As we enter 2023, strategic plans are being locked down and performance goals are being entered. These are important tasks, but it is also integral that employers take a breath to do a temperature check on employee morale.
There is no question that employees are an organisation’s best asset and when a workforce is engaged and motivated to bring their best selves to work amazing things can happen. But do we take their morale for granted and expect employees should be self-motivated to positively go about their work?
Every employee undoubtedly has a role to play in contributing to a positive culture and morale is a key part of this. But equally, organisations have a responsibility to ensure that the workplace environment, conditions, perks and leadership are conducive to mutual success.
Employee morale can be defined as the amount of satisfaction an employee has with their job, current working conditions and environment. The term ‘employee morale’ is usually used to define an employee’s attitude and outlook on their job, work mates, conditions and their employer.
It is a qualitative metric that has been strongly linked to employee productivity and ultimately an organisation’s success. While morale may only be one piece of the ‘success pie’, it is undoubtedly an integral one. This metric tells employers if workers have a positive attitude about their position and it is also a strong indicator of discretionary effort.
Given that employee morale measures how an employee feels about their work; why wouldn’t this be key information?
There are direct links to productivity, collaboration, engagement, sales and of course loyalty. Understanding the ‘baseline’ provides quality information for senior leaders to start to unpack. What do they need to do more of? What should be removed from current work practices? Where are the low cost, no cost opportunities for a quick result?
Like other key work priorities, it takes time and effort to shift the dial, but it can be done. When employers commit to engaging with employees to measure morale, they are creating an important baseline from which they can track over time to determine positive changes and analyse where the investment has paid dividends.
Morale data can naturally be determined in ‘real time’ by engaging in meaningful, authentic conversations with employees. Planned and impromptu catch ups are always going to play a vital role in unpacking opportunities to increase the employee experience.
Aside from one-on-ones, a popular manner to gauge this information is to ‘survey’ the employee group. The benefit is that you gain a baseline of both quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (descriptive) data. When these elements are combined, leaders are well positioned to identify the issues, determine priorities, integrate a plan and monitor success.
Unlike engagement surveys, which are extensive and usually conducted by external organisations annually, an ‘employee morale’ survey is usually quick to complete and can be conducted quarterly in the first year to ‘kick start’ a focus. This should be carefully positioned to eliminate workers feeling disengaged from a process designed to improve the environment.
All employee morale surveys need to be carefully constructed to ‘hit the spot’ with the unique audience. There are endless external organisations that specialise in constructing employee surveys, but it can also be as simple as a workgroup coming together to design some questions based on their knowledge of the employee group and what they would like to learn more about.
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1. |
Describe 3 things that motivate you at work? |
Everyone has different hooks. It could be reaching the annual bonus or working on challenging stretch projects. Understanding hooks enables leaders to prioritise the right opportunities. |
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2. |
What do you enjoy most about working with your current team? |
This provides insight into the positives of the current team environment. Do they love team meetings? Maybe you need to do more of them. Do the Monday morning catch-ups create a sense of community? How can this be built on? |
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3. |
How would you describe the values of this organisation? |
This question may help to uncover an underlying issue. For example, if employee responses indicate the top priority are profits, then there is some work to do in establishing employee value. |
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4. |
What would you like to see more of from your current leader? What would you like to see less of? |
This one makes leaders nervous, however given leaders are a strong contributor to retention and engagement; it is critical. It can also be a powerful and positive experience. |
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5. |
What do you dislike about the current work environment? |
This is a broad question that can really deliver some gold. Understanding these insights can allow leaders to make a quick decision about an element that may be disengaging a number of employees. |
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The below are scale-based questions designed to build quantitative data over time. |
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6. |
On a scale of 1 -10 how valued do you feel in the workplace? Expand with detail |
Feeling valued is often rated as a top engagement hook and it can go a long way in lifting morale. If the survey reveals a low score, this provides an important opportunity to consider how this can be improved across the business. |
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7. |
On a scale of 1 -10 how supported do you feel to perform your role successfully? Expand with detail |
When employees feel supported by their leader and the broader business, there is generally an uplift in both culture and productivity. It may be some employees are feeling in over their heads with workload and this information is invaluable. |
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8. |
On a scale of 1-10 how likely are you to recommend (insert business name) to family and friends? Expand with detail |
The greatest sign of a positive culture is when employees are prepared to tell their friends and family about your organisation as a great place to work. If this is not happening, it highlights a key issue that needs urgent attention. |
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9. |
On a scale of 1-10 how inclusive is (insert business name) ? Expand with detail |
Employees who feel that they can be their ‘whole self’ in the work environment are unlikely to be engaged or successful. It is relevant to gain a valuable insight into the employee’s lens on inclusivity. |
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10. |
On a scale of 1-10 how secure do you feel in your position? Expand with detail |
It is difficult to have strong morale when you are expecting to be made redundant each week or if you are reading about one large change after the next. If employees do not feel secure this could highlight a key issue with your communication and change management plans. |
There is no perfect employee and no perfect work environment, but when you ask the right questions and take positive actions it goes a long way to building a beneficial partnership. Open the topic of morale for discussion and consider some small changes that may bring much needed change. Many employers believe that they can’t afford to listen to employees; but the truth is you can’t afford not to.
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
