Maintaining the Productivity of Anxious Employees

Nikki KellyBy Nikki Kelly, Regional Vice President
Davidson Legal Staffing

Today's uncertain times make for jittery employees. I would guess that there are very few individuals working for you who are not feeling the strain of the current economy in some way, likely affecting workplace morale and productivity, making it more difficult than ever to motivate your staff. Meanwhile, you're trying to run an efficient business and increase profits. You feel the constant pressure to keep costs down and watch the bottom line. Who has time to spend worrying about employee morale and motivation? But businesses should be concerned about morale now more than ever.

Productivity and profitability depend upon happy and stable employees, because employees who know that their employees care about their well being are more apt to want to focus and do a good job. By putting some key factors in place, you can raise morale, your employees will feel more secure, and you will foster a more successful and prosperous workplace, even in the face of an uncertain world.

Keys to a Productive, High Morale Workplace

Communication

In many cases, all your employees want is to know what's happening. If you're not sharing the state of your company with your employees, it is likely making them more nervous than necessary. Even if your company isn't doing as well as it did last year, or even last month, the not knowing is even worse than a potentially bleak outlook. Share your mission and goals with your staff so they know what to strive for and what you're doing to ensure the security of their jobs. Request their feedback on decisions that affect their work. Your employees have a wealth of ideas just waiting to be tapped, and inviting their ideas and contributions will make them feel valued and a part of what you're trying to accomplish.

Family

It's wise to show your employees that you care about their away-from-work time, and your concern for work/life balance will be repaid with greater loyalty. You can use extra time off as an incentive for meeting a specific goal, or if the pace of the office allows, consider letting your staff leave early occasionally on a Friday. It seems contradictory to give them extra time off when it's likely that you now need them to work harder than ever, but an afternoon off is a small price to pay for someone who then recognizes your efforts, and redoubles their own efforts in return. You may have employees who are in a true financial crisis because of the problems in the mortgage industry, or perhaps even someone who is losing their home. While I don't believe it is your responsibility to fix the problem, it is such a huge relief to an employee to work in an environment where the potential hardships outside the office are recognized and cared about.

Resources and Comfort

Make sure your employees have the tools and resources they need to be more efficient and effective in their jobs. Help them to understand the concept of “working smart.” If training is necessary, somehow find the time to do it. Everyone seems busier than ever, and we have to be to maintain our businesses, but if we're not working smarter, working harder will have no impact at all. Resolve computer equipment failures quickly. Ensure a safe, comfortable work environment by removing hazards and having adequate first aid supplies on-hand and make a disaster preparedness plan. By doing so, you'll reduce on-the-job stress, injuries, and possibly even workers compensation claims.

Praise

Take the time to give deserving employees a pat on the back. Let them know that their successes make the whole team look good. It doesn't cost a thing to give praise, but it can mean a lot to your employees. When someone at Davidson Staffing does something exceptionally well or goes above and beyond the call of duty, we not only verbally acknowledge their actions, but do so in front of their peers. We also utilize “brag cards” to be filled out by a team member when they catch someone doing something great, then these cards are shared company-wide on a periodic basis. Having a bad day can sometimes be erased just by pointing out something a person should be proud of. Celebrate the small successes every day.

Community Involvement

Ask your employees to join you in volunteering time together to support a worthy charity. This is a great way to build team camaraderie while helping others who are less fortunate. Davidson Staffing and many of its employees volunteer time and resources to many charitable organizations and our staff feels so rewarded by our participation.

Fun

Annual company picnics and holiday parties are nice, but don't save the fun for special occasions only. Add some levity to the work environment by injecting fun into your team's daily duties. Have a spur of the moment contest based on something you are trying to achieve in the office. Give out $1 scratchers as the prizes. It doesn't have to be big, it just has to be fun. Employees who find work to be enjoyable (not just the work itself, but also the company and the environment) are more likely to be able to stay focused and committed. It's worth it.

At Davidson Staffing, we are proud of the fact that our employee retention rate is high. We value our employees and endeavor to show them that on a daily basis by providing a fun, exciting, and rewarding environment along with a clear understanding of the state of the company. The key is to be creative and always remember that without our talented employees, we would not be successful. If we remember that, and then act on it, morale stays up, employees like coming to work every day, productivity remains high, and our businesses have a much stronger potential to maintain, and even grow, in this unsure economy.

Back to Job Related Articles

California Job Search

Search Jobs

Resources

Featured Article

Davidson Newsletter

California Staffing and Recruiting Services

"On behalf of the Golden Gate Chapter [of ALA], I would like to express our sincere thanks for Davidson's continued support of the Association of Legal Administrators and of the Golden Gate Chapter in particular. We wish you every success in the years to come and look forward to our continued partnership."
- Doris Alexander

The Definition of Professional Staffing