Things to actually improve morale?

[Royalbloo]

So, I've just started a new job and am responsible for a significant amount of people. Not showing off - I'm incredibly lucky to have found this role, and take my responsibility to these people very seriously.

Does anyone have any long-lasting ideas to improve morale as they are all a bit fed up? I've held meetings with them all to hear them out as I felt they needed a vent, but there's WAY more to do.

I'm considering things like:

Increasing their lunch break from 30 mins to an hour, so they can actually do something meaningful/have a break and eat lunch in a proper time frame

We have fruit delivered on a Wednesday but it's a bit of a gimmick and we have billions of apples left over ALL the time...

I don't want to put in a pool table or have some forced fun quiz on a Friday, but do any of you lovely women (or people) have any examples of things that weren't massively costly, but made a real different to peoples lives?

Thank you!

In this case they probably feel like they have no input into decisions that affect them.

Ultimately it depends on whether management are actually open to listening to their opinions. I’ve worked in places where decisions were just made with no attempt to listen to any input from employees and ones where we were at least consulted for ideas before a decision was made, I can tell you where I felt least frustrated.

Team bonding events in or near the office. Cocktail making, scavenger hunt, which team can build the highest tower out of junk, etc

Hell on toast for me.

This sounds like hell. Most people do not want to spend time from their actual life outside selling their labour with colleagues. 🤢

There is low morale (very low) in our workplace die to favouritism and select meetings with a select few.

Things would improve with genuine praise and engagement with all staff. Things like cupcakes etc don't work.

Listening and responding. You sound so good and caring it will likely improve naturally.

I have a friend who is a massage therapist. She is employed by several large companies to wander around their offices for a few hours each week, and anyone that requests, can get a neck massage while sat at their desks. I would love that.

She says is amazing how many people are online shopping when they should be doing their jobs!

A garden space. Staff can either help with the garden or just enjoy sitting in it to eat lunch. There's a lot to be said to getting in some green space.

Staff engagement.
Recognition.
Bonus.
Early finish Friday.
Dp's company is now paying for groups to organize social gatherings between themselves. Instead of the whole company socializing. Basically, socialize with who they want to.
Team-building days are bloody awful, no forced fun.

You think they’re already well paid, they have pretty flexible working and can WFH.
I mean, nobody is going to say no to an extra 30 mins of paid lunch break (and like others I’m interested in the rather quick decision on that!) but if your morale issue isn’t money or time, nice though the 30 mins is, it will make no real difference.

I have really high morale. I really like my job. When WFH I don’t stop for lunch regularly anyway - I might go and get something and sit outside when sunny, or not be hungry but take an hour as I’m going to the post office, or eat a snack at my desk and work non stop as I’m busy / interested in my task. Extra 2.5 hours a week would literally make NO difference to my working day or morale. I’ve been here years, and I’d actually have to go read my contract to even tell you what my contractual break is - no idea.

You need to listen to them. You can’t go back on that 30 mins, but what if you’ve used up your upward credit or budget my rushing to do that?

The team that I worked in with the lowest morale, were a team who had a difficult job where a LOT of things went wrong. We were seen by the sales team as a bunch of junior admin staff who were clueless, couldn’t get anything right. We were actually highly experienced and working under high pressure - we just happened to be the Shit Sorters.

So our then boss set about raising our profile.

• name change from ShitShow Worker to ShitShow Manager


• all new sales team were brought to us as a stage of their induction to understand what we really did


• our boss started putting more of us into update meetings in his place: if you’re in the “manager meeting” others see you that way


• he actively took every opportunity in call to defer to us instead of summarising for us - raising profile and feeling of seniority

Our job really didn’t change so much - still shovelling shit! But we went from being seen as fuckups responsible for the shit, to heroes fighting it.

Really listen to what they said in their meetings and take action.
Being heard is a massive morale boost.

Please be aware that many people really hate "star of the month" type stuff - it never seems to actually recognise the people that deserve it, and it gives the impression everyone else isn't worth that month. Recognise people by listening to their views on things and valuing that input

Recognise the unofficial support networks - the mechanism by which biscuits appear on a desk of somebody who has looked a bit off (they've probably been spotted crying in the toilets) or someone you wouldn't expect to be a particular location is there (listening to someone who is stressed/upset/demoralised) and is later seen coming back from smoker's corner when they don't smoke or a third person just happens to turn up when they're needed for no apparent reason.

Often, it's not the expected person that's doing this. The self defined Mother Hen is unlikely, the union rep is improbable.

It's a less obvious one - who has learned through bitter experience that management wellbeing initiatives are more about the manager's targets for appraisal and to have a means of collecting information on employees for the boss. They quite often are present but step away when the Mother Hen bowls in to the rescue with a metaphorical superhero theme apparently blasting in their head. And they're the one who always seems to know where a secret stash of stationery/spare toner/the cleaning equipment is because they wouldn't walk away and think 'That's somebody else's job' and actually talk to others.

No online surveys - they're a) to give formative and summative data for management appraisal and b) inviting employees to stick their neck out and be marked as troublemakers, even if its claimed replies will be anonymous.

Don't draw attention to them for this in something like a bloody star of the week (is this school?), as that can take away their perceived independence/discretion, which is part of their appeal. If you're doing that sort of thing, do it for their actual job.

But you could ask their opinions on ideas, not in a 'we know people talk to you' way as much as a 'I thought of doing this, but I wanted to ask a few people what they thought first and if they can spot anything I haven't thought of'.

