How to increase morale of employees

This week I had a visit with Salt Lake entrepreneur Amelia Wilcox, founder and CEO of Incorporate Massage. She started her company four and a half years ago, to provide corporate massage services for a variety of organizations. In that time she’s established presence for organizations in the intermountain U.S. and most recently is opening locations in Texas and Philadelphia. Research on the prevalence of corporate massage is scarce, but most sources indicate  its popularity is growing, and an article in the Financial Times quotes at least one company reporting a 25% decrease in time off for workplace injuries and a $200,000 decrease in compensation claims when it implemented a corporate massage program.

Amelia Wilcox is the founder of Incorporate Massage, of South Jordan, UT. (Image courtesy of... [+] IncorporateMassage.com)

As programs have become more prevalent Wilcox has differentiated and specialized her company’s offerings by pioneering a software platform to provide full-service scheduling, reminders, reporting and billing. This is particularly compelling for large companies who want to share the cost of massage services with participating employees but prefer to not be encumbered with administrative details.

Wilcox reached out to me after watching the video of a presentation on entrepreneurship I gave at Utah’s Snow College last year. As we talked about the growth of her service, the conversation led to the many ways organizations, large and small, can reward and motivate their employees beyond the obvious reward of a raise (which, ironically, is well away from the biggest motivating factor for today’s employees according to leadership expert Joe Folkman).

Corporate massage is gaining popularity in organizations that provide wellness programs

So I invited Amelia to share her own favorite strategies for motiving team members. She provided six ideas, as follows:

1. Give them a reason to believe. Your employees are part of something bigger than themselves, but do they know it? From the first interview, potential candidates need to understand and share in the vision of what you are doing as an organization. That vision alone will motivate and inspire your team, down to its junior members, which comes back full circle in effectively facilitating company growth. For her company, as an example, the company’s true purpose is “Improving Lives” as every team member is aware. The team is directly improving the lives of the individuals they provide massage therapy for, but is also improving the lives of HR teams by administrating the entire massage program fully, leaving them free to do their own jobs. Additionally, they improve the lives of CEOs and stockholders by improving employee retention and morale and decreasing worker’s comp claims and health insurance cost. And they improve the lives of people in local communities by helping businesses succeed, which improves the local economy and creates additional jobs.

2. Show you care. Recognize every single employee’s birthday. Send gifts for new babies and weddings. Be involved in employees’ lives to let them feel loved and valued not only as employees, but also as family members and as human beings. “When people are loved, they will give more than you can imagine they could for you and your cause,” Wilcox says. In her company, she sends gifts to employees around every possible event in their lives. “Employees are the lifeblood of our operation. We want to make taking care of them our highest priority and to make sure they are ridiculously happy at all times.”

3. Recognize the good. When someone is doing something awesome, tell them. Recognize the individuals on your team who receive good feedback from your clients. It’s important for employees to feel their efforts are being recognized, and the recognition further perpetuates their desire to go above and beyond for your clients, which of course, sets you apart as an organization as well. Says Amelia, “We ask each client how their therapists are doing, and we pass that positive feedback on publicly at our team meetings in the form of “Kudos.” Negative feedback is also passed on, but privately, and proper corrections are made.” In our own organization we provide periodic surprise “spot bonuses” to highlight achievements that are above and beyond.

4. Learn the value of “fringe”. Your company may not be at a point that allows you to offer a competitive full benefits package. But you’d be surprised how far a few small (and inexpensive) benefits will go with your staff. Amelia reports that her company gives each employee a massage every month (other regional companies such as Property Solutions and Usana Health Sciences have jumped on board in offering this benefit as well). “We also provide a monthly wellness allowance our employees can use on anything health and wellness related,” she says. “And we feed our team (with healthy food options) at every meeting.”

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5. Promote from within. When your employees see that there is room to advance their career within your organization, it speaks volumes. Find out what skills and talents the different members of your crew possess and find ways to develop those skills for future use in your business. When you have a stellar team member, help invest in the training they need to advance as your company grows. In Amelia’s case, she reports that almost all of her leadership team is made up of Licensed Massage Therapists who began as practitioners and who exhibited skills that allowed the company to advance them to leadership opportunities over time.

