Boosting Employee Morale

Boosting Employee Morale

Employee morale is enhanced through constant employee engagement. Organizations that engage their employees create a competitive edge over those that engage their employees the least. Firstly, there is increased productivity since the employees feel like they are part of the organization and are willing to exploit their potential to help the organization achieve its objectives. Besides, the organization benefits from reduced turnover since engaged employees will likely stay committed to one organization. In this regard, strategies an organization may undertake to boost employee morale and engagement include recruiting the best talent pool suited for the organizational culture, subjecting candidates to tests that create an impression of a work environment that requires engaged employees, and providing training and development programs to further employees’ skill levels.

Recruiting

From the outset, the messages conveyed by the organization while recruiting should specifically target employees who want to be engaged. The job application advertisements should be designed in a way that attracts the target employees (Vance, 2006). To that end, an organization seeking to recruit engaged employees should declare features likely to attract engaged employees in the job advertisements. Such features may include challenging assignments, a highly skilled work environment, and minimal workplace supervision (Vance, 2006). Alternatively, the organization can hire its existing internal talent pool. Hiring existing employees bolsters engagement since the organization considers job fitness and offers current employees career development opportunities.

A study by Gallup shows that 70% of variance in employee engagement depends on managerial decisions (Gallup, 2020). Since employee engagement is the manager’s primary responsibility, they should do more to ensure an atmosphere of employee engagement is upheld at all organizational levels. To that end, recruiting current employees to new roles will play a significant role in ensuring long-term employee engagement.

Employee Selection

According to Vance (2006), the human resource team should also select employees best suited for the specific job and organization’s culture. Here, candidate assessment will help identify the most suited candidates for specific jobs. For instance, the interviewers should ask job candidates what they know about their jobs and require them to provide samples of their previous tasks. Conducting personalized tests for job suitability is more effective than conducting traditional personality and integrity tests. An employer who challenges their candidates during the selection phase creates a positive first impression, encouraging candidates to be growth-oriented in the long run.

Training and Development

Training and development also play a significant role in creating engaged employees. For new recruits, training begins from orientation. It is during orientation that the employer explains the work schedules, pay, and workplace policies. The orientation phase is also an excellent platform to align new employees with the organization’s mission. For continuing employees, training improves their skill level and encourages them to accept new and challenging tasks (Khan et al., 2016). Also, job training improves the value of the employees to the organization, creating a perfect opportunity for salary increments. Current employees are unlikely to leave the organization once their salary improves.

Employees are likely to stay in organizations where employers appreciate the importance of professional development. A recent study by Gallup shows that 68% of workers recognize the importance of upskilling when considering new job openings (Gallup Inc., 2021). In the same breath, 48% of employees would consider changing jobs if the new job opening offered them an opportunity for development (Gallup Inc., 2021). These figures emphasize why employers need to consider introducing skill development initiatives in their organizations to boost employee morale.

Resources Needed

One of the key activities to boost employee morale and engagement is to conduct training and development. The exercise will require online videos, books, mentoring, workshops, podcasts, and online courses. Training will also require hiring external trainers to conduct the training sessions. Whereas some training resources are free, the company will rely on budgetary allocations from the head office to facilitate paid training.

Conclusion

Increased employee morale is central to creating a committed and productive talent pool. Whereas monetary compensation is critical to boosting employee morale, it is not the only strategy that can enhance commitment in the organization. Boosting employee morale begins at the recruitment stage, where an organization hires the best talent pool well-suited for the organization’s job demands and organizational culture. Next, during the selection process, the selection team should subject candidates to rigorous tests that create an impression of an atmosphere that requires engaged employees. Also, training and development programs bolster employees’ skill levels, subsequently encouraging them to accept challenging tasks.

References

Gallup Inc. (2021). The American upskilling study. Gallup.com. https://www.gallup.com/analytics/354374/the-american-upskilling-study.aspx

Gallup. (2020). How to improve employee engagement in the workplace. Gallup.com. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx

Khan, A. A., Abbasi, S. O. B. H., Waseem, R. M., Ayaz, M., & Ijaz, M. (2016). Impact of training and development of employees on employee performance through job satisfaction: A study of telecom sector of Pakistan. Business Management and Strategy, 7(1), 29-46.

Vance, R. J. (2006). Employee engagement and commitment. SHRM Foundation, 1, 1-53.

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