Harder, Better, Faster, Cheaper
Regardless of your field, every startup or SME boss can empathize with one another when it comes to the daunting concern of cost management. Another aspect of management is just as crucial – the handling of employee expectations and resultantly, productivity.
When one has to be prioritized over the other, it is unfortunate that worker satisfaction usually takes the hit as many measures for fostering worker motivation incur significant costs. Good news here, attaining both goals may not be as irreconcilable as believed, here are several inexpensive practices that can boost staff morale and build a cohesive and efficient company culture.
1. Introducing Work-Life Balance
To varying extents, every employee has ideal work-life integration on their wishlist. Rather than compromising on one for the other, bosses can reinforce to their staff the importance of other meaningful endeavours apart from career alone. For instance, Bring Your Family To Work days and open invitations for staff to bring their significant others to company functions involve family members directly in employees’ work lives.
Shared hobbies provide a great platform for building workplace cohesion, and bosses can show employees that they care about their outside interests. A book exchange would appeal to the readers in the workplace, whereas company-wide fitness activities would cater to the sportier staff members. Volunteering needs no financial investment, just that of time and manpower – employees will get to see a more human and sympathetic side to their bosses and fellow colleagues while doing good for the community.
2. Promoting A Greater Sense Of Ownership
A key component of a successful company culture is a joint mentality of ownership shared by every worker. This mindset instills a greater sense of purpose and psychological incentive for employees to perform their best at work. Bosses can organize frequent feedback sessions – as Google has done with the implementation of ‘Googlegeist’ – because “people want to have the ability to shape that (workplace) environment”, says Laszlo Beck, Senior Vice President of Google’s People Operations. Responsibilities such as brainstorming and planning for company outings can be outsourced to the staff as well; taking popular opinion into account would guarantee that outings are meaningful and enjoyable to many.
Lunch and learns not only bring employees together during lunch breaks, they also form a platform for individuals to share about what they value and hold pride in, such as their professional responsibilities and personal passions. Bitly’s office manager, Katie Curri, ensures that lunch and learns are a weekly tradition, and this routine has reaped the benefits of transparency, community and growth, “When you know who people are outside of work, it makes who they are at work so much richer.”
3. Respecting Employees As Individuals
Being a metaphorical cog in the machine would drain staff morale and productivity; bosses should see to it that every employee feels recognized and valued as individuals. Incorporate Massage celebrates every employee’s birthday and sends complementary gifts for newlyweds and new mothers among their staff. Founder and CEO Amelia Wilcox holds this belief, “Employees are the lifeblood of our operation. When people are loved, they will give more than you can imagine they could for you and your cause.”
A work anniversary highlights the direct relationship between worker and company, and is a notable milestone worth celebrating. A survey conducted by Globoforce showed that 89% of employees surveyed felt more proud of their contributions at work, having experienced a work anniversary event which resonated emotionally with them. Acknowledging personal milestones for each individual builds stronger loyalty to not just their work, but the company as well.
With patience and consistency in implementation, the practices above would go a long way in raising employee morale and cultivating a more positive and nurturing culture at work.