We have continued these throughout lockdown with innovative ideas, such as an 80s Quiz Night and a Murder Mystery – complete with fancy dress! The low-key get-togethers (no one is required to come) give his team a chance to drop in on the boss, see how he’s doing, and let him know how they’re feeling. Not with cake and champagne, but sharing  with the team. Encourage employees to take time for themselves throughout the day and introduce a … The secret here is a really good set of habits at the manager level, where managers are just checking with their employees on a few of these key questions on a regular basis. Many factors can affect morale, including leadership, manager and peer support, work environment, trust, culture and how valued employees feel. . Recognize Hard Work. People still need to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing. Gather employee feedback. We have a range of different needs and family situations amongst our staff and whilst work is important, it’s not everything. The fluidity of the current situation — social distancing, WFH, shelter in place, essential/nonessential work — demands flexibility from both companies and employees. We also have a team chat, which is used for everything from business communications to holiday pics and pictures of the kids and dogs! Again, managers should share successes and achievements and be clear about the next steps and team and company objectives. Regular team meetings allow all the team to come together regardless of location. Upon enrolling in the workshop, participants will be contacted by PD&T staff with additional details how to attend using either format. Currently, with so much change in the way employees are working, businesses must update their people about the potential return to work options, health and safety measures in the workplace and other business-related issues that affect employees. “It’s very simple, right,” Justin says. Some employees will have managed their job around childcare, and others may have worked different hours. Huge, another creative agency, has transformed its Wednesday lunchtime runs into virtual events at which colleagues share selfies and videos of their neighborhoods. Ford Motor Company is partnering with 3M and GE Healthcare to produce ventilators, respirators, and face shields. “We keep employee morale high by sending out thank you notes to our employees currently working from home. When we all help and encourage each other, we all win. With a view of bringing our employees back in the near future, we’ve also arranged for each of them to undergo e-learning courses to refresh their knowledge on their expertise & also on the day to day policies we have in place. 1. LVHM and Ford have been able to take their existing manufacturing facilities and convert them to produce hand sanitizers in one case and respirators in the other. John Florez is CEO of RightWorks, Inc. To put it plainly, keeping morale high during a worldwide crisis isn’t just about increasing team productivity with easy incentives. Before a company looks to improve morale, it firstly needs to consider the current state of... 2. This can be unsettling and a review with staff to redefine their position and reassure them that it is secure and gain feedback from them to ensure they are comfortable with the changes can help to lift morale and establish a new focus. There’s an adverse risk to morale if employees give feedback, and the results are left unactioned. How to Keep Morale High During Challenging Times Communicate, communicate, communicate. A recent survey showed. They might also be an opportunity for employees to introduce the team to their pet or home office, which can be a light-hearted way to build a team and encourage bonding. Research shows that employees feel overwhelmed and unproductive amidst the uncertain climate of the business world. “It’s the same concept in combat,” Justin says, “where soldiers will take a knee so they can catch their breath and reconsider their situation.”, Another way to get more focused on what’s important is to let unimportant tasks and assignments go. Surviving downsizing: 7 ways leaders can maintain high productivity and morale when times are tough Back to video The true test of an effective leader is one who can successfully steer an organization through a major shakeup while maintaining the confidence and commitment of employees. I’m not a member of the latter so don’t know what goes on there! How Companies Can Keep Employee Morale High During the Pandemic 1. So, it’s not just OK, it’s advisable to step aside to gain perspective. Don’t Overwhelm Employees. I feel well supported by my employer at this time. Supporting staff during difficult times is par for the course — now more than ever. Right now, that’s your people. “If you’ve got to take care of your family,” Justin says, “take care of your family.”, And employees should also feel permission to take care of themselves. I am satisfied with my employer's response to the COVID-19 situation. Again, this is only beneficial if the feedback is reviewed, and solutions are offered. Employees need to feel like the company trusts them to continue to work flexibly. Prioritize 1:1 and team meetings and check-ins to ensure benchmarks are being met. It’s no easy feat to achieve high employee morale. Now more than ever, bosses, managers, and team leads should make it a point to acknowledge good work and celebrate achievements. Recognition helps employees to feel more secure and encourages good behavior. Managers have had to adapt to managing their teams differently, and they will also have their own personal challenges. