How Workplace Morale Can Boost Employee Productivity

Is every day a ‘Monday’ in the office? Maybe you have lazy co-workers browsing Facebook every hour? Your workplace morale may need a boost.

Of course, there are a number of ways to make employees happier; vacations, promotions, raises. But the question every employer ask still remains:

“How can I make my workers perform at their very best?”

Since workplace morale can quickly make or break a company’s productivity, here are a few simple and creative approaches to think about adapting at your workplace:

1) Know your employees’ hobbies and host related activities

Everyone’s different – so the first thing you need to know are the employee’s hobbies. I’ve seen this be done by distributing a questionnaire/survey asking for the interests of each employee. It can have questions like:

• “What are your hobbies?”

• “Favourite sport?”

• “Favourite game?”

After you’re sure of everyone’s hobbies, work towards organizing popular activities that are best for your coworkers. For example at Phreesia, we rent a Basketball court every Wednesday and host a “PhunRun” on Thursdays where employees run for fun. Next up… Phreesia Ball Hockey!

2) Promote a work/life balance

Having flexible hours can make a world of a difference. Life is unpredictable and accidents can happen.

One way to promote a work/life balance is to offer the option to work from home. The luxury of working from home gives employees a chance to take a breather and save that one and a half hour bus ride. This is by far one of the most gratifying benefits I have at Phreesia.

When it comes to rewarding a job well done, offering employees paid time off goes a long way. Whether it’s for a day rest at home or a coupon for a day spa, it gives employees something they would call their mother to brag about.

Phreesia recognized our team’s hard work and recently introduced a new Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) policy. Now we can achieve a balance between personal and professional life without worrying about how many vacation days we have left.

3) Offer training

According to Gallup research, the top reason employees leave a company is for development opportunities (32% total). Thus, providing employees with effective training is sure to boost morale.

The best employees will continue to demand professional development opportunities that help them grow. This includes offering certification courses, bringing in experts for training sessions, and paying for employees to attend local conferences.

One way Phreesia offers development opportunities for our employees is through the Phreesia Passport certification system. We also have Friday Learning Sessions every week.

4) Make the office fun

If you can’t bring your employees to a party, take the party to them!

Workplace recreation is gaining popularity as a tactic to improve workplace morale. This ranges from offering fitness programs to entertainment programs. Who doesn't love a free gym and staff party room? Research suggests workplace recreation has a positive influence on employee performance variables: job satisfaction (92%), quality of service and customer satisfaction (72%) and enhanced productivity (77.5%).

At Phreesia, every employee is entitled to a free gym membership, free breakfast and snacks, and even beer on tap. My goal is to propose a foosball tournament arranged by team markets… but that’s another story.

Now you know the secrets to getting even more out of employees. Go on out there, embrace them and watch your coworkers become the best around – and also the most loyal workers.

Which other tips do you have for boosting workplace morale or employee productivity?

Anthony Trinh [Original Blog Posting Here]

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