User:Hdalio/Employee morale

History of Employee Morale
The first survey to study employee morale took place in 1938. Around this time, people working at Sears department stores were unhappy with private-sector unions and began organizing their strikes. In response to the walk-outs Sears president General Robert Wood took action in several different ways. One of the ways he attempted to identify the main problem was by providing those employees with a questionnaire that contained 60 multiple-choice questions. At the time this gesture aided in identifying the problem, which led them to come up with solutions. Over time, Sears cultivated new and upgraded ways of measuring employee morale which in turn has helped find ways to improve it overall.

What began as a simple paper questionnaire has evolved. As technology has advanced, so have methods of gathering information. Employers now evaluate morale levels through in-person check-in style meetings, monthly productivity data, and rate of turnover. In addition to these methods, employers can use technology to provide survey results with more in-depth analysis and the bonus of conducting surveys anonymously.

Importance
Recognized as one of the major factors affecting productivity and overall financial stability of any business, low morale. Low morale may lead to reduced concentration, which in turn can cause mistakes, poor customer service, and missed deadlines. It also can contribute to a high turnover rate and absenteeism. Employee morale proves to be detrimental to the business in these respects. Morale can drive an organization forward or can lead to employee discontent, poor job performance, and absenteeism (Ewton, 2007). It can be seen that maintaining and promoting more positive morale in the workplace will directly affect the overall success and retention of the employees and business.

Effects of Low Morale
With low morale comes a high price tag. According to estimates from "The Gallup Organization, there are 22 million actively disengaged employees costing the American economy as much as $350 billion per year in lost productivity including absenteeism, illness, and other problems that result when employees are unhappy at work." Failing to address this issue lead to decreased productivity, increased rates of absenteeism and associated costs, increased conflicts in the work environment, increased customer or consumer complaints, and increased employee turnover rates and costs associated with selection and training replacement staff. Low morale manifests itself in many other ways that affect the organization's bottom line poor performance, costly absenteeism and difficult-to-resolve workplace conflict that creates even more expenses for employers who must defend their employment actions in the courts. Identifying low morale is just the beginning, however. Organizations that recognize problematic morale are obligated to implement a strategy to improve overall job satisfaction and increase morale to restore productive working conditions for their employees. One of the tell-tale signs of low morale in the workplace is employee turnover. Employees who become disillusioned with their jobs ultimately feel unappreciated and look for employment elsewhere. As they embark upon a job search and talk about the job search with colleagues with whom they commiserate about the poor working conditions, their co-workers might embark upon a job search of their own. The domino effect occurs and results in a higher-than-normal turnover. Low productivity is another manifestation of poor employee morale. Poor morale affects the manner in which employees perform their job duties. They may be less attentive to their job duties or careless about maintaining proficiency in areas where they once excelled. As a result, their performance drops and, eventually, it has a devastating impact on productivity. Diminished productivity affects the bottom line, which means reduced profitability for the organization overall.

Effects of Higher Morale
Companies that focus on providing a better work-life balance for their employees, by allowing shorter workweeks, are 70% more productive than companies having employees work normal 40+ hour weeks. High morale is contagious. If the employee feels happy, upbeat, and connected in a positive way when he or she walks into a work environment, chances are good that high morale is present. The employer might also notice the following, enthusiasm, excitement and energy, joy and happiness, alignment with company identity and mission. When a team has high morale, it doesn't feel like one is fighting to get things done. Instead, it feels like getting things done is almost automatic due to contagiously high momentum and healthy teamwork. Morale makes a tangible difference in the lives of the employees. According to Fast Company, employees with high levels of job satisfaction sleep better at night. This leads to other healthy behaviors and choices, like eating well, working out, and focusing at work. In addition, instead of having inflammatory adrenaline and cortisol running amok, employees are more likely to experience high levels of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin which have the opposite effect, all while stimulating productivity.

Methods of Raising
Employees sometimes lack motivation to perform their jobs when morale is low. A lack of motivation can also be circular in nature. Management and employees have many resources and options when it comes to looking to raise overall morale in the workplace.


 * Recognize employees for their hard work and dedication. Companies can do so by celebrating birthdays and having some sort of celebration when an employee performs in a way that helps the company.
 * Be a respectful manager. It is important to be conscientious of how an employer is treating the staff as that can have a major impact.
 * Have one-on-one meetings with employees. This allows for employees to share opinions, chat, and be open with supervisors without having to worry about speaking in-front of their coworkers.
 * Invest in the employees as individuals. It is necessary to show that they are a valued piece in the company.
 * A way to do this is by training the employees and developing their professional skills.
 * Get to know the employees. Managers that show a true and genuine interest in their employee's lives, besides the work the employee does, can help boost morale. This shows the employees that their managers care for them and support them.
 * Provide support services. Having opt-in services available for the employees to utilize will drive to support a better work-life balance which can lead to the ultimate increase in overall morale within the company. Companies have a wide variety of Employee Assistance Programs to choose from, including addiction support and mental health resources, that managers can tailor to the specific needs of their employees.
 * Job autonomy and discretion helps employees to feel that their opinions are valued. According to Singer, "psychological studies of jobs are filled with examples of how important it is to give employees a genuine 'say' in how to conduct their jobs... Giving workers some control over their own work-hour schedule and how to approach their work tasks, dramatically reduces job burnout, absenteeism, and turnover... Encourage workers to determine their own specific strengths and put the them to use on their jobs."
 * Utilize feedback methods to gauge employee motivation. If management has the knowledge of what motivates its employees, that can use those systems to promote better work. Some ways to do this is by taking surveys and utilizing pay and reward systems to help motivate.
 * Give regular and valuable feedback to employees. This helps employees to know that they are headed in the right direction and allows them a place to voice frustrations prior to completing the assigned work.

See also[edit]

 * Job satisfaction
 * Employee engagement
 * Industrial and organizational psychology
 * Management