19 experts share tips on boosting employee morale in the workplace

“Employee morale is a set of attitudes that employees have about their work, the organization, and those they work with – coworkers and supervisors.” 

“If I see an employee who seems motivated, disciplined, and satisfied where they work, I would describe them as having high morale.”

“This definition encompasses all aspects of employee morale, such as engagement, job satisfaction, personal well-being, and outlook on the work.”

“Employee morale is how employees feel about coming to work each day. For most, this means feeling like they’re in the right role for themselves and their goals, how much they feel seen, acknowledged, and respected, and how much they resonate with the company as a whole.”

 “Employee morale is favorable or strong when employees are optimistic about their work environment and believe they can satisfy their most critical professional and vocational needs.” 

“When applied to a group of employees it looks like a team that’s excited to come to work, energized by what they do, and therefore driven to meet goals and objectives. Imagine a team lacking in morale — they would be skeptical, low energy, and easily distracted.” 

“Workers with strong morale are healthier and more productive, and organizations with satisfied workers have been shown to make more and perform better than their competitors.” 

“The evidenced confidence, commitment, contribution, and collaboration of an individual or a team at any given time. Morale is important but those Four C’s directly correlate to satisfaction and retention, productivity, quality of work product, and ultimately your customers’ experience.”

“There’s a misconception that employee morale is about happiness or generic perks, but this isn’t the case. What most employees want is a deep sense of purpose, true respect for both contributions and aspirations, plus meaningful opportunities to build new projects that create an impact.” 

“To me, it’s the love of what they do, the love of working at the company, and the love of working with people there. It’s the sense of purpose in their work.”

“To me, employee morale means providing confidence and trust in the teams we work with. If we encourage our team members to be more solution-based, it empowers them to find answers to problems we’re facing, further elevating their career growth opportunities and morale.” 

“Morale is a precursor to employee engagement — employees who don’t feel satisfied and positive towards their work, aren’t likely to be engaged in it. At an individual level, employee morale will drive a person’s motivation, contributions, and commitment to their work and business.“

“Positive employee morale is a byproduct of creative, thoughtful, genuine engagement initiatives built on the needs of employees.”

“Morale is different and less complex in concept than the hot topic of employee engagement but is an important element of engagement. Similar to engagement, morale is personal.”

“Employee morale essentially captures an employee’s outlook, attitude, and confidence level at work. Why is it critical? American workers report that only 39% are actively engaged at work.” 

“There is a war for talent that has been raging, and even more during the pandemic. It has been referred to as the Great Resignation as talent has more access and choices. We also see a more ‘nomadic’ workforce as the typical Gen Z may work for 8+ firms in a 30-year career.” 

“Low morale is linked to low engagement and can result in poor organizational commitment, this basically means that employees who have low morale, will feel less enthusiastic and connected to their work, and as a result, may have diminished feelings of commitment to our organization, if left unchecked this might result in the employee leaving our business.

Low employee morale contributes to poor organizational culture, the effect of one employee with low morale, left unchecked, can seep into a wider team dynamic causing a myriad of issues within the team.”

“High morale in a workplace leads to more productive, more engaged employees. It’s also a key factor in employee loyalty, making it a crucial aspect of the workplace to improve for those suffering from high turnover/low retention.”

“Even in the workplace, we are still human beings, not machines. Thus, emotions and feelings affect us, and they influence our performance. Team members with high morale inspire and motivate their colleagues to accomplish more as a team.”

“High morale can impact so many areas that are key to company success, such as relationship and communication quality, focus on resolutions to issues, and better creativity!”

“When morale is good, employees are energized and committed; when morale suffers, so do other things like workplace relationships, productivity, and commitment.”

“Employee morale is the single biggest factor to whether an individual or team brings their A-game and does truly innovative work. 

To be clear, most people aren’t consciously sitting around intentionally withholding their best work because they don’t feel appreciated. What we see, across countries and industries, is that employees inherently go above and beyond when morale is high. 

This really isn’t surprising — humans usually respond with generosity, focus, and excitement when we feel heard, appreciated, and that we’re part of something important.” 

“Morale is critical to the quality and quantity of work that employees produce, as well as how willing they are to remain with the organization. Creativity, communication, engagement, motivation, teamwork, and efficiency are all shaped by employee morale.”

“Employee morale is essential to every business because it directly affects how employees perform. Employees with higher morale perform better and are more likely to go the extra mile for their employer. High morale teams also provide a more enjoyable customer experience.”

“At their worst, people with low morale may be negative, hypercritical, and bring down the morale of the people around them.”

