HR Department and Employee Morale

Mon, Jul 23, 2012

Retention


Keeping employees motivated and morale up can be difficult at times, especially if the economy is struggling and there are whispers of layoffs. Morale is very important within every company; its success counts on it. Therefore, coming up with new and inventive ways to motivate employees, falls on the HR department’s shoulders. Luckily, there are several things HR managers can do to boost morale with employees.

After Business Hours

There are many companies that offer things like annual picnics, golf tournaments, or cook-out competitions. This is a great morale booster, because it gives the employees something to look forward to each year. Also, these events give the opportunity for the owner and managers to address the employees and their hard work.

Contestant Bonuses and Raises

This may seem like a given in the HR department, but sometimes this is one area that can get overlooked. Staying on top of employees’ annual reviews will help with raises tremendously. If the company policy is not to give raises every year, bonuses are a great alternative.  In many cases, it is not only about the monetary part of a bonus or raise, it is about the recognition of a job well done. So, a bonus of a gift card or an additional personal day off goes a long way.

Awards and Employee of the Month

Enacting an award and/or employee of the month policy is a great way for HR managers to boost employee morale. Awards and recognition programs give the employees something to strive for. This usually improves productivity greatly. Each employee is working to be the Employee of the Year of to get whatever the annual or monthly award is, such as movie tickets or a half hour at lunch for the following month.

HR departments that make it a priority of keep up employee morale will see greater results in attendance, productivity, and motivation. It has been proven that businesses with these types of motivational policies have happier more productive employees, who stick with the company for many years.

 

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