Business leaders are always on the lookout for opportunities to improve productivity, engagement, and retention in the workforce. If you want to strengthen each of these metrics simultaneously, try boosting employee morale. After all, a happy and satisfied team benefits every aspect of your operation.

Employee Morale: Why It’s So Important

Employee morale is the way your team feels about their jobs and your company’s work environment. It encompasses employees’ attitudes toward everything from how much they’re paid to the relationships they have with managers and colleagues.

Your employees’ outlook directly affects their productivity. When workers feel good about their employers and responsibilities, they’re more likely to work hard. High morale also improves performance, job satisfaction, and company culture, making it easier to attract and retain top talent.

The opposite is also true, which means maintaining morale should be a top priority for business owners in every industry. Proactive morale boosters — initiatives that are designed to improve employees’ attitudes, such as team-building activities — can help you build a thriving culture. These positive actions also create stronger employee engagement, which is an effective way to enhance both productivity and performance.

What Factors Impact Employee Morale?

The factors that influence morale can be complicated;  they’re always evolving in response to changing dynamics in relationships and the workplace. As you’re managing a team, it’s important to monitor all contributing factors, including:

  • Leadership. Your company leaders have enormous impact on team morale. Their attitudes, management styles, communication, and mentorship shape the way employees feel about work. Managers who empower and appreciate workers are invaluable to any operation.
  • Communication. Employees value transparent communication; it sets clear expectations and eliminates confusion, so workers always know where they stand.
  • Pay. Fair wages that are commensurate with industry standards are essential to employee morale.
  • Work-life balance. Post-pandemic, employees are rethinking how work fits into their lives; they expect employers to provide flexibility.
  • Employee engagement. When team members feel directly engaged with the mission, vision, and success of the business, they’re more likely to have a positive attitude about their work.
  • Company culture. A welcoming and inclusive culture helps all your employees feel like a valued part of the team.
  • Interpersonal relationships. Healthy, friendly colleague relationships make any workplace more pleasant.

A downward trend in any of these factors can leave employees feeling unmotivated and disconnected, so it’s critical to monitor the health of your team morale and course correct as needed.

Ways to Boost Morale at Work

If you’re noticing signs of low employee morale, such as an increase in absenteeism or apathy, now is the time to act. Early action can resolve the issue before it leads to turnover.

Boosting morale often happens on two fronts: infrastructure and interpersonal relationships. The employer has control of the former, — they can create a better employee experience by offering flexible hours or remote work, better pay, equitable scheduling, and high-quality training for managers.

Improving the interpersonal aspect takes more work, but it also has the potential to create a lasting impact. Start by modeling, encouraging, and rewarding good team habits, such as setting goals, embracing a problem-solving attitude, and being inclusive of all employees. Ask your team members to communicate regularly and honestly, always with an eye toward building others up.

To help positive habits take root and build stronger relationships in the process, consider hosting team bonding activities. The best options for the workplace tend to involve communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. Not sure where to start? Try these fun ways to boost morale at work:

  • Schedule a company-wide competition. Form teams from different departments for a fun, lighthearted competition. An office field day, escape rooms, and scavenger hunts provide a chance for employees to build new relationships and solve problems together. For extra incentive, offer prizes such as an extra vacation day or lunch with the CEO.
  • Volunteer for a nonprofit. Employees can work together to benefit the community. Boost buy-in by asking workers to vote for organizations they care about. You might help build a house, clean up a city park, or run a food drive for a local food bank.
  • Host an elevator pitch contest. Ask groups of employees to present their wildest ideas to improve the company. The challenge? They must distill it to a 15-second pitch. Reward the winners by implementing the idea.

Boosting employee morale doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Sometimes it’s as simple as recognizing workers for their accomplishments or surprising your team with a free lunch. No matter your industry, showing genuine appreciation is a surefire way to help employees feel valued as people and professionals.

How Grubhub Corporate Accounts Can Help

Whether you’re planning a company volunteer day or rewarding your team members after a long week, a shared meal is the perfect way to enhance any employee morale-boosting effort. Dining together gives employees time to get to know each other in a casual setting. The positive relationships that result can raise morale, increase employee engagement, and improve productivity in the long run.

Grubhub Corporate Accounts streamlines the process for all types of teams. You can schedule catering or allow employees to choose individual meals; no matter which you choose, the food arrives at a predetermined time. For remote work arrangements, simply assign a budget to each at-home employee to get them in on the fun. Everything is billed to a single company account for convenience.

To add occasional employee appreciation meals to your team morale strategy, sign up for a Grubhub Corporate Account. Get started today.