“It’s important to not only pay employees appropriately and even above market rate to be competitive but to follow the trends we have been seeing that indicate that all employees want work that is fulfilling. 

Fulfilling work rests on office dynamics and how it affects their personal self-view.”

“In an environment with high employee morale, employees trust that they have the resources and benefits to reach their goals, manage their health and financial concerns and their employer cares about their well-being. 

As a result, they feel a strong connection to the brand, work collaboratively to solve real challenges, and are empowered to contribute their ideas and opinions.”

“Most employees want to find a compatible employer — an organization they align with and can trust — one that has their best interests at heart.”

“People have a lot of options — especially during this time (the Great Resignation). Showcasing what differentiates us (the organization) from others is valuable and increases morale.

Highlighting the personal approaches an organization is taking to understand each employee (their strengths, weaknesses, and being a personal cheerleader for them) is going to boost morale and encourage them to stay within an organization.”

“If there is low morale, people will leave (or be constantly thinking of leaving, affecting their performance) for the allure of higher pay, a better job, better culture, etc.

This can cost a fortune in terms of employee performance, lost productivity, lost time, and costs training someone new — who may not work out. 

Morale means people will usually do their best, commit to the team’s success, vs. just being there for the almighty buck and not really care about what they do — affecting customer satisfaction, revenue, etc.”

“People need to feel emotionally connected and treated well in their work environment; they need to feel positive about their leadership, peers, and the work that they’re doing.” 

“Employee retention is higher in businesses with excellent employee morale — happy employees want to stay with your firm for the long term. This is why organizations with good morale have higher employee retention rates.

Employee retention is critical to your business’s success. For a growing company, the expense of high turnover may be daunting, especially when you’re continuously seeking to replace individuals with specific and sought-after skill sets. 

Employee retention and satisfaction are important performance factors for a company’s success. As a result, it is worthwhile to place a premium on employee morale to retain valuable teammates.”

“Organizations that prioritize employee morale deliver personalized, consistent messaging throughout the employee journey, boost engagement, performance and attract high performers.

In the age of the Great Resignation, high employee morale reduces staff turnover and recruitment costs, lowers medical expenses and absenteeism, and improves brand reputation.”

“It’s all about reading the room and showing care. 

A manager can think they’re doing an amazing job, but if they don’t regularly take the pulse and truly comprehend themes from team feedback, it’s likely that morale will take a serious dip. 

Since morale is tied to employee feelings, and it’s intangible, the keys to boosting it are:

• Listening to your team.
• Encouraging and accepting feedback, without being defensive.
• Owning the power you have as a manager to influence morale.
• Communicating consistently.”

“Care about employees, and prove it to them – take an interest in their lives, challenges, goals, and support them to get there.”

”Leaders have the power to set the tone for their teams and can focus on a few key things to boost or maintain high morale”

Build personal relationships. Know people’s partners’ and pets’ names. Treat people like people, not like cogs in a wheel. 

Open up, share, and be vulnerable. When you admit mistakes and challenges, people know they don’t have to be perfect.”

“For all people managers, I highly recommend starting with leadership coaching, therapy, and/or meditation to prepare one’s mindset. Like parenting, your employees respond to how you’re being and behaving, not what you tell them.” 

“Employees want to be trusted. Leaders need to establish goals, boundaries, and rules of engagement and then get out of the way and let the employees get it done.”

“Make the time to have consistent check-ins with employees. document the conversations, and follow through with all questions and longer-term goals. Having this level of attention and motivation will boost morale and also help employees feel like they have someone in their corner. 

Trust is a big factor in a relationship and can be done only through these strategic touchpoints. These are also special moments to highlight things they’re doing well, how they’re progressing in this career path, and encourage them to improve areas of weakness.” 

“​​Employee morale is a serious consideration for organizations and should be at the forefront of considerations around how we lead our teams. 

High morale will go leaps and bounds in creating high-performing teams and workplace cultures, resulting in better overall business performance. 

Leaders must understand that they play a role in maintaining employee morale and must be part of the solution when deciding on how to get employee feedback, coach and develop their team, and recognize them accordingly.” 

“Be strategic in not only what you say, but when you say it. The more transparent you can be, the more your team will trust and follow your lead.”

“Leaders need to create a positive environment, where employees feel valued and respected. This starts with open, active, and transparent communication.”

“It’s also important to ensure consistency around communication is occurring. When people feel heard and understood — they’re more likely to feel like they’re part of something bigger. 

They should be acknowledged for wins, and areas of improvement. Only then, does the line of trust and morale grow.”

