By Janet Smith, APR
President, The Power of Goodwill LLC

Most people have an innate desire to contribute and to be valued for their contributions.  Small business owners may question whether this statement applies to minimum wage workers, seasonal workers or student interns—and indeed, it certainly does. These employees sincerely want to be your cheerleaders, and low pay is rarely to blame for low morale. It’s usually the boss who is at fault.

To build a culture of high morale, workers must be somewhat self-motivated and glad to have the job. Beyond that, you must create an environment that makes your employees so happy and so engaged that they will sing your praises to co-workers, family members, and—most importantly—to your customers.  The following list provides solid guidelines for turning employees into cheerleaders. It will take effort on your part—but the result is well worth it.  

First, hire people whose skills and personality are a good match for what they’ll be required to do. Do they readily agree to the hours, clothing requirements, and workplace location? Don’t force the fit.

First Day Memories
Before an employee’s first day of work, send a welcome package with a note signed by co-workers, a t-shirt or other item with your company’s logo, and some information about the company. Call employees before their first day, confirming the starting date and time, parking arrangements and other details.  

On an employee’s first day, make introductions and bonding with co-workers a priority. Don’t underestimate the importance of ensuring that new hires connect with co-workers right from the start.

Provide significant, ongoing information about your company and its customers and other key constituents. Most employers significantly underestimate the amount of information that employees want and need. Explain the company’s mission and goals and give frequent progress reports, connecting what the employees do every day to the attainment of goals.

Make Expectations Clear
Be very clear about your expectations, rules, policies, and standards. Put as much in writing as possible and don’t expect employees to read your mind.

Don’t throw your employees to the wolves. Provide exceptional training and don’t place your employees in difficult, stressful situations until you are certain they are ready for it. If you absolutely cannot avoid a trial by fire situation, acknowledge that it’s going to be difficult and tell them how to get help if necessary. Assure them that you’re behind them, and express your appreciation.

Reward and recognize your employees frequently. Do some research or hire a consultant and put a solid program together that acknowledges various levels of excellence, including on-the-spot recognition and awards for doing something above and beyond what is expected.

Provide an excellent work environment and appropriate tools. This might mean a comfortable chair and workstation, good lighting, proper safety equipment, enough change in the drawer, or sufficient inventory. Graciously provide what they need.

Empower All Employees
Empower your employees to make customers happy. Impossible, you say? Consider the Ritz-Carlton, which empowers employees (following an extensive orientation process) to spend up to $2,000 per incident to ensure customer satisfaction. No questions asked, no approval necessary. From the bellmen to the housekeepers to the front desk clerks, they can do whatever is necessary to delight the customer. At the very least, trust employees enough to give an unhappy customer a complimentary dessert or some free coupons. Empowerment gives employees at every level a special sense of pride in themselves and their employer.

Minimum wage workers and short-term workers have goals and dreams. Help them grow and learn through cross training or job shadowing, providing access to online courses or off-site workshops, or assigning special projects.

Make Work Fun
Find time for some fun on the job. Surprise employees with treats during a meeting or take everyone out to the ballgame.

Don’t yell at, humiliate, belittle or make fun of your employees. If you can’t control your temper, please get professional help. Don’t abuse your employees.

Be nice. Take an interest in your employees. Take their concerns seriously, ask them to help you solve business problems, encourage them to express their opinions and provide feedback. Ask about their families and their lives, and most of all, listen.

Always Say Thank You
Say thank you, and say it often. There is research indicating that employees need to be thanked a minimum of once every seven days to truly feel appreciated on the job. Yet some workers say they almost never are thanked for anything they do. When thanking an employee, specifically mention something they have done”: “I’ve noticed how you always take the time to make special covers for our board reports, and I appreciate that extra effort.”

Create a high-morale culture, and you’ll discover why companies with highly engaged employees consistently have a healthier bottom line.