Staff Morale and Motivation

Introduction

No matter what industry you work within if your staff members don’t feel motivated and have low morale then this can create many issues for you as the manager and your business as a whole. With each busy season fast approaching it may become a difficult task to keep employees focused especially when the Christmas holidays are fast approaching. Regardless if they ate long term employees or new additions their efficiency will directly impact the company’s productivity. If staff lack in motivation then the business as a whole is bound to suffer. Therefore, it is important for you to ensure staff morale and motivation levels are at their highest at all times as this is beneficial for your staff, you and the business.

Work, life balance

One way to keep staff motivated is to help them and promote a healthy work life balance this may mean limiting their overtime unless they request it and not encouraging them to work from home unless it is a necessity.  If you as management promote a work, life balance it demonstrates to your staff that you are concerned and care for their mental and physical health and well-being which will allow them to feel valued. If staff members don’t have a work, life balance then this can cause them to become stressed as they feel that they have an outrageous amount of work to do but when they have completed it their hard work is not valued by the salon, because of this they may take days off for ill health which can affect client appointments. If a staff member works over time constantly the quality of their work will decrease piece by piece meaning their effort is a lot less productive. A balance between work life and home life ensures that the individual is focused during work hours on work, then when they exit work their focus should be on home life.

Positive Relationships Built Between Staff

It is essential that your staff members feel motivated within the working environment as it promotes a positive relationship with the staff members and management therefore creating a positive environment in which customers will feel invited. The lack of a positive relationship between staff and management members can create understaffed situations, lacking in turnover and staff leaving clients feeling less than overwhelmed by the service provided to them. This can potentially ruin the reputation of the business which may then lead to a loss of earnings for your salon. It is important for staff to form a positive relationship with other staff members as well as yourself and any other management members so that you are able to work together to provide excellent customer service to all customers. To create and promote this positive relationship it is essential that you and your staff spend time together outside of your working environment an example of this may be a work dinner arranged on a Friday night after work. Staff happiness will increase by creating these new opportunities for all staff to bond and build a trusting positive relationship.  Research has shown that staff members who enjoy being at work are likely to experience an increase in their levels of psychological well-being than those who don’t enjoy their work or the environment. You may organise a certain event every Friday so that staff have something to look forward to, or work towards every week an example of this may be a dress down day meaning staff are able to come in their clothes and not uniform or a bake day were a different staff member each time bakes or brings in treats for all the staff.

Why Setting Goals Is Beneficial

To increase staff motivation, it is important that daily goals are set as it provides them with a meaningful goal to work towards achieving whether it be collectively or individually it will push staff to excel in everything they do. This will therefore push your business forward so that you are able to thrive and take your business to the next level. It is important that staff have freedom within their job role as no members of staff work well by being micromanaged, it simply doesn’t help production or create a positive environment. If you want to achieve a happy, open team within your salon it is essential that you work alongside each of your staff to build a positive relationship, which will therefore allow them to confine in you. Outside of your salon you as the manager may be requested to attend meetings and events to attract more clients and set up different partnerships to benefit your business. Why not send your staff members to the event for you nor invite them to go with you to an industry conference or event or even a meeting at a local cafe rather than the meeting room in the salon. This provides each staff member with a different environment meaning that they have an increased freedom at work this will therefore benefit motivation levels as they will know that you have placed your trust in them.

Ensuring Staff Feel Valued

Everyone has those days where they feel down and fed up whether it be a work day or not it is likely that it will affect the way they present themselves however if they feel valued and involved within their work place then this may help to improve their mood and presence. To ensure that your staff feel valued it is important to arrange frequent meetings this could be done every morning or once a week to catch up on what has happened and if there are any important announcements these can be told to all staff members. The meetings may also involve each staff member reporting back of their success during the week or any issues they believe they have a solution too. This time can also be used to inform staff of any business or HR updates this may include opening another salon or working hours being adjusted. This will therefore allow staff to understand the activities within the company therefore allowing them to feel recognised and valued this will therefore ensure that they are motivated to work hard.

How To Prevent A Staff Motivation Decrease

If staff are highly motivated, they are able to increase productivity, performance and loyalty within your salon. To prevent staff motivation from decreasing members of management must organise a form of reward or incentives to provide to the staff members for their effort and commitment to their job. For example, as management you could pick out employee of the month or ask all staff members to vote for who they believe it should be the chosen employee can then receive a free treatment at the salon or a discount for one family member. Involving each staff member in decisions about the work environment and their specific job roles and responsibilities will allow them to feel valued and encouraged to work towards gaining more responsibilities. Having regular discussion with each staff member regarding feedback and coaching will allow the individual to feel supported by you meaning that they will respect you and have higher staff motivation levels because they know they have the support to push themselves to exceeding their goals.

Causes Of Low Morale And How It Can Be Prevented

Low morale within your salon can be caused by a variety of different reasons these can include reasons such as a lack of trust or respect, lack of growth, lack of clarity, change in leadership and potential leadership issues. If there is no growth within the business then staff may feel that they are stuck in a job with no progression therefore will feel demotivated to attend or try hard at work. A lack of clarity means that employees are unsure of what their roles may be within the salon and what the manager expects from them. A change in leadership can cause staff to become demotivated as change can be hard for some especially when it is a drastic change of management, to prevent this affecting low morale it is important to ensure that management is trained correctly so they are able to communicate with staff, this will create a positive working environment. Collecting feedback from employees can also prevent low staff morale from occurring as it shows you are taking their opinion into consideration and putting things in place to create a healthy work environment.

Why Communication Is Essential Within Your Salon 

Communication is key to ensuring that staff morale and motivation levels are on an increase instead of a decrease. Team building activities allows staff to communicate with each other including staff from the different departments or sections within the company, it ensures the fluidity of your business therefore allowing each staff member to understand their individual role within their company and how they influence and affect their team. It also provides each staff member with an opportunity to develop positive relationships with other staff members within the business, it also strengthens the bonds that currently exist. Regular check-ups on your staff members for example a one to one meeting for an hour every three weeks it will provide them with an opportunity to discuss any concerns they may have as well as you being able to discuss performance and promote development. Staff members must be trained this will allow them to feel empowered as this training will provide them with opportunities and rewards within the business.

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