“Employers that listen and use the input to develop a culture aligned with people’s values and beliefs create a future-ready organization where employees feel cared for and supported and don’t want to leave.”

“The employee wants to know their voice matters, so leaders need to be good listeners and actively seek employee input.”

“People managers should dedicate blocks of time (one hour per week per employee) to not only review the output of the team and its individual members but to nurture each team member by:

• Brainstorming opportunities to connect with them based on their interests.
• Reviewing onboarding personality assessments provided by DISC or another organization.
• Dedicating time to think about what may be happening in that person’s personal life (based on what was shared by the employee) and go out of their way to follow up.
• Dedicating time to review/remind themselves of the ideal career trajectory of each team member and ask themselves if their current project is in line with this person’s long-term goals.
• Preemptively suggesting and getting approval for continuing education, technical development, or leadership opportunities per member unrelated to their work output. Not needing to earn these opportunities but have them provided because they are a valued member of the team.”

“People managers need to enroll in an empathy course to develop empathy skills so that caring about each member becomes more natural than what was the norm in previous years.”

“High-quality managers clearly communicate their expectations for each team member and provide quality feedback for their team. 

These interactions help improve the work environment by making it clear to team members their role and how they contribute to the organization’s overall goals.”

“Identifying the gap and coaching it can help boost employee morale when the issues are associated with skills-based or self-efficacy issues. Low employee morale can be a result of the employee underperforming in their role. 

Taking time to understand if and where employees are struggling in their roles and helping them to bridge the gap from where they are to where we need them to be will help build their own self-belief that they’re capable (self-efficacy) boosting their motivation and satisfaction and show that we care and value their contributions.” 

“Mass emails are often seen as employer spam. As a result, this kills morale, wastes people’s time, and leads to disinterest.”

What she proposes instead of email is to “distribute personalized messages to the right employee at the right times based on their preferred communication, showing employees their time and opinion matters.”

“Employers and supervisors can give employees the skills to ask for feedback to boost employee morale. Managers have led the feedback process to assist staff in course correction and growth. 

However, the greatest method to improve the free flow of feedback is to encourage people to seek it out independently.”

“Welcoming your team’s feedback and acting upon it is another significant morale booster, the exact opposite of a demoralizing attitude where employers suppress their staff’s voices and act as sole decision-makers.”

“It’s important for all leaders to understand that feedback from employees may feel uncomfortable but accepting radical responsibility for addressing employee morale happens at all levels — as leaders, we’re part of the problem and the solution, so we need to take accountability for this.” 

“Distribute monthly pulse surveys to managers and employees to track employee morale and gain feedback on employee benefit packages, recognition programs and improve internal communications.”

“Employee morale increases when people feel they are respected and acknowledged for the important contributions they make to the organization – and they are empowered to do their work.”

“If you need your workers to do their jobs well and on time, it’s worthwhile to make efforts to heighten overall team morale. In my opinion, employee recognition is a key factor in boosting morale. Making your hard workers feel valued with verbal praise or cash incentives provides a great performance boost.”

“Take responsibility for people’s results (this does not mean you actually have to DO the work) and find ways to help them to get there/ask them what they need/help them figure out what they need.”

“Providing recognition and acknowledgment are essential in letting our employees know we see them and value them. This doesn’t necessarily mean rewarding using cash or monetary bonuses — the latest data suggests that money-related bonuses are less effective than other means. 

Ask your employees how they want to be rewarded and what they value, this might be flexible working arrangements, rostered days off, contributing to local charities or volunteer work, or perhaps monthly and quarterly team recognition days. 

Many organizations fall into the trap of thinking cash is king when it comes to employee recognition and often miss the mark with what motivates employees and makes them feel good about their work.” 

“Smart companies understand that generic perks like parties or swag won’t help much with morale. Instead, smart companies invest in benefits, bonuses, and professional development. 

But companies that are really leading understand that even money and benefits only go so far. After all, if compensation were the key to employee morale we’d see high success rates in finance, tech, and other highly lucrative industries.” 

“A good place to start is with employee pulse surveys that “take the temperature” of your current work environment. You may find it helpful to make these anonymous, especially if you think some employees may be dissatisfied but fear reprisal if they speak up about the issues they’re having.”

“Understanding the cause of low morale is an important place for leaders and organizations to start when trying to boost morale. It’s seemingly simple but connecting with employees and providing them the opportunity to voice their challenges and concerns will help uncover the root causes of low morale. 

Think about it. No one likes to feel unseen and unheard If there’s no mechanism in your organization for employees to contribute their opinions in this way, this is where you need to start.”

