Positive workplace morale isn’t just contagious, it’s a business advantage. “Most employers would agree that keeping employees happy and healthy is intrinsic to a company’s success,” writes Forbes contributor William Craig. Improving the attitudes and enthusiasm of your employees is key to company loyalty; Craig cites studies where organizations who undergo morale initiatives experience 89 percent better retention.
Happier employees are more likely to go above and beyond to provide exceptional work, which makes for better profitability for your organization. Read on for a comprehensive crash course on the benefits of boosting workplace morale and research-driven ways to improve your employees’ engagement.
5 Data-Driven Benefits of Improving Morale in the Workplace
Years of academic studies in workplaces across industries, including academia and healthcare, reveal that everyone within the enterprise benefits from better culture and morale. These benefits vary, ranging from more creative employees to happier customers and even fewer employee sick days.
1. Superior Productivity and Work Quality
When a work culture is filled with fear, researchers have found employee performance suffers. In contrast, when organizations boost morale through improving employee feelings of security, they can benefit from more productive and creative employees.
2. Better Employee Retention
When newly-hired talent is on-boarded into a culture where their opinions are valued, they’re less likely to leave. A nationwide study on teacher retention revealed a “culture that supports collaboration and teacher participation in decision-making” results in better morale and longer employee tenure.
3. Collaboration and Innovation
Employees who are engaged are more likely to take beneficial kinds of actions, including collaborative efforts with their colleagues to innovate. One research study that focused on improving morale in the workplace found that these “workgroup interventions” had a measurable impact on the productivity and effectiveness of the establishment.
4. Presenteeism
Employees who perceive their workplace as a healthy place to work are less likely to take sick days or other personal time away from the job, per research. It’s an unsurprising finding, considering that workplace stress can result in a number of stress-related health problems.
5. Happier Customers
There’s a trickle-down effect for organizations who boost employee morale through a fun workplace culture. Research links improving morale in the workplace to an overall better client or patient satisfaction scores. One such study linked “consistently high patient satisfaction scores” at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center to a “lighthearted approach.”
Meaningful Ways to Improve Employee Morale at Your Workplace
Some of the smartest ways to refresh your culture and take steps towards improving morale in the workplace aren’t necessarily high cost. Small measures, including redesigning your break room and offering complimentary snacks and drinks, can make an important difference.
Employee Events
Sponsoring employee events is a valuable way to introduce fun into the workplace and support employee relationship-building. There’s a variety of regular events at Expedia’s Great Britain headquarters, which is officially “the happiest workplace in London.” The organization takes advantage of their “huge roof terrace [to host] regular BBQs and other staff parties.”
Refresh Your Breakroom
Is your break room a communal retreat for employees to relax, have fun and form impromptu collaboration sessions? There’s value in redesigning your break room to include more than just lunch tables and a refrigerator. At consulting firm Bain, the break room is a multi-purpose destination that offers a “kitchen, ping pong table and a host of cafe- and diner-style tables.”
Support Employee Recognition
Efforts to recognize professional wins among employees and teams can communicate that your people are valued. Yelp’s sales department recognizes closed deals by ringing a gong and loads of cheering.
Offer Food
A superb break room can act as a morale-boosting gift that keeps giving, especially if you’ve got the one key ingredient to draw your employees in: free food. Offering a variety of snacks, including healthy options, can be a powerful tool for improving morale in the workplace. At Brooklyn-based Kickstarter, director of HQ Charlie Mirisola says that food has made the kitchen “definitely the social hub of the office.” Their offerings include breakfast foods, snacks and plenty of hot and cold beverages.
Invest in Coffee
There’s little secret that coffee is near-magical fuel for mood and productivity, one London-based organization found their employees were in 15 percent better moods and 16 percent better performance with access to caffeinated brew. Investing in the latest coffee trends could give you even more of a morale edge, including cold brew on tap and instant brew pods.
Stock Your Breakroom with the Right Stuff for Better Morale
Improving morale in the workplace can be made easier by stocking your break room with all the necessary ingredients to turn it into a cultural hub. Offering a wide range of drinks and snacks can show your employees they’re valued. A few of the most popular offerings by Corporate Essentials include:
- Coffee: Ranging from whole bean roast to kegerators of cold brew and single-serve pods.
- Cold Beverages: Coconut water, cold-pressed juices, energy drinks and probiotic beverages.
- Classic Snacks: Familiar favorites like Lay’s chips, Nabisco cookies, Utz and Tastykake.
- Healthy Fare: Fresh fruit, yogurt, Babybel cheese, Kind Bars, Muscle Milk and more.
Improving Workplace Morale Matters
Boosting workplace morale can have a revolutionary impact on improving employee productivity, creativity and customer happiness. For brands on a limited budget, stocking your break room with snacks and drinks can have a measurable impact on performance and morale.
Corporate Essentials offers a variety of snacks, drinks and break room supplies through partnerships with leading companies for coffee, cold brew, familiar snack time favorites and healthy fare. With offerings delivered straight to your break room, you can fuel a cultural hub for employee happiness.
