The importance of investing in your employees

The “Great Resignation” that occurred worldwide following the pandemic gave business leaders a huge wake-up call. Many employees who searched for new employment felt undervalued and unheard in the workplace. This period proved it’s vital that business leaders understand how to make employees feel successful and happy with their work. Taking the time to understand what will attract and retain employees will help build morale and increase loyalty.

What exactly is morale?

When employees are satisfied with their job, look forward to coming to work, and associate other positive feelings with their employer, a business has high employee morale. According to Indeed, other factors of high employee morale include workers having a positive relationship with their manager, a sense of job security and a clear career path.

Merger surveyed North American workers and found the top three factors, in order, that help employees thrive in their jobs include doing work that fulfills them, feeling valued for their contributions and having a manager who advocates for them. If you’re sensing employees are unhappy or not thriving the way you’d hope, it may be time to reflect on your management style and policies.

Steps to improve employee morale

Begin by auditing your organization’s employee benefits and interview employees on how they feel about your company. This can be done via open communication between managers and employees or anonymous surveys. Taking the pulse of your employees’ feelings toward the organization is a vital first step.

During this process, be open to employees’ suggestions of how to improve morale and be proactive with ideas. For example, implementing programs that expand employees’ skillsets at work, and outside of work, is a great way to show workers you care. This could include training and classes related to your industry or offering guidance on managing personal finances or incorporating language learning programs. Implementing a strong paid time off program that encourages employees to spend time with their families can also increase morale and is particularly important to millennials who place significant value on work-life balance.

Why start now?

When employees are excited about their jobs and feel valued by their employers, it can lead to great things. Research shows that happy employees are 13% more productive than unhappy employees. Happier employees who were studied didn’t work extra hours; they used their time more wisely.

Furthermore, happier and more productive employees can mean great things for your organization’s bottom line. Not only is it important to implement these practices at your organization but ensure your company’s partners also invest in their employees. That way you can feel good about your business decisions and improve your business’ standing within the community.

Stefano Giannini is the operations manager at Sofidel America’s Green Bay plant. He’s worked at Sofidel for 13 years, starting on the finance team, where he handled mergers and acquisitions. He now supports the Green Bay team to achieve its targets via managing converting operations across several business lines.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Insight Publications, a division of Woodward Communications, Inc.