6. Bring on the fun. An organization that plays together stays together, Amelia maintains. This is a common thread among the fastest growing companies in the Utah region and appears to be true for other regions as well. Companies such as Vivint (one of Forbes’ Most Promising Companies for 2013) throw huge summer parties with horse drawn carriages, massage, face paint, bonfires and dirt bikes. And nobody parties like Utah’s Clearlink, with dunk tanks, races, coin pools, face painting and snow cones. Property Solutions rocks their employees’ worlds with a winter retreat with an overnight stay at a winter resort that includes swimming, massage, facials, games, snowmobiling, paintball, and, of course, ample food. Even as a smaller organization, Amelia’s team hosts a summer bash for staff and families. (Single team members can bring friends and roommates instead.) A bounce house, live band, face painting, food and dancing prevail. For the holidays, the company hosts a fancy dinner and movie premier night for each employee plus one. These celebrations acknowledge to employees that the organization can’t succeed without them.

The common theme in all of these ideas is caring, recognition, rewards and appreciation. These small steps can go far. What additional ideas has your own organization used with success? For readers who would like to reach Amelia Wilcox directly, you can find her at www.incorporatemassage.com

If you're tuned into your workplace, you can tell when employees exhibit the subtle and not-so-subtle symptoms of low morale: eye rolls, high turnover rates, fewer employee conversations, decreased collaboration, and diluted performances.

The best approach to tackling low morale is to embrace positive changes before it takes hold, offsetting boredom and frustration with meaningful benefits, individual acknowledgements, and opportunities to grow. Here are 20 proven ways to get the ball rolling:

How many times have you been to a company outing that missed the mark? Instead of putting your HR team in charge, ask for anonymous nominations for a company-wide outing -- then let your team vote for their favorites. Giving employees the opportunity to shape rewarding activities ensures that your effort serves everyone.

Email not only drags on employees' productivity, it wears on well-being by increasing stress and requiring high levels of reactivity. In fact, 92 percent of employees experience a spike in blood pressure and heart rate after reading an email in the office. Instead of utilizing email for all communication, integrate software like Trello, Asana, and Slack to lessen or completely negate its impact.

Executive coach Rodger Dean Duncan describes jerks as those who "intimidate, condescend, or demean, swear, behave rudely, belittle people in front of others, give only negative feedback, lie, act sexist or racist, withhold critical information, blow up in meetings, refuse to accept blame or accountability, gossip, and spread rumors, use fear as a motivator, etc."

What's the easiest way to boost morale? Let go of the jerks -- weeding out this kind of behavior among upper management can have an even greater impact on employee morale than raises or promotions.

A posture of openness gives employees permission to contribute to positive change. Google, for example, uses a survey called Googleist to elicit feedback from employees on a wide swath of issues. It then recruits volunteer groups to tackle issues and solve the company's biggest problems. At When I Work, we use a tool called TinyPulse. Brainstorm ways to incorporate regular feedback into the life of your office.

Forty percent of millennials expect promotions every one to two years. To maintain employee morale among a new generation of employees, you need to emphasize the viability of your promotional tracks. Be clear about opportunities to grow, not just during recruitment but on a regular basis.

Research suggests that only one in five people take lunch breaks and that white-collar workers are least likely to step away from their desks for a break. Management professor Kimberly Elsbach told NPR that “staying inside, in the same location, is really detrimental to creative thinking.” Get managers on board to take a coffee break, go for a walk or check out a new restaurant every day. Those people have the greatest leverage to model morale-boosting habits.

Just as employees are hesitant to step away from their desks for lunch, they often shy away from vacation time despite its potential to boost morale. Some companies try to break the mold by offering unlimited vacation days, but that's not necessarily a solution either. As writer Lotte Bailyn argued, "Unlimited vacation time may sound wonderful in theory, but in reality, less is more. Too much choice is restrictive and confusing." Instead, increase vacation days and add a bonus for employees who truly take a time-out -- no work email, no phone calls, no laptop on the beach.

