1) Treat everyone as an individual
Respect that different employees have different needs. ‘Every incentive doesn’t necessarily motivate every individual,’ says Andrew Backhouse, national contract director at Timothy James, a 2010 winner of The Sunday Times 100 Best SMEs to work for. Get to know each member of staff and them by being flexible to their personal situations. For example, if an employee is in a long distance relationship, you may want to let them leave early on Friday afternoons. As a result, they’ll be more inclined to put extra hours in during the week to keep on top of their workload.
2) Praise good work and your expectations of them.
3) Lead by example
A productive team needs a productive leader. As the top dog you need to embody the company’s brand demonstrate your love of the job. Positivity breeds positivity.’
4) Encourage people to take a break
Whilst an employee who doesn’t optimise their annual leave might seem like a good deal for your business, everyone needs to take a break in order to operate at their full potential. Approach people who haven’t used their holiday entitlement and their skill set or get stuck in at charity events, to help with their personal development.’
5) Offer benefits that boost morale (but don’t break the bank)
Sometimes it is the little things that count. While large organisations may be able to offer corporate holidays in sunny climes, a gesture as simple as having fruit delivered to the office each week can show employees that you care. Tailor benefits to your workforce. You could bring a masseuse in once a month to give each employee a 10 minute boost, organise a team activity afternoon or a barbeque. ‘Events don’t have to be expensive, just well-planned and thought out,’ says Damian Milkins, CEO of Control Circle.
Where possible, invite staff to bring their partners as well. ‘Having a good relationship with people’s partners really helps,’ says Simon Corbett, founder of Jargon PR. ‘All those times when people stay late, instead of getting home to an earful, they get a much more sympathetic response.’
6) Give ownership to your team
While new employees need clear instructions and prospective innovations.
7) Run a ‘no blame’ culture
‘When something goes wrong don’t blame the person; analyse the reasons and what is going on in the company as a whole’ as well as an ‘open door policy’ to the manager’s office. Simply showing employees that they are being listened to can be enough to boost morale.
9) Be flexible
Whilst all companies need employment agreements in place to set stand concentrate on these first,’ says Laetitia Monereau, head of HR at Simply Business. ‘You need not spend a vast sum of money improving your staff morale.’
*Coutesy of startups.co.uk