“Managers taking the time to recognize and celebrate their team’s achievements help show the team that their bosses are invested in their work and appreciate their effort.” 

“Employee recognition is about identifying and communicating their accomplishments. Particularly important is to explain how it impacts their team or company as a whole. 

As a result, employees know their efforts were noticed and their work matters, making their effort truly rewarding.”

“Workers want to feel that their hard work is appreciated, and many prefer to be compensated for it when feasible. Managers who consistently point out employees’ faults, on the other hand, create a breeding ground for employee unhappiness.”

“Leaders must create an environment that offers value, drives learning, promotes cohesion, and is positively framed. This will increase morale, which leads to higher job satisfaction, productivity, engagement, and retention.“

“Set a clear mission and vision. Clear direction is energizing and allows people to remain focused.” 

“Organizations need to create new opportunities for diverse talent, change business processes, help employees form respectful social connections, and create a culture where differences and similarities are appreciated and embraced.”

“With an employee-first approach, not only will you notice a peak in your employees’ performance, but you’re likelier to observe a smoother workflow with lesser things that need fixing later.”

“There are some things that are often successful in improving morale. One of these is giving employees more agency and flexibility to work when and where is best for them.” 

“Building flexibility and decision-making into the workplace culture also generates empowerment and morale.”

“Keeping employees engaged in a hybrid work environment involves meeting them where they are and prioritizing their needs, which then become prerequisites — and the foundation of an overall wellness strategy. “

• “Be purposeful in connecting with colleagues.
• Offer grace in acknowledging that we all work differently, especially when doing so remotely.
• Always offer flexibility to your teams, particularly because everyone’s personal and professional lives are now intertwined. 
• Support and promote mind, body, and financial wellness with your employees.”

• “To boost employee morale, we created weekly company-wide emails to offer business and pandemic updates, encourage transparency, and ensure company-wide alignment. 
• We kickstarted monthly company-wide strategic briefing sessions with our leadership team, which provided insight on business priorities and changes in strategy and empowered us to launch new initiatives. 
• Lastly, we surprised all employees with a series of monthly brand box mailings, ranging in value from $150 to $200. They were carefully curated and included items based on the season, well-being, and an element of doing good or giving back to the communities we serve.”

“Mental health, financial challenges, and wellness challenges have impacted the workplace. 

Yet, people with health or financial difficulties often don’t get the help they need because of the stigma and discrimination they face. Dedicate the time and resources to expand employee mental health, financial education, and well-being benefits.”

“Providing ongoing training is also an essential consideration for organizations and will continue to keep employees engaged through learning and skill development.”

“Fixing these problems is a very effective way to increase morale across your organization, especially among employees who belong to marginalized communities.”

“Managers and team leads must ask themselves:

• Do employees feel appreciated, rewarded and do they align with the culture?
• Are you confident your employee’s well-being, health, and financial wellness are top-of-mind?
• Does your organization listen to their concerns and apply employees’ ideas?”

“Engaging and listening to employees demands a level of personalization throughout the employee experience that builds trust, encourages open communication, and boosts productivity. 

Adopt an integrated communications platform to highlight their total rewards package, aid in listening to employees, send and receive personal benefits communication and tailor the employee experience.”

• “Design your team’s experience to support their specific needs — after all, teams are made of actual people with distinct strengths and life circumstances. 
• Start by asking your people what they need, work with them to try things out, and co-create a phenomenal working environment that makes it easy for them to feel great and do amazing work. 
• Cultural differences? No problem — be humble, bring in help, or better yet, empower people to design their own working environments.”

“Providing opportunities for employees to have fun and bond leads to the development of a positive work environment where they get along and facilitate each other’s jobs.”

“Form a culture committee that is more than a cross-functional and multilevel team but representative of employees with different personalities, education, interests, hobbies, race, and sexual orientation. 

The committee’s goal is to plan programs, actions, and events that support the company’s mission, purpose, and values and help employees discover common interests and values and views.”

“S – Status — Ensuring that employees have a sense of importance in their role, a sense of potential, and recognition of success. Also a respectful feedback loop on challenges.

C – Certainty — Providing certainty regarding company direction, role expectations, and individual professional development opportunities.

A – Autonomy — Give employees freedom of choice wherever possible. Break down top-down management silos and empower employees with decision-making, options, and flexibility.

L – Likeness — Create opportunities for individuals to feel part of a group or community. This could be project teams, or even less formal.

E – Equity — While there is a greater conversation to have about workplace equity, at its foundational level ensure that all employees are treated fairly, have a voice, and feel heard.”