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A site manager at BASF Ham noted that when the management team’s response time to people’s concerns lengthened, it made employee morale drop. Yes, we do have cake on employee’s birthday. Teams and individuals need to be told where the business is really at, what they can do to help and what is expected of them for the company to not only survive, but prosper. Therefore, businesses must look to increase employee satisfaction and engagement to improve productivity and lower costs. More Tips From Toronto Recruiters to Boost Employee Engagement. We have also been sure to maintain communications and 1:1s on an individual level to ensure that everyone, including those staff that are furloughed – feel included and part of the team. Employees need to relate to one another to stay unified during turbulent times of change, and these exercises are perfect for facilitating that connection. But if you had good workforce morale before coronavirus interrupted your business, you already know how to produce it. Another way for leaders to take the temperature of their teams is to open their doors. Morale of those returning after furlough has not been an issue as everyone has been very eager to return. I have the resources I need to do my job. Customer satisfaction surveys can identify/rate how happy the employees currently are, although, conversations with the employees about what else could make them be happier/feel more supported will make them more grateful and engaged. Ask if they have the information and the resources they need to work from home. View increased flexibility as a positive investment in employees. They’ve found this to be an excellent way for employees to unwind between intense coding sessions. 3 Ways to Keep Employees Engaged After Downsizing This influx of working from home has allowed many employees the flexibility they may not have had in the past. We keep in touch with them regularly. Some of the things we have put in place since the beginning of furlough include continuous contact with employees asking about their wellbeing & explaining the current day to day challenges of the business (both positive & negative). All decisions have been based on business needs rather than the perceived financial savings. Despite this new normal, there are plenty of ways to keep morale up and ensure that employees don’t feel isolated during these difficult times. And now is no different.”. Strong morale is never a luxury item; it’s always an essential. . Company volunteer programs are a powerful engagement and retention tool. Communication via video has also been essential for team morale and cohesiveness – we have a daily round robin at 9.50am called the 10:10 – a chance for everyone to catch up and address any issues/queries they may have, as well as monitor health/COVID issues. Sit down and find out what employees want to get out of their jobs and the company in general. In the vein of making work life more manageable and elevating employee morale, PepsiCo introduced the Process Shredder. Employees are looking for advice and encouragement from their leaders, particularly when the emotions are running high. But knowing how to motivate employees during difficult times can boost workplace morale and make it easier for them to face personal, professional, or social challenges. It may only need to be half a day, but it’s essential to organise specific sessions for team discussions about business changes and updates, team bonding activities and social time. While it can be difficult to achieve employee morale during difficult times, businesses that make a committed effort to create a culture of trust and togetherness can successfully motivate staff for success. It doesn’t matter if you are the MD, HR Manager or a general employee, encouraging staff to be aware of others, applauding each other’s efforts and acknowledging your teams successes, will give them that much needed boost during these difficult times. Companies that can sustain employee morale while coronavirus disrupts their business will be better off than those who watch it vanish. “I do know it’s going to be tumultuous, difficult, and uncertain. Provide unprecedented flexibility to your employees. If employees are feeling confident and enthusiastic, they’re much less likely to follow through on solutions. For instance, Google offers its employees ping pong and foosball tables and video games. How to Keep Your Team’s Morale High During Difficult Times NOTE: This workshop will use a hybrid format where participants can join in the classroom at UNH-Manchester or online via Zoom. Employee morale isn’t like widgets, which you can count as they drop off the assembly line. And focus on what’s important. 1. The company crowdsourced 260,000 employees, asking them to “name one process that stops you from getting things done fast.” (At Pepsi, it turned out to be the performance management process.) Children, parents and other family factors are vital to our employees’ wellbeing and ability to work. The main aim being to ensure everyone keeps in contact and can see their colleagues albeit on screen. Whether it comes from the top of the business or a line manager, effective communication can aid morale. (I would fully recommend using Perkbox for this). Often, it’s small things that can raise morale. Create more … Required fields are marked *, Copyright © new Date().getFullYear()>2010&&document.write(""+new Date().getFullYear()); | All Rights Reserved | Website Maintained by Athena Web Designs, You need to agree with the terms to proceed. It’s hard to quantify. The main thing