Improving Employee Morale Starts with Communication

According to a survey by Accountemps, human resources professionals cite poor communication as the greatest cause of low employee morale. The majority of the survey’s respondents also recommended communication as the best remedy for morale issues. Communication makes for a more efficient and effective workplace, but it can also lift employees’ spirits from a slump.

Correct information is better than gossip. Morale can suffer when there is an active culture of gossip at a company. The juiciest tidbits to pass along are often the most negative — and the least substantiated. Instead of giving employees the opportunity to spread misinformation about the state of the company, managers should ensure everyone knows the facts about the state of the business. Even if they are not necessarily the most encouraging things to hear, real insights into how the business is doing always trump wild speculation. Furthermore, sharing information removes much of the impulse to gossip, as questions employees may have are already answered with reliable facts.

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Communication is a two-way street. Talent management professionals can benefit from opening lines of communication with their staff. This is not only useful for giving them information, but for receiving it from them. Employees who are comfortable contacting human resources and other talent managers about their concerns are less likely to become dispirited. For example, workers may feel their tasks are overwhelming in certain seasons or during work for large projects. It can be easy for them to feel upset about this and begin to lose morale, but if they take their concerns to their managers they may find relief before their motivation plummets.

Talent management professionals can also rely on communication from employees to help them address any issues with morale. Workers know best what would make them happier, and professionals who are willing to listen can create solutions that will satisfy those needs. Communication itself is a good start, but there are many other options. More employee recognition and creative ways to reward hard workers may help the workplace mood, and workers themselves can recommend the best way to accomplish these ends. Perhaps a few extra perks would help, or a companywide day of comparative relaxation like a shared meal or shortened hours. The only way to know for sure is to ask, and talent management professionals with open lines of communication with employees can be sure they are receiving genuine answers.

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