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Employee morale is synonymous with an engine that drives employees to work effectively and productively. In a working space such as companies or offices, employees are the main actors who are responsible for getting various jobs done, ranging from customer care and support to meeting monthly sales targets. That is, morale and motivation primarily enable employees to perform their duties perfectly with enthusiasm and innovation.
Employee morale and motivation are two essential pillars that keep the team resilient and drive success in times of uncertainty. Employee morale is simply defined as the confidence and satisfaction that employees have in their workplace. Employee morale and motivation are also directly attributed to a company’s productivity, creativity, and retention rate.
Now, for companies and organizations, the problem emerges when their employees become disengaged with work and, ultimately, with the company or organization. This disengagement is the direct result of low motivation and morale, which can significantly impact a company’s business and result in high employee turnover if the number of disengaged employees increases.
To address this issue, our expert consultants in Dubai have compiled 5 effective strategies to boost employee morale and motivation. But before delving into strategies, it is vital to acknowledge the significance of employee morale and motivation for any company.
Significance of Employee Morale
Developing strategies that support workers’ well-being and implementing actions that produce a nurturing workplace is a necessity for any company attempting to grow in today’s dynamic and competitive market.
Employees’ high morale is a crucial condition for better output and innovative ideas. Moreover, high employee morale and motivation not only ensure sustainable business growth but can also bring innovation to your business, potentially helping your company venture into new markets.
This is the primary reason why big companies prefer hiring motivated and high-morale individuals and employ strategies to ensure that employees are not burnt out and feel professionally growing in the company.
The following paragraphs discuss some benefits of high employee morale and motivation for companies and organizations.
1. Increased Engagement
When employees are motivated and satisfied they become more involved in their work and try to come up with better solutions to problems. They are sometimes even willing to go the extra mile if it means success for the team.
Moreover, with engaged and integrated employees companies have more chances of retention as employees become loyal to the company.
2. High Productivity
When employee morale and motivation are high their productivity and creativity automatically increase. That is, high employee morale and motivation lead to greater effort and productivity. This is because they are much more focused on their work, and are energetic and willing to put in the extra effort to achieve their goals. Their mind is focused on growing professionally and personally.
In retrospect, low employee morale and motivation results in decreased productivity and an unfocused and mismanaged approach to work. Low-spirited employees are always fatigued and frustrated and find it hard to complete their tasks.
3. Business growth
Since employees are the backbone of the business and drive its growth. Therefore, it is vital to explicitly acknowledge their crucial role in the development and expansion of companies.
If a company maintains a positive work environment and employs measures for effective employee management, then employees of such a company not only become loyal to them but begin linking their success with the growth and success of the company.
5 Strategies for Enhancing Employee Morale
Since we have talked about and understood the importance of employee morale and motivation, it is now time to discuss the five effective ways to enhance and improve it.
Effective, Clear, and Open Communication
Keeping employees engaged and valued is the key to keeping their morale high during uncertain times. They will feel part of the business or organization and remain motivated and resilient throughout the difficult times.
Clear and transparent communication is vital to make employees feel valued and engage them effectively. Team leaders or managers must encourage their team members to communicate their concerns, ideas, and feedback openly. They must also make sure to listen to employees attentively and take action if possible or necessary. This makes employees feel valued, and they consider them being part of the company or an organization, which in turn increases their engagement, increasing their morale, and motivation for working.
Additionally, managers or team leaders should be active and attentive to new updates or policy changes in an organization so that they can communicate them to team members in a timely manner. It is essential to stay connected with every employee, especially regarding important matters. To this end, companies and organizations use various modes of communication to keep their employees in the loop and updated. A few such examples include weekly team meetings, conference hall meetings, slack groups, emails, WhatsApp groups or communities, etc.
Celebrating and Appreciating Efforts
Employees who experience a sense of appreciation and recognition for their hard work and are rewarded accordingly are more motivated and usually tend to manifest higher morale than those who lack it.
Recognizing and rewarding your workers is neither a demanding job nor the process is time-consuming. It can be as simple as a gratitude note. Additionally, it can also include a public acknowledgment, giving bonuses and credits for work in an official setting. Such kind of gestures and strategies play a critical role in boosting the morale and motivation of all the employees working in your company or organization.
Additionally, such strategies will also foster a positive working environment at the workplace, encouraging peer-to-peer support and recognition, a practice recommended by top recruiting agencies in Dubai to partner companies to retain employees and minimize employee turnover.
Our agency in Dubai has collected some of the most desired and appealing reward programs by employees across different sectors.
- If possible and feasible for your business, reimburse the traveling fee to employees if they had attended an outdoor meeting, or represented you in a seminar or conference.
- Finance the professional certifications of employees. This would not only benefit your company but also benefit employees in career growth.
- Organize light celebrations for holidays, work anniversaries of employees, or other special events.
- Celebrate project success over team dinners, and give special recognition to employees who worked hard for it.
Provide Growth opportunities
The growth opportunities and investments in employees are fundamental for the sustainable growth of companies. Not only do growing professional employees feel motivated, but also they stay loyal to the firm they are working for, even in times of uncertainty.
Talented professionals tend to work for companies and organizations offering growth and career advancement. Thus, team leaders or managers in a company must ensure to give new responsibilities to employees so that they continue learning and growing.
Another strategy to increase the skills of employees is by sponsoring their professional certifications for skill development or advancement, training programs, or offering mentorship. This makes employees feel like they have a future in the company, increasing employee morale and motivation. This approach to employee morale enhancement is widely recognized by recruitment agencies in the UAE as a way to attract and retain the global top talent in the Emirates.
Flexibility in Working Schedule
COVID-19 has clarified for everyone that home office is not only possible but also pleasant. Once they have been into remote work culture, employees all over the world have understood the convenience it brings. Now, after the Pandemic was over and life returned to normal, it became difficult for employees to return to the conventional 9-5 office routine and give up the comfort of home to reach the office every day, particularly for expat workers.
Offering flexible schedules to employees, including the option for remote working with flexible timings, can immensely help alleviate stress and increase motivation for working better. It will also help bring the correct work-life balance into the employees’ lives.
Moreover, providing flexibility in your working schedule demonstrates your trust in employees and commitment to supporting them. This creates a healthy relationship between you and your employees.
Promoting and encouraging Diversity and Inclusion
Having diversity in a working space where people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and races are working will promote a sense of belonging among team members. Having diversity and inclusion of all the team members plays an important role in promoting employee morale and motivation.
For example, consider a situation where a person from Pakistan or India gets hired by a company based in Dubai. Now, if he/she is the sole recruit from Pakistan or India, the person will start feeling alienated and, with time, feel less motivated. However, if he/she finds someone from the same geography the person will be able to relate to and get a sense of belonging at a workplace.
This example highlights two important aspects that must be addressed by companies operating in a dynamic market such as the Emirates.
Firstly, to recruit from diverse backgrounds, and secondly to introduce programs to foster inclusion among team members. Such programs may include diversity training programs, mentorship opportunities, etc. This helps forge a welcoming and positive work culture all the employees feel valued, respected, and motivated to contribute to the best of their ability.
If you’re running a business, small or big, in the Emirates then it is high time to connect with a highly reputed recruitment agency such as ourselves. RFS HR Consultancy is a leading consultancy in the UAE providing companies with top talent from around the world including tailored solutions for the growth of your business in the dynamic market of the UAE.
