Employee morale is the job satisfaction, outlook, and feelings of well-being an employee has within a workplace setting. Morale has been proven to have a direct effect on productivity and it is one of the key elements of effective workplaces. Research shows that morale has benefits related to the productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction and worker health within a workplace. Many workplaces have become aware of a direct connection between employee morale and productivity.
Morale is considered as one of the major factors affecting productivity and the overall stability of a workplace. Morale can drive an organization forward or a lack of morale can lead to discontent employees and poor job performance. Employees tend to lack motivation to perform their jobs when morale is low. Low morale may lead to reduced concentration, which can cause mistakes, poor customer service and missed deadlines. Compared to employees who are motivated, disengaged workers are less efficient, miss more workdays and cost their employers thousands of dollars in lost productivity. Strategies should be implemented that increase the workplace morale. Employers should recognize their employees’ ideas and opinions, be respectful to their employees, have one-on-one meetings with employees, and invest time understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each of the employees by getting to know each employee individually whenever possible.
Creating positive morale, among employees, is an important goal for any workplace. The relationship between employee morale and workplace performance is distinct. When employees are satisfied with their jobs, they are motivated to work harder and to contribute the best of their abilities toward the achievement of the workplace goals. They feel appreciated, important and significant members of the workplace. Whether positive or negative, feedback should be motivating and constructive. Effective feedback can help to keep the productivity and morale levels higher in a workplace. How employeers deliver feedback can create forward momentum or stall the progress in a workplace.
Employee morale can be very beneficial and can be a significant factor that allows workplaces to become more efficient and effective. Once employers have built trusting relationships and developed a foundation of respect, employees should respond with more creativity. The best way to nurture and benefit this creativity is to go by the philosophy that there are no bad ideas, only undeveloped ones. Job satifaction typically causes an employee to maintain more positive interactions with their employers, coworkers, clients, or anyone that they come in contact with. Keeping employee morale high is one of the best things that can be done to instill loyalty and maintain a productive workplace. It is important to keep the lines of communication open and always including good and bad reviews in a constructive way to forge strong relationships which can improve the effectiveness of the workplace.
This article was contributed by volunteer blogger Shan Simpson.
Profiles of Diversity is a series in which we profile in each post one of the members of our Board of Directors.