What companies can learn from Twitter about staff morale

Staff morale is incredibly important in any company. If staff enjoy their jobs then they’re going to be more productive, more creative and there will be less chance of them leaving. High turnover can be costly.

So how can you create a great working environment for your staff? I suggest looking to Twitter for inspiration.

It’s not the website itself that you should draw inspiration from, but the company behind the site that has figured out that treating staff well has major benefits. The fact that staff love their jobs so much that they even tweet about it using the hashtag #LoveWhereYouWork says a lot about the culture Twitter has created. 

There’s a reason so many people want to work for them. 

So what does Twitter do for its staff and how can it be replicated? I’ve selected four key things that I think Twitter does particularly well for its staff. If you have a scroll through the hashtag, you’ll see there are many things about working for Twitter that makes a huge difference to morale. If you’re worried about the cost of all these things, remember, it’s cheaper to invest some money on your staff than to deal with the cost of high staff turnover.

Mark anniversaries
If you follow any of their staff members on Twitter, you’ll see that each year, staff receive small wooden blocks counting their years working for the company. 

It’s a really simple thing, but remembering and marking the date your staff joined the company shows just how much you appreciate them. Going that one step further and giving them an anniversary gift like Twitter’s blocks also says a lot about how much you care for your staff whilst giving your staff something to work towards. What I particularly like about the anniversary cubes is that they are meant to be displayed on desks so when visitors and new staff members are shown around, they are seeing not just how long everyone has been working there for, but how proud they are of working there.

Hold great social events
Another thing I enjoy seeing from the Twitter staff I follow is the social events the company holds for its employees. They do more than just hold a Christmas party and they go above and beyond reserving a table at a local bar. Instead, they often hold summer barbecues, Easter egg hunts and more, where the food is catered (not a Tesco quiche in sight) and is themed to the event, often including branded cupcakes for that extra touch. There are decorations and activities too, that elevate the event to new levels. What’s special about the events is that they’re not just for staff, but often for family members too with kids and partners also invited. By hosting these fun events for the whole family, it helps to build better friendships between the staff. You’re going to want to stay longer working for a business where you genuinely enjoy the company of your coworkers. 

Celebrate the staff
Little extras make a big difference and paying attention to the staff is something Twitter also gets right. Whether it’s a cake to celebrate a birthday or sending flowers to a staff member who’s just had a baby, it shows the organisation cares about more than just how much work you can complete. Show how much you value your staff by investing in them. As well as marking these moments in their lives, invest in them personally. Listen to their concerns, pay for the training they really need, find them a mentor, praise their work publicly. All these things add up and will motivate staff to put in as much effort into their work as you have in them. 

Make the office look nice
It’s such a simple thing, but the environment you work in makes a big difference to how you work and Twitter knows that. They offer an office with colour, comfort and multiple working space options (Not everyone works well in open place offices!) Many big tech companies have done the same, from themed meeting rooms to free food and napping pods.

Have a look around your office. Are there things you can do to improve it? It could be as easy as adding some colour to the walls or letting staff personalise their areas. The bland, white boxes many people are forced to work in do not encourage creativity. It doesn’t take a lot of money to make the office a more interesting place to be. 



If you enjoyed this, then why not check out my recent post about Buffer and their new sabbatical policy. 

What other organisations do you think look after their employees well? Share in the comments below. 

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