Building Employee Morale

Freight forwarders and brokerage companies can be hard on their employees. There is a lot of pressure to keep cargo moving and with the economy still trying to recover there is more competition to keep their customers happy. More and more companies are cutting back and this includes employee benefits as well as personnel in general which leaves company morale at an all time low.

While some managers may think of their employees as lucky to have the job, that is not the way the employee sees it. Whether quoting freight rates or managing top accounts, people do not want to work hard if they do not feel valued. Building morale can seem insignificant, but it may be the key to gaining growth in your business. It can be as easy as addressing employees by name and speaking to them face to face instead of hiding in your office sending emails.

Many times low morale is a trust issue. If managers present themselves as separate and act like anyone is dispensable at any time, the employees will fear for their jobs and not believe in the work that they do. This breach of trust can be the difference between high and low performance for your workers.

Get involved and be a part of your company’s culture in a positive way and you will see a difference in morale within weeks. If there are gap issues in the way, address them, if there are financial issues, include them. Treat all employees, with the same level of respect and the people will get behind you and push to be better. This means a better work environment and higher growth in the long run.