employment

There is nothing as destructive in the workplace than having low morale amongst employees, and yes there will be times when it is hard and stressful, but to keep the morale up throughout the company is something that is extremely important.

Employees with low morale will not only produce work that isn't up to the standard that it should be, but will also drag others down as low morale has a knock on effect.

Quite simply, low morale can essentially make or break a business.

So what can leaders do to help keep morale high and boost it when needed?

Acknowledge/feedback

When an employee has worked hard and done a really good job, acknowledge it. Tell them. Give them the feedback they deserve. No one likes to work hard and not get a thanks for it. If the work the employee did had an end result then feedback to them what happened to it. Explain to them what went well and what didn't.

By providing your team with feedback on their work helps, to boost their morale as well as teaching them where they can improve next time, what needs tweaking to perhaps hit that target, as well as giving them positive feedback so they know what they can do again, that should have a good impact on their next task.

It's a wonderful time of the year for academics: you're either beginning a new year or starting to enjoy the fruits of having completed university. Your life of exams, studying and living off baked beans is over. But what should you do next?

With the jobs market at an all time low, the previously default option of going straight into work isn't such a foregone conclusion any more. There are a number of options open to you now and you will need to think carefully about them as you won't have as much freedom at any time in your life as you have now.

Many university graduates choose to make the most of their freedom and go travelling. If you are fortunate enough to have some money put away you might like to go abroad and see a bit more of the world before starting your working life.

For those who aren't fortunate enough to have a cash stash at the ready, working abroad gives you a number of new options. Many bars and restaurants around the world are crying out for travelling people to work short-term, allowing you to see the world without needing a wad of cash before you leave. What's more, if you find a place you really like you might even consider settling down there rather than in the UK. With many more countries around the world having brighter economies and bigger job prospects than home at the moment, this might prove to be a wise choice.

The Daily Telegraph reported last week that businesses in the UK are beginning to look towards school leavers as an alternative to recruiting graduates straight from University. The research survey carried out found that one in five recruiters prefer school leavers, believing that ‘university graduates had unrealistic expectations of working life'.

Interpersonal skills and, surprisingly, computer skills, were cited as the most common skill lacking from new graduates, along with basic numeracy and literacy skills. Instead, younger recruits coming straight from school and college were described as having a better attitude to work, timekeeping and productivity.

This is reinforced by a survey carried out by the Young Foundation; the social innovation research organisation. A study in October 2011 of big businesses in the UK including HSBC, Proctor and Gamble, Santander and KPMG found that there was common concern about the quality of graduates. Again, the skills lacking were listed as commercial awareness, written and spoken English to a high enough level, technical skills...and interpersonal skills.