During this recent period of economic hardship, a frequently asked question from our customers is “What can we do to boost staff morale without going broke?” This is a great question at any time, but it applies especially now that many companies have gone through downsizing, which always takes a toll on morale. Below is a compiled list of tips that you may find helpful in giving your employees the morale boost they need.
Ideas to boost morale at low cost
Simply saying “thank you” doesn’t cost a penny and is very helpful. There are many creative ways to say thank you like:
* Write a thank you note
* Award a certificate of appreciation
* Leave a thank you note in the employee’s work area
* Announce your appreciation through the company paging system
* Publicly express your appreciation at a company meeting or event
Random Acts of Kindness (similar to the holiday favorite Secret Santa). Employees who choose to participate choose the name of another participating employee and at some point in that week do something for the chosen person. Some ideas are to introduce the chosen person, answer her phone, bring her a flower or bring her a donut and a cup of coffee.
Host a silly contest like; The ugliest tie, the dumbest socks, the ugliest pants or the ugliest sweater and award prizes to the winners.
Have “late Mondays.” If possible, allow your employees to arrive an hour late on a Monday morning once a month, or leave an hour early on a Friday.
“Noon movie” sponsored. Once a month (depending on employee schedules), set up a VCR in the dining room and show a fun movie during lunch. If time is limited, show reruns of “Seinfeld,” “Fraser” or other comedies. You can also have employees sign up to bring their favorite movies and share them with their co-workers.
Have a “Guess the Baby” contest. Ask the staff to bring pictures of babies and put them on the wall. Give a prize to the employees who can guess the most correctly.
Hold non-monetary office groups at high-profile events like the Oscars, the Superbowl, or the NBA Championship.
Host a potluck that encourages employee participation and is profitable. Also, there are a plethora of variations such as; breakfast or brunch, holiday themes, cuisine from different cultures, color-themed meals, or a shared meal of desserts.
Installed in “Humor Corner”. Designate a section of the office as the place for humor and encourage employees to post cartoons, jokes, or other amusing material. Buy some disposable cameras and ask employees to take random candid photos of themselves and add them to the “Humor Corner.” (Be sure to get permission from the employee in the photo before posting.)
Send birthday and/or anniversary cards to employee homes. This simple and sweet gesture will remind employees that you care about them as people.
Take your employee out for a cup of coffee or, if you have multiple employees, bring coffee and bagels one morning for the whole group.
Many of the above suggestions are contests, and of course contests should have prizes. The prizes do not have to be elaborate and there are many low cost prizes, such as:
* A couple of movie tickets.
* An hour or two of paid time off
* Leave one hour early or arrive one hour late
* Granting an extended lunch period
* A special parking for a day, week or month
*Place a photo of the winners on the “Mood Board”
* Print award certificates
* $10.00 gift cards to a local coffee shop, yogurt shop, or gas station.
* Flowers or a plant for your desk(s)
* Box of chocolates or a jar of candy/trail mix
