helping us with our employees

[gp55]

hi, just looking for some advice really,
i run a warehouse company that employs 12 staff. for the last 6 months i noticed the staff morale has dropped, people turning up late...more sick days etc. i feel this is having an effect on the business as i cant seem to change it at all.
so my question is does anyone know someone who can come in to my business and try and sort out the problems, maybe someone who can talk to my staff and find out what the problems are?
i have tried looking on the internet but cant seem to find anyone that does this sort of thing??

 

[simon field]

Think you'll find that person is you.

What have you done to try and change things?

What do they say when you ask what's wrong?

 

[gp55]

there seems to be alot of negativity.
just think if someone could come in as a neutral then we may get this sorted

 

[StaceyPreedy]

I think the best person is always the owner, being open about wanting to make the work place better for them is a good start to good communication and that in itself is a booster in team morale. If my employees ever want something changing and I simply cannot do it then I make sure they understand why and tell them to suggest something else because I still want to make an improvement for them. Just make it clear that you will listen to them and in turn they will respect and listen to you if you should that you consider everything and understand that all choices are made with them in your best interest.

The problem however could be that they have been there for a very long time and the job itself is just not right for them and they have become bored working there. It's not always possible to make a job more bearable. I actually sit my employees down when they are unhappy and there is nothing else I can do and I ask what they would like to do. I then put all my efforts into getting them the job they do want so I can find someone else that is right for the job.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Whereabouts are you based?

I'd be happy to provide you with an evening of "team bonding" with one of my Investigations.

 

[sjbeale]

The drop in morale could be due to a range of different factors, but I would agree you need to start talking to your staff - dealing with lateness issues with individual disciplinary meetings, conducting return to work interviews for sickness absence and dealing with ongoing issues quickly, undertaking performance reviews setting measurable objectives, giving feedback and encouraging job satisfaction etc. Perhaps your reward package does not encourage motivation, there are a range of no cost incentives that you could put in place. Team meetings encourage two way communication which can often help.

I hope this gives you some suggestions that can help.

 

[blake07]

I feel for you here, requires a different set of skills all together, building the business is easy in comparison. I struggled for years here. The answer is to look at how you perceive the business, it goals, mission the direction you are moving in. You need to address this before you tackle the issues you are experiencing. Before you do this, you will need to be open with your staff and discuss your concerns, use this to gauge the mood and gain a little feedback. Explain that you are going to look into the issues/ concerns that they have and once you have had a chance to evaluate comments and concerns that they have, ask them would they be prepared to help you development of the business, based on your mission statement….. Get to work on this first let me know if I can be of further help

 

there seems to be alot of negativity.
just think if someone could come in as a neutral then we may get this sorted

The problems may lie outside the business,economic preasures on most people haver increased since the bankers run off with all the money.

In general there is a malaise in the UK.

 

[fairdealworld]

Staff behaviour/feelings sometimes reflects how the owner or manager is behaving/feeling.

A lot of enthusiasm and positiveness and clear direction is required from the top. As the owner of a small retail business I've become very conscious that any fatigue/reduction in enthusiasm/worry/lack of clear direction for the business/whatever is quickly reflected in staff behaviour even if I didn't think I was conveying any of my personal fatigue/anxiety/feeling short of ideas and so on.

I also tend to be a fairly flexible person and like a fairly informal environment but I've realised that most people like clear simple tramlines to run on! So just being clearer about timekeeping, attendance, requirements etc may make people mutter but also bizarrely enough cheer them up at the same time.

 

[Esk247]

You could hire a consultant who specialises in staff training and motivational activities/speaking etc etc. But it might cost you £350 a day and might only help temporarily.

Get it nipped in the bud asap. Once things turn sour then you'll struggle to turn them around and then it just becomes a negative atmosphere for anyone even new employees.

Be proactive and encouraging, make sure the staff are busy, if they're not busy they'll get tired, if they get tired they'll get bored, if they get bored they'll become negative.

I've been there myself and once you're in the negative hole it's darn hard to get out but keeping busy and active is key.

 

[cesh10]

Coming from a business psychology background there are a number of factors affecting morale/ job satisfaction which you can try to address. Some of the most common methods are:
Autonomy: Giving employees some level of freedom can hugely improve morale. Even something as small as allowing them to organise their own work schedule.
Supervisor support: do you encourage and take on board your employees' views and suggestions about the business? Do employees feel management is approachable?
Social Support: Try to develop a culture whereby employees discuss work issues and help each other with their work.
Recognition: Are employees shown appreciation and rewarded for hard work and achievements?

This is an area that I'm very interested in so I'd love to know what you've tried so far and how effective it's been?