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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