Low Cost Ways that Improve Employee Morale - FAST

How you can Fire Up Your Staff On A Shoestring Budget

By Harriet Meyerson

The large call center room was painted stark white. Numerous white pillars were surrounded by gray work stations. I had gone there because the manager had asked me to help raise employee morale. Absenteeism at the call center was so high they had to employ extra people in anticipation of absentees.

My first thought was, "Something has to be done about these depressing surroundings...

"Can you paint the room a soft pastel color," I asked?

"Sorry," she answered, "We don't have the budget."

"Well."I suggested, "How about putting silk flowers throughout the call center."

"Sorry," she answered, "We don't have the budget for that either."

Grasping at straws, I said, "How about decorating for a holiday each month?"

"I could do that!", she replied."Halloween is coming up next month."

After leaving the call center room, I sat down with the manager and six of her supervisors in a small conference room, and I explained the basic theory of employee morale and gave her ideas about what she could do to raise morale at her company on a shoestring budget. Here's what she learned.

The strategy for boosting employee morale - fast, is based on Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of five basic human needs. He arranged these needs in the shape of a pyramid with each level forming the foundation for the next level.

The bottom level of the pyramid shows the most basic need humans have which is mere SURVIVAL.

Level two of the pyramids represents the need people have for SECURITY. Most businesses provide for these two needs with a paycheck.

To attract and keep quality employees you must do more. This is where the next three levels of Abraham Maslow's pyramid enter the picture. They address what I call the Fire Up needs.

The three FIRE UP needs

1. The first of the Fire Up needs is SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE. Employees need to feel accepted as a contributing member of a team. Employees need to have fun as well as meaningful interaction with other coworkers. People feel less stressed and more tolerant of others when they lighten up and have fun together.

2. The next Fire Up need is for ESTEEM. Employees need the respect of their coworkers and supervisors. People need to feel that they are important and that they matter. This is reinforced with appreciation and recognition. There are many creative ways to reward, appreciate, and recognize people not only for their work, but also for their attitudes.

3. The third Fire Up need is for SELF-ACTUALIZATION which means continuing to learn and grow in personal development. Many companies only give training in work related skills. It is important to also offer personal development training.

I told the manager that any activities she did that filled one or more of the three Fire Up needs of social acceptance, esteem, and self-actualization would raise employee morale.

One month later...

I returned to the call center a month later - in mid October. As I entered what last month was a stark white room, I was speechless! The call center's operations room had been transformed into a haunted house! Ghosts, goblins, and big black spiders were hanging from the ceiling and cobwebs were everywhere.

"The employees did it themselves! They brought in their own decorations. They were so excited! It really developed a team spirit," the manager excitedly explained.

And what's more...

Then we went over the other changes that had taken place in only 30 days. They had divided the employees into morale boosting teams of 6-8 people. They chose team names and mottos. Each team posted a team banner in the employee lunch room. The teams would take turns planning and writing the new "Employee Newsletter." The employees had already had put up "Wanted Posters" listing their personal and work goals.

A contest matching employees with their baby pictures was in process.

"They are so excited about this contest. It's been going on all week and Friday they get to find out who is who," the manager proudly said.

"Everybody is so fired up, and the best part is that absenteeism is way down because nobody wants to miss out on all the fun! That saves us a lot of money hiring and training new employees."

Get Creative low-cost Employee Morale Boosters for your workplace...

Take a peek inside the Employee Morale Center.. The ideas, forms, and certificates, and tons more morale boosters will keep your employees energized, happy and loyal. They contain everything you need to boost morale - on a shoestring budget.

* For details and to take a sneek peak inside the Employee Morale Center Click Here

Employee Success Toolkit

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