a demo with Wayleadr.com today and solve your parking problems in the click of a button.
