6 Facts About Workplace Morale to Know Cold for 2012

As 2011 draws to a close, many businesses are saying “good riddance” yet again. Maybe your company is among them: sluggish sales, rising fixed costs, and tied hands as far as maintaining employee happiness.

Wait…what? Employee happiness?

What does THAT have to do with anything? We’re trying to run a BUSINESS here, for God’s sake – not an employee spa!

Point taken. However, let’s not forget that work is done by people, and if you want to stay competitive in 2012 by providing the best work possible for your clients, you should make staff morale higher on your priority list.

Below are 6 immutable facts about workplace morale which every HR director, department manager or business owner should know cold as we enter yet another economically unpredictable year:

1.         Employees who don’t feel appreciated don’t work as hard – Yes, your staff is scared, and feel lucky to even have jobs in this economy – but they simply aren’t going to give their very best if they feel neglected, mistreated or exploited.

2.         A refreshed mind will produce better results – Working longer hours, weekends and taking work home will eventually take its toll on your staff. This is not sustainable, and you will notice their performance take a hit.

3.         Change, even well-intentioned, is disruptive and unwelcome – People have their routines, and don’t like them being messed with. 2012 will undoubtedly be a year of change, however, so know going in that your staff may be extremely unhappy with whatever’s coming.

4.         Nobody likes being talked down to – Be extraordinarily vigilant this year in how you address your staff, be it in person, on the phone or over email. They are more sensitive to nuance now than ever before, and will take extreme offense if they feel condescended to by management – resulting in increased frustration, decreased happiness, and poorer performance.

5.         Invest in your top performers if you wish to retain them – Bad economy or not, if your best people don’t feel that you are living up to your side of the employment “contract” – be it through compensation, advancement, skills development or networking opportunities – they are going to walk.

6.         People can smell BS a mile away – Be honest and upfront with your staff. Don’t try to sugarcoat, spin or mislead them into thinking anything other than the truth, because they WILL know the truth – and resent you for it. The result? Workplace dissatisfaction, and weakened performance.

Times are tough, and the bottom line comes first for all businesses – including my own NYC corporate team building business. However, putting the “human” back into human resources will produce better returns for you in the coming year.

Agree? Disagree? Please share your thoughts below!