Individuals experience higher morale when employers appreciate them as people first and employees second. You can still recognize personal milestones and losses while respecting privacy -- even a simple note from you would do. Respond as you would to a friend, with kindness and consideration. Seeing as how 78 percent employees spend more time with co-workers than they do with family, a supportive community will go along way to fostering happiness.

Work anniversaries are relationship milestones between an employee and a company. According to a survey from Globoforce, 82 percent of people would feel good if people noticed and recognized their work anniversary, but only 36 percent of people say a work anniversary made them feel valued. Have a conversation with your staff about the best way to honor work anniversaries. And while you're at it, make sure to celebrate your company's birthday. It's a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your mission while generating good feelings.

By offering to pick up the tab on some essentials, you nurture a positive relationship with employees. Consider paying for or subsidizing transportation, technology, gym memberships, or childcare. If your company enjoys partnerships with other organizations, consider asking them to offer a mutual discounts on services for your and their employees.

Family is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Opening your doors to children, spouses, parents, and siblings connects professional and personal worlds. No doubt, families will feel pride upon seeing the work of your employee in their natural habitat, garnering appreciation and a shared sense of connection.

A 2013 Harvard Business School study found that giving clear, unconditional, and unexpected financial gifts to employees leads to higher productivity. As the researchers state, "Gifts are roughly as efficient as hiring more workers." Imagine the positive impact you would have giving a big bonus to a single mother supporting a family or a young professional paying off student loans? Unconditional gifts can revolutionize your employee morale.

Playing games leads people to compromise, meet others' needs, and work together as a team. Diffuse a competitive environment by incorporating humor and play. Add a Ping-Pong table to the break room, bring in a karaoke machine once a month, or even encourage a small group to undertake an art project for the office.

When a blizzard, flood, or hurricane rolls into town, be especially cognizant of employee safety, and when necessary, let workers stay home. As an alternative to an awful and extended commute, chances are employees will be more productive during a snow day at home than they would in the office. Also note that a lenient inclement weather policy is particularly important to employees with young family, as childcare options are rarely available when schools close.

In fields such as finance, law, and medicine, young staffers are expected to put in heavy hours. Despite the appearance of productivity, this marathon-approach to work weighs on well-being and doesn't necessarily increase results. Empower employees with time-management training and peer support, as well as clear boundaries around office hours.

Companies like Adobe, Deloitte and Kimpton Hotels have adopted sabbaticals as a way to increase quality of life and encourage retention among employees. Based on the time of service, an employee can take a break to pursue her passions, volunteer, or spend time with family. These kinds of extended breaks give individuals a viable option beyond quitting or transferring to a different company.

Eligible employees can work toward their degrees remotely while working at the coffee giant. Consider putting aside money for professional development programs and to reimburse employee tuition toward academic degrees. Not only will it boost employees' achievements and self-esteem, it will empower your company with a competitive workforce. Starbucks is leading this trend, having just expanded their employee tuition reimbursement plan in partnership with Arizona State University.

The best team-building exercises will overturn organizational structures and allow individuals to explore their own strengths. Instead of playing "the trust game," encourage employees to lead voluntary workshops or exercises in an area they are knowledgeable about -- an avid outdoorsmen could plan a kayaking trip or a top-notch baker could teach people how to bake a new recipe. The options are endless!

Cake is great, but instead, give your employees the ultimate birthday boost: an extra day off to spend whenever and however they like. Your generosity will come back in the form of employee appreciation.

Employees often feel overwhelmed. Instead of expecting individuals to do it all, encourage outsourcing work to freelancers and outside experts as a way to plug in the holes. With specialized contractors implementing strategy, you free up your employees to think big and develop innovative initiatives.

Studies reveal that a key employee's exit can cost between 70 and 200 percent of the individual's compensation. With high costs accompanying low morale, it pays to invest in a positive community and individual satisfaction -- they can go a long way to improving your company and its numbers.