You walk into your office in the morning and start to pick up on the telltale signs – low energy, general complaints, and snarky comments. You’re the office leader, and you’re perceptive: morale is low. Whether the company is experiencing difficult clients, high turnover, or toxic relationships, your responsibility is to turn the tide. You owe it to your employees to cultivate a positive company environment to ensure your workers are comfortable, and therefore more honest and reliable. If you are detecting some warning signs of low morale, here’s what you need to do:
Team-Building
A terrific way to foster team bonding and facilitate high office morale is to plan some company outings. A fun evening playing a sport or attending an event is a surefire way to lighten up the team. There is a right way and a wrong way to attempt this. First, you can’t force this – make sure you’re asking for input every step of the way. You want feedback from your workers on what they’d like to do and how to set it up. Announcing a mandatory hike for all staff is going to turn your people off. Think grassroots. Put a poll in the field to see what kind of activities people like, and when they are free. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box: crazy activities like paintball or white water rafting can bring people together in a new and exciting way.
Schedule Some Slack
Long hours and tight deadlines can do deep damage to a worker’s productivity and happiness. Every company has those overwhelming projects that require all hands on deck; but don’t forget to provide workers with some downtime when the time comes. After a particularly difficult period, consider extending vacation time or being more flexible with hours. Overtime shifts can be stressful and exhausting for your employees, so balance this with some extra time off. Reward those that invest their time in your business, and they’ll be more likely to come back with a positive attitude.
Address the Elephant
Often, conflict in the office has a clear culprit. The most direct way to handle low morale is to neutralize the source of the tension. This is the right time to address the elephant in the room. If it’s a nasty worker, terminate them. If you’re dealing with issues in your facility, fix them. One particularly rude client? Stop their services. Sometimes these situations are complicated, but maybe the solution is more simple than it seems. If this is an option, make it your first step so you can fast-track morale improvement. All of the team-building in the world won’t mean a thing if you can’t fix the root of the conflict.
Retaining employees is the ideal way to keep your company in top shape; however, having a plan B can keep you prepared for all possibilities. If you are concerned by the threat of employee turnover or dissatisfied workers, consider making a connection with a top temp agency like Job Store Staffing®. We’ve got pre-screened, qualified professionals for positions you need to fill. Why waste time casting lines when you can reel in a full net of available talent? Contact us today to enhance your team with reliable workers ready to take your team to the next level.