Look at how the team respond to things - silent because any dissention would lead to punishment, lack of enthusiasm 'will I have to make the time up because if I attend this, I'm going to get even more behind?', do they ask for help or do they say nothing because they've learned that here, asking for help is a sign of weakness and they still won't get any. Are people relaxed enough to eat together or are they too stressed and uncomfortable to do so and food is either skipped or crammed down whilst nobody else is looking?

You need to be seen as actually there for their benefit, that them being happier is good for the company so the company want them happier. Otherwise, you're just another manager who will move on after another appraisal cycle or so.

No public praise ....it's cringe and always makes others feel more shit.
Individual thanking of staff personally for something you've noticed them doing is much better

Longer lunch is great as long as that doesn't impact on pay.

Flexi working if possible

Communication communication communication.
Ive been at work for 44 years and in every single job I have had both private and public sector any morale issue has been down to lack of communication.

Years ago, I worked in NYC for large mutual fund, insurance company which worked a four day week from the end of May until Labor Day (early September). One or two people in each department worked Fridays and had Monday off in lieu so everyone had a three day weekend every week. But hours were not lost: we started an hour earlier (which is fine when it's hot) and worked 30 minutes later, which is also okay. It was rare for people to quit during summer.

In our own (very micro) SME, we have a company camper van that everyone can book for holidays/weekends for £15 per day. We bought it cheap before COVID and the staff do the maintenance when work is slack. It has a tent and awning, so it's good for festivals etc, which appeals to the people with one or two kids, and those without.

The longer lunch breaks will be great for some and less so for others- true flexibility to start and finish at times that work for each individual is much better.

Embed a culture that genuinely values work/life balance. Make sure that people don’t work over their contract hours on a regular basis- publicly enforce that, and, and this is crucial- model it yourself. It rings hollow if the boss tells you one minute that they truly value work/life balance, and then the next minute mention that they were working til ten last night themselves. But if you make a point of leaving or logging off at a normal time, and saying you aren’t going to do something until Monday, people will trust that they can too.

Do little things that make work more comfortable. Get rid of the dress code, if there is one. Have lots of plants around. Encourage people to have meetings outside on nice days. Make sure it’s a clean, comfortable, welcoming environment with lighting and temperatures at the right level.

Another idea, hijacked from a friend, was to insist that everybody should have a day off for a young child's birthday. Or at least to avoid scheduling a business trip that day.

You can give all the flexitime, cakes and gold stars you want, but what people really need is for you to sort shit out.

When I've taken over unhappy teams I find out what is the biggest thing that is making them unhappy in the first place and we look as a team on how we can remedy these things and what I have to do to make things happen. What red tape can you remove, or sort in bulk, or what processes can be put in place to remedy this? What needs developing and who has the skills to drive this, and who needs to learn things to share across the team. What is the most important thing to tackle first? Who is the buggest moaner and how can you rope them into the solution rather than being the problem? Who needs to be networked with to get stuff changed? What other teams do you need to liaise with to resolve some problem? Etc etc etc...

Just been reading this out of curiosity and it’s made me a little teary realising how much bullshit I’ve been putting up with in my own job, and that it really is time to move on. I think I needed the little extra push. So many great ideas in this thread, but more importantly, it boils down to respect. And that’s what my job is lacking.

(senior admin with managerial experience, remote or hybrid, if anyone is hiring! 😆)

So what about people who didn't have children, either through choice or involuntarily?

I really wouldn't borrow ideas from US organisations, they're not known for their adherence to any form of respect for workers or adherence to employment legislation.

(I work for a global org with a strong US presence and I regularly thank my lucky stars that I'm protected - for the moment - by EU legislation.)

In this weather, arrange for an ice cream van to show up and shout your team an ice cream.

My team were a bit miserable when I took them on. The thing that's made the most difference is managing them differently. Instead of micromanging I've given them tons of autonomy, asked for their advice and acted on it and just trusted them. I'm able to be flexible with things like appointments and childcare emergencies as well.

I also make sure I acknowledge them to other senior leaders and say 'X has worked really hard and done a great job on this'.

We have quarterly awards as well where there is a smallish financial award, and they are for things like kindness and teamwork as well as job performance. They go down quite well.

Agree with sorting shit out. I will also take hard decisions with/for them and deal with the consequences myself which helps.

They're loads happier! I'm not sure a fruit basket would help. Also agree with modelling good work life balance. I was bad at this and got much better and they all remarked on it in my 360 appraisal.

I like your longer lunch idea.

This is going to sound strange but are the staff treated like human beings?

Are they able to get away for gp/dentist/apps when they need? Do they feel able to ring in sick without getting their head chewed off or guilt tripped? When they're ill or have an emergency come up are management understanding? When they make a mistake are they met with anger/contempt? Are management approachable and respectful? When a team member is off/sick/on maternity is adequate cover provide or do the rest of the staff just have to add more to their workload without it being reflected in their pay?

Might sound silly but as an employee those are the things that would make my worklife happier and easier, and therefore more productive. A miserable workforce just means the staff turnover will always be very high and good staff will be lost.

The managers I always have the time of day for listened to me when I said something was unfair and then agreed. (It was unfair) That one act of humanity guaranteed my loyalty with them.

For me, it’s not longer lunch breaks or fruit but decent, honest people who don’t always have to be right.

I manage and people seem to like that I am cheerful, put things positively and view things from a “how can we improve?” Rather than “you did that wrong” point of view. I stand up for them too.

Ar my last job l used to dread asking for holiday. I knew l was entitled to it but the boss would make you wait for ages before letting you know if it was authorised or not. Used to really piss me off.