Teena Rose operates a prominent and professional resume writing
service, Resume to Referral (http://www.resumebycprw.com). She's
authored several career books, including 20-Minute Cover Letter
Fixer, How to Design, Write, and Compile a Quality Brag Book, and
Cracking the Code to Pharmaceutical Sales.

A former coworker lamented about the status of his current job and
industry. The big-city newspaper in Los Angeles he works for has,
over the past three years, gone through two major layoffs, provided
paltry raises, and cut costs to the bone. Consequently, they've had
to do the same amount of work – or more – with fewer people.

Meanwhile, another friend across town works for a major Internet
company, whose business is thriving, is consistently hiring,
provides competitive salaries, and goes out of its way to keep
employees happy by providing generous perks and encouraging fun and
irreverence.

Naturally, these two scenarios have created vastly different levels
of morale. At the newspaper, employees are looking over their
shoulders, lacking motivation, and putting more effort into looking
for another job than focusing on the one they currently have. At the
Internet company, workers are energized by what they do and reveling
in having a job they can get excited about coming to everyday.

Morale is a fundamental component of any business. The newspaper and
Internet examples show how morale can break down quickly when the
economics of a business turn south and how it can flourish when
finances are strong and the company establishes a strong foundation
of treating employees as their most precious resource.

But morale is not only based solely on a company's financial
strength. There are plenty of Fortune 500 companies with solid
earnings who have employees with low morale. A company that ignores
addressing low morale is destined to suffer from decreased
productivity, high turnover, employee absenteeism, and overall
dissatisfaction. On the other hand, it's the employers who know how
to treat the symptoms of low morale that will flourish in the end.

A prime example is the airline industry. The industry has struggled
financially the last decade due to labor strife with unions,
increased competition, the attack on 9/11, and what economists have
said was a bad business model to begin with. The result has been,
according to consumer complaints, service that has gone straight
downhill. With employees at several airlines having to accept cuts
in pay and benefits just to keep the carriers in business, morale
among workers has plummeted. The plague of gloom and doom has
resulted in lower quality that has turned into lower profits.

There are many ways to contain and improve worker morale. From the
boss to the boardroom, a company first has to listen to its
employees. Managers who hide behind the protection of their office
walls will no doubt encourage a downturn in attitudes and spirits.
Whether a company is flourishing or faltering, a supervisor has to
find out what motivates employees, what obstacles are they facing,
and what ideas they have.

In an atmosphere where employees don't speak for fear of reprisal by
a hardheaded boss, morale can take a tumble. Workers need an
atmosphere where their thoughts are heard and action is actually
taken. If a worker suggests an idea that may not be feasible, the
simple fact that their voice was heard can be just as valuable.