People in HR jobs 'can boost staff morale with small gestures'

People in HR jobs can boost employee morale at their business in a wide variety of ways, it has been suggested.

According to Charles Cotton, performance and reward adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the current economic climate makes it difficult for firms to offer financial rewards to staff for good performance.

But Mr Cotton told those in HR jobs that there are other ways to demonstrate to staff that they are appreciated, especially at smaller companies that cannot afford to run initiatives like pension schemes and share plans.

"Focus on the more relationship-building type of rewards, such as a Christmas party or a celebration to recognise achievements," he said.

"[This ensures that] employees feel that the organisation does care about their welfare and wellbeing."

According to recent research carried out by CIPD, job satisfaction levels hit their lowest point since summer 2009 last month, with 23 per cent complaining that their organisation has cut back on training in response to the economic downturn.

Updated: 08 February 2010.
Categories: human-resources, market-and-industry-news.