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Anyone who has had a job probably has seen examples of employees who are happy and engaged in their work – and those who are not. Likewise, pretty much anyone with supervisory experience can testify to the effects employee morale – good, bad, or in between – can have on a business.
There are many factors that determine the likelihood somebody might love their job, but, unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all guide to making everyone happy at work. Recruiting employees who are likely to be happy members of your team is more of an art than a science, but here are some important factors:
1. The right role for the right person
Matching the right person to the right job is a vital starting point for employee happiness. Within a single company, many roles and departments might be a good fit for someone. However, it could be a bad match if that person is placed in the wrong kind of role or on the wrong sort of team.
Somebody who works in a warehouse might love the physical nature of the job and getting up and moving all the time, but others might rather sit at a desk and work on the computer or phone all day. The stronger those preferences are for an individual, the more significant the role they’re likely to play in job satisfaction.
2. Coworkers and supervisors
The people an employee works with are another major factor in employee morale. If someone doesn’t like their coworkers or their supervisor, they’re going to dislike their job even if they like the company and other aspects of the role.
It can be a puzzle trying to fit everyone in the right spot in an organization where they are happy and in a position to perform well, but it’s a critical thing to do.
3. Flexibility and room for growth
Often, employees leave companies when looking for career growth or a new challenge. But if an employee is someone you want to keep on the team, being open to lateral moves and creative promotions can be an effective retention tool.
Keeping an important team member in the company can require flexibility, but for the right person, that decision is good for the employee and the company.
4. Open communication
An open-door policy can do a lot to promote happiness in your workforce. Just the fact you can take your questions, concerns, and ideas to anyone in the company, all the way up to the CEO or other top leader, can be very good for morale.
Obviously, there are confidential matters in most any business that can’t be disclosed, but cutting the red tape wherever possible with transparency helps employees feel engaged and included.
5. Investing in training
Although employees often enter a new role with much of the knowledge and skills needed for success, there’s always a need for training, both initially and further down the road.
Offering employees the time and resources for training communicates their value to the company and helps improve their skills, both for their current role and the future.
In-house training events, remote conferences, college classes and seminars, and professional certifications and exams are just a few examples of training options that can pay big dividends in morale, productivity, and more.
6. Showing appreciation
Nothing kills morale faster than a failure to show appreciation and acknowledge a job well done.
But, in addition to positive feedback, many companies aim to maintain and improve morale with broader programs and events.
Free snacks and meals often are popular options, along with holiday parties and other annual events, food truck visits, charity events, and rewards such as employee of the month.
Although some of these examples might not make sense for all workplaces – for example, if you only have three employees, naming an Employee of the Month might not make a lot of sense – the key is to communicate appreciation and value.
Where to start?
If you want to improve morale, it can be hard to know what steps to take. What would hit home with your workforce?
Investing in an anonymous survey to gather information can be a great move to give you more information about employee sentiment that can inform your strategies.
Then, after the survey, be sure all senior decision-makers are aware of the relevant results so specific action plans can be implemented. After all, you can’t make changes if you don’t know what’s wrong or what’s working well.
In the end, the key is to make a concerted effort to show employees the company and its leadership genuinely value them and their contributions.
