Have You Checked In With Your Employees? Studies Show You Should

I know how difficult it can be. You’ve got a business to run after all, right? How could I ever find the time to check up on all of my employees at once? It feels like one thing after another constantly. 

I know it all sounds pretty overwhelming, but as many know, company morale is very important in keeping a business flourishing. Studies have shown that when an employee is happy, the business will be happy too. Let’s observe that a bit further. 

While yes, most of those working love what they do, work can still be strenuous. If you have great company morale, your employees will not only be happy at work, but in other areas of life as well, and therefore, your clients and customers will benefit from the positive environment. Working with and having employees that are supposed to be ‘happy’ all the time, it can be hard to determine who is truly happy working there and who is just putting on a facade for the sake of their job. 

The best thing you can do is assess if there are any issues in the workplace. 

1. Have you noticed anybody absent quite frequently, increased negativity, or even a lack of cooperation or commitment in general?
2. Has an employee seemed to just be going through the motions, or seemed uninterested and seems disconnected from daily activities?
3. Common signs that point to low company morale for an employee include things like missed deadlines, frequent mistakes, and even a decline in service quality. 

So what can you do about this? Well, the logical thing to do would be to check on them. A lot of the time, just asking them how they feel can be counterproductive, but don’t rule it out. A good alternative to that, however, could be to have a meeting with them and just talk, or even having “lunch with the boss” is a good idea, while keeping work-related talk to a minimum. Discuss how their life is going, or if there’s anything they need to help them be the best they can be, within reason. If you find that it is unrealistic for you to go and check in on them, ask a team lead or supervisor to check-in. Find a member of the team that you feel knows the employee in question well, and ask them to take a few moments to check in with them.

When everything is said and done, you can’t force your employees to talk to you. If you come across this issue, there are several other things you can do. 

Planning company events such as potlucks, pizza parties, or even contests can really help to boost morale.I’ve participated in several Pumpkin decorating contests that really showed the employees individual creativity.  Keeping things light-hearted can really help your employees let loose and get them away from thinking so much about working and going through the motions. 

Of course, whatever comes to mind might help, but do keep in mind that sometimes as a boss, thinking outside the box to find a solution is what you do best!