that has been our mantra during lockdown is being wholly flexible with our staff in relation to their individual requirements. If you’d like a little help or just an independent outside perspective on how to put these 10 tips into action. Deloitte’s 2017 Volunteerism Survey found that 89% of workers believe such programs create a better work environment and 74% think they strengthen everyone’s sense of purpose. Keeping Employee Morale Up During Difficult Times As a result of recent developments, with an increase in remote working and government requests for individuals to social distance, employee morale is rapidly declining. The old adage of ‘No surprises’ is relevant when looking to keep morale high. Take control of an ever-changing situation and adapt fast. Keeping employee morale up can be difficult in the best of times. “We can’t predict where the 2020 economy is going to go,” writes industry analyst Josh Bersin, founder of Bersin by Deloitte. “There’s no new default setting for working hours,” Justin says. Putting out messages on the important group lets staff respond and for others to share their issues. And Facebook did that one better by giving every employee an “exceeds expectations” review for the first six months of the year. For example, Apple, Salesforce, Facebook, and Johnson & Johnson all donated masks for healthcare workers. The remaining staff will be brought back when the demand for work in their area increases. As Justin says: “The fundamentals are still applicable.”. With an increased number of the UK workforce working from home during COVID-19, it has created the challenge of ensuring morale from a distance. Such knowledge can increase employee pride and trust in the company they work for and gives them a bigger picture idea of their purpose, which can boost morale and engagement. How to Motivate Employees and Shape Your Company Culture During a Crisis. Embrace Zoom and other technology to make sure your people see you every day (or more when warranted). And if your company has a program that matches employee donations to nonprofits, now is the ideal time for a callout of that benefit. Companies must ensure that they are also communicating with managers and supporting them during difficult times because if managers have low morale, there’s a risk it can transfer to their teams and affect their wellbeing. Keep your door open--literally and figuratively- … But that’s just what Justin Black does. Social events can also be held virtually to encourage engagement and show recognition. He sent a memo (via Slack, of course) telling employees: “We got this. As employees work remotely, it’s easy for them to lose sight of the bigger company, so management must remind them how the business is performing and how they and their team are contributing. To honour this dedication, many organizations chose unusual ways. It is a small token of appreciation, but our employees have expressed that they really appreciate the recognition.” - Darryl Smith, Founding Partner at Florida Car Accident Lawyer Team Managers can organise a specific day for team building and put it in the diary just as it would be if the team were all meeting in person. Justin, an industrial-organizational psychologist and the head of people science for Glint, says: “For people like us who work at the level of deep employee engagement, the fundamentals are still applicable. Also, keep in mind that you may need to communicate more than you think and repeat the message frequently in times of crisis. Meetings or one-on-ones using videoconferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, or Skype are an obvious way to do this. Managers who have a challenge of managing teams virtually can build team morale, but they need support too. Listen attentively. Be Intentional About Communications It’s crucial … Google is showing its flexibility by postponing employee reviews. Others are fighting the ultimate struggle of work-life balance because […] Talk with them. Be sure to remember the following six tips to get your employees on board: Be transparent when making big decisions Team socials have always been essential to our team cohesiveness and sense of fun and unity. Make work fun. COVID-19 has shown us that homeworking can be productive in many different circumstances. Here are three ways employers can reduce panic and keep employee morale up during the coronavirus outbreak. instituted a five-minute virtual dance party, Apple, Salesforce, Facebook, and Johnson & Johnson all donated masks, offered 30 days of free storage to college students, produce ventilators, respirators, and face shields. Give them agency and autonomy. Equally, little things can adversely affect it too. . And that’s especially true today. We are celebrating victories. Taking regular breaks throughout the day is important to keep productivity and morale high and disturbing your remote staff during this time can have a negative effect. Essentially, Stewart is cutting his employees some . These engaging techniques can help in conversations with employees in other areas of the business e.g. Spirits distilleries from the Bay Area to the United Kingdom have also turned their focus to hand sanitizers. In this environment, remember one thing: If you take care of your employees, they will take care of you.”. COVID-19 has significantly changed the way we work, and these changes will continue to shape the workplace environment. For instance, a leading paint company announced annual appraisals for all employees during these turbulent times. Your email address will not be published. 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