5 ways to boost MSP team morale and retain talent

Everyone at some point has struggled to keep up with the new way of working brought by the global pandemic. Employees from almost all businesses experienced a different level of stress and burnout leading to lower productivity, poor attitude and worse, turnover. 

Keeping great talent is as important as keeping great customers. To maintain a positive attitude towards work and continue loving what they do, you need to keep their morale strong. How? We’ve put up a list of useful tips below:

1. Take time to get to know them

Communicate with your team regularly. Get to know them through scheduled 1:1s. This can be done through video calls or  in person catch ups over lunch or coffee to establish a stronger personal connection. 

Here you can talk about literally everything- blockers to productivity, personal and professional development plans, even their mental being and how they are dealing with the changes happening around. 

Knowing that they have a leader who actually listens and takes time to ask how things are going on with their lives will make them feel valued, and eliminate the thought that they are just people who are needed to keep the business going.

This can be a great opportunity in knowing the things they like that later on you can use as rewards. Which relates to the second point below.

2. Always recognise and reward great performance 

Develop a culture of celebrating, even the small wins. Sometimes it’s the little things that create a big impact. Appreciating hard work can keep your team motivated. 

Invest in employee recognition software like Bonusly, Fond, Kudos or Awardco. In this way, everyone can take part in the reward spirit whenever someone from the team is recognised. Reward points from these platforms are converted to shopping and food vouchers, cash or even donations to different not for profit organisations such as Red Cross, World Health Organisation and World Wide Fund for Nature. 

For a more personalised feel, you can reward good performing employees with stuff that they like such as gift cards for their favorite restaurants or other activities they love doing.

3. Invest in growth and training

Don’t let your team be static. Employees leave when they feel like their career is going nowhere. Growth isn’t just about promotions or salary increases. It’s creating opportunities for your team to expand their knowledge and improve their skills. 

Make training and development a part of their weekly routine. No excuses. This can be getting different IT certifications, taking short courses or simply watching tutorial videos. You can also offer to share funds if they wish to pursue further studies. 

It’s win-win because their capabilities will reflect the level of service and value that you provide your customers.

4. Prioritise mental health and wellness

With hybrid and remote work setup, you may not see or talk to your team in person. You’ll never know what’s going on unless you ask them. In 2019 13% of Australians experience anxiety related conditions and from 2020-2021 3.4 million Austalians saw a health professional for their mental health.

The pandemic has taken a serious toll on mental and emotional health not only of workers but almost everyone, especially those heavily impacted by the situation.  

With this in mind, here are some ways on how you can support your team’s mental health and wellness:

• Practice an open culture about mental health at work. Educate your employees about its importance to eliminate the stigma that surrounds it. 
• Encourage your team to do exercises and be active. Regular exercise can have a positive impact on depression and anxiety. You can even give out gym memberships as incentive. 
• Create an assistance program and provide them easy access to mental health resources 
• Schedule monthly catch ups for your team to bond and build connections such as game nights or digital message boards

5. Involve them in decision making

Your team is an important element of your business that’s why it’s critical that they become a part of your decision making process. Make them be a part of the bigger picture.  

Involving your team in decision making will make them feel that they are valued and not just your staff, working an 8-5 job so that you can keep the revenue flowing. 

Additionally, these sessions will enable you to get everyone across your vision, as well as their roles in making it happen. 

The past few years have been really tough! With all the challenges that the world is throwing at us, make sure not to ignore your team’s hard work. Appreciating them will build a more efficient and healthier work environment. 

Learn more tips on good MSP talent management from your industry peers in our on demand webinar, How to build a great team.