5 Ways to Boost Employee Morale in Your Small Business

When you are a small business owner, you will find that it is extremely important for you to maintain your employees’ good will. While you might not be able to offer them big-ticket items like cruises or cars, the way that some larger companies can, you will find that it is very easy for you to take their needs into considerations and win their loyalty through small acts of thoughtfulness. Here are five ways to boost employee morale in your small business.

Reward Them With Time Off

If you cannot reward your employees with large bonuses, studies show that they are just as happy with getting rewards through time off. Time and money are the two rewards that make the biggest difference to people, and it doesn’t have to be much. Offer good performers a certificate to take off an hour early with pay. This goes further than you think. Also make sure you’re giving employees appropriate amounts of time off on a monthly basis, so you’re employees don’t get burned out on work.

Give the Right Incentives

There is a big difference between offering an employee a cheap stuffed animal and offering an employee a leather journal. Give your employees journals with the company name stamped on them, and encourage them to use this for taking notes or writing things down at work. The truth is that while the thought does count, the thought needs to be more than “I’ve heard you should give your employees gifts.” Take a moment to think about what employees would find useful both at work and at home, and offer that as an incentive.

Team Building Activities

If you want to foster unit and encourage team togetherness, start doing some team building activities. Take an hour out of your day once a month and get the company together to do some fun team building activities that challenge their thinking or push their knowledge. Also consider taking a weekend retreat with the company to get away, de-stress, and learn more about each other to increase team unity.

Be Fair

Avoid showing favoritism at all costs. In a small business, it is very easy to play favorites. Treat everyone equally, and remind your employees to treat each other kindly as well. Make sure that everyone treats each other well, and this will make for a job environment that people can be loyal to. Make sure your policies, mission statement, and company core values are posted in various places throughout your company to remind people of the company’s values.

Open Door Policy

If your employees feel that they cannot come to you, they might feel neglected or unimportant. Maintain an open door policy with your employees and make sure that they feel comfortable talking to you about everything. Take a moment and consider their end of things. If they have a problem, decide how you are going to address it. Do not keep an employee hanging when they have asked for your help.

Employee loyalty is an important resource when you are a small business, so see what you can do to improve it today.

Read More:

• 3 Ways to Measure Employee Morale