Keeping staff morale high
Congratulations! You navigated your way through January! Soon, the shorter days of winter will be replaced by lighter, brighter days (we hope). It’s important to keep staff morale as high as possible though, and often it’s the small gestures that can make a big impact in the workplace.
So, with that in mind; just how seriously do you and your company take employee morale?
Well, to put it simply, it should be a priority for everyone, because a more positive work culture contributes to a more productive working environment. To ease you through the remaining weeks of winter, here’s five Asda for Business strategies that companies can introduce to make their employees love working for them.
1) Promote work-life balance more
Live to work, or work to live?
It’s vital that your Senior Management Team take the lead here for the sake of staff morale.
Some employees will enjoy working later into the evening and often, at the weekend.
A good “people company” should put the person first and encourage regular breaks throughout the day – as well as offering other things like remote working, regular workload reviews, and encourage managers to place a focus on productivity rather than hours.
2) Consider trust building
A transparent and open communication line from management is particularly useful when leaders need to help explain organisational changes, ease any uncertainty, and encourage workers to get excited about any new opportunities or projects that may be on the horizon.
If employees feel valued and trusted, they then get to see the bigger picture, work for the benefit of the company and not just for their own individual goals.
3) Have an open door policy
Talk to employees and ask them things like; what keeps you here? Or, if you could change something, what would it be? Very often you’ll find that the changes employees would like to see are not expensive, and achievable in a short space of time.
If that approach doesn’t fit with how you might work, why not start a “culture committee” and allocate a small budget so that staff can regularly brainstorm, introduce fun activities, or discuss company-wide initiatives.
4) Encourage staff interaction outside the office
This might not be for everyone, but many employees will work similar hours and may, for example, struggle to keep as fit as they would like. If that’s the case, what about a lunchtime walking or running club?
There’s things to do in the office during or after the working day too, such as a weekly office quiz or if there’s a new starter, why not plan an office lunch either in the canteen or local restaurant.
5) Support employee led suggestions
Examples from other organisations include a course on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Your staff should be the most important part of your company and top of your thought list each and every day. This is just one example, but why not ask them, individually or on a team-by-team basis? They’ll probably have one or two of their own suggestions.
Rewarding staff regularly is another great way to keep morale high. An Asda gift card or e-gift card is much more than an employee benefit, reward or incentive – it can be anything they want… a meal, a weekly shop, clothes or homeware. In fact, rewarding employees with an Asda pre-loaded gift card lets them choose from thousands of products, from paper to pizzas and bedding to baked beans. More employee gifts that you can imagine.
If it’s something that may be of interest to you, get in touch today and start rewarding your staff straight away.