It’s no secret that people tend to invest far more effort into a project when they enjoy working on it than if it’s something they don’t enjoy. Likewise, we’re much more likely to co-operate with a person who motivates through encouragement than by ruling with an iron fist. The importance of employee morale within a company can never be understated. The happiness of a workforce could make or break a company’s success.
That is why it is essential for managers to know what motivates their staff and how to keep them happy so that staff will repay them with a greater dedication to their work. While a good salary certainly helps, money is definitely not the only motivational factor, or even the most critical one. Most employees are happiest when management show respect through inviting ideas from staff and complimenting them when good work is done. It’s also crucial to treat employees like adults and give them flexibility in terms of switching hours or having to take days off at short notice. Some would argue that this could prompt an increase in absenteeism, but that’s actually more likely to be an issue if staff weren’t allowed to be flexible. In that event, there’s a good chance that they’ll take sick days on a whim purely because they don’t want to come into work.
The perception that employee morale doesn’t matter all that much is a woefully misguided one. The happiness of employees has a massive knock-on effect in terms of overall company performance. A highly motivated and enthusiastic workforce will go above the call of duty to meet targets and will happily collaborate to work towards a common goal. A miserable and apathetic workforce will take unexplained sick days and show no willingness to co-operate. Indeed, there might even be tensions between staff which could escalate into a full-blown dispute. Make up your own mind as to which of those two scenarios is preferable for an employer.
Ayers Management (https://www.ayers.com.au/corporate/hr-solutions/) created this infographic which examines the clear link between a motivated, fully engaged workforce and a thriving, profitable business. Take a look below to see just how much positive employee morale really matters.
