04 Sep 5 Low-Cost Ways to Boost Employee Morale

A professional environment that suffers from low morale experiences less productivity, higher turnover, and less company profit. Some companies, especially small ones, think that they can’t afford to boost the morale of the company. The fact of the matter is that they can’t afford not to.

Psychology Today reports, “[researchers] find that when modern managers display “purposeful” behaviors, employees are less likely to quit, are more satisfied, willing to go the extra mile, better performers and less cynical.” So make sure that your employees are happy. In many cases, this can cost little to no money. If you’d like to increase productivity and develop better relationships with your employees check out these five suggestions to boost employee morale.

Volunteer

Community service projects are a great way to boost office morale. According to Florida National University, “Volunteering increases overall life satisfaction and helps you feel good about yourself because you are helping others. It can also help to decrease stress and ease depression.” By facilitating volunteer projects, you support your employees’ health and happiness. They’ll also feel good knowing that they work for a company that cares about giving back.

Consider allowing employees to volunteer on company time. Everyone’s lifestyle is different so while some people may be able to volunteer on their day off, others may not have that availability. Alternatively, you could arrange for a community service project that doesn’t require taking time off at all. Events like food drives, toy drives, and clothing drives won’t require much personal time for your employees.

Motivate Healthy Lifestyles

Show that you really care about your employees’ well-being. Many people feel as though they do not have the time or energy after work to exercise. Energize your office by encouraging people to take a 15-20 minute walk before they sit down for the day. Even a quick walk around the building can wake them up before starting their eight-hour shift.

Another way to encourage movement is to bring in a trained yoga or another fitness instructor once a week. There are instructors who specialize in visiting offices to lead short, simple stretching routines that people can do in their work clothes.

You can also encourage healthy eating by providing healthy snacks. Everyone loves free food and most people can use a little pick-me-up in the late afternoon. Why not support a healthy lifestyle by providing snacks that are packed full of tasty nutrition?

Add a Little Green

And that doesn’t mean money, although, that’s always a great motivator. Offices have a tendency to be stuffy and if you don’t have any windows, your employees will hardly ever get to see the outdoors. So why not bring some plants inside? Adding low maintenance plants to the office will not only clean the air but it will also boost the mood.

For allergy sufferers greenery like the spider plant can help remove dust and other allergens from the air, says Earth911. They also mention that plants like succulents, golden pothos, peace lilies, philodendron, and lemon balm are great for an office setting.

Wacky Wednesday

Does this sound like a blast from the past? Many schools implement “spirit days” to boost the mood. It lets people relax and show their personality. While they may not verbalize it, many of your employees would like to have the same opportunity.

You have many options. For instance, if you have an office full of sports fanatics allow them to wear their favorite team’s gear on a Friday. During a mundane weekly meeting, you can spruce it up by giving the speaker a funny hat to wear.

What’s the benefit? It removes the stress from a potentially tense setting. When employees are given the opportunity to express themselves they are more likely to think outside the box.

Say Thank You

Last—but far from least–show your employees that you appreciate them by telling them. Employees like to know that you care and they like to know that you appreciate the time and effort that they give your company. So while tangible gifts are great, be sure to verbalize how much you appreciate them.

Offer a sincere thank you on your out for the day. Put a sticky note on a report that you’re returning to them. But why stop there? Get your whole office into it. Allow everyone to express how grateful they are for the work their coworkers do. Consider asking everyone during recurring weekly meetings to mention someone to whom they’re grateful.

Boosting morale in your office doesn’t have to take the form of lunch at an expensive restaurant. In fact, it doesn’t have to cost you anything at all unless you want it to. Keep morale up by implementing some or all of these suggestions. It will boost your productivity, employee retention, and therefore your revenue.

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