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AUDITING STAFF MORALE
By
Kastuv Ray
Introduction
The quality of staff morale is important to the success of an organization. As auditors, we have days where we are on a high and are really energetic and excited about where we are going in the company but on other days we can’t help but just moan about the state of affairs. At the end of the day, we are just human like everybody else.
How Can Internal Audit Review Staff Morale?
Internal Audit could look at organizations with a high turnover of staff and then concentrate on the divisions/sections with the high turnover and question management about morale issues. However, this may prove difficult, as we cannot audit human emotions. Reasons for high turnover could be that the workplace is a pressurized environment or that staff use the organization as a stepping-stone to other organizations.
If staff morale is a problem and if the problem is caused by say the fact that staff feel that there is no scope for progression, an audit review could be undertaken on Staff Development and Training.
Perhaps, the best way to undertake a review on staff morale is to hold a Control Risk Self Assessment (CRSA) workshop. Anonymous voting software is available in the market place and this may ease respondent’s answers (especially if their boss is sitting in the same room).
Detailed below are some example questions, which could be used in a CRSA workshop on staff morale.
Example CRSA Workshop Questions
1. In your view, what is the status of staff morale in the organization?
a) Excellent
b) Very Good
c) Good
d) Fair
e) Bad
2. Do you feel that staff morale can be improved in the organization?
a) Yes
b) No
3. Who do you think should get involved in improving staff morale?
a) Senior Management
b) Middle Managers
c) All other employees
4) What do you think is affecting staff morale in the organization?
a) Lack of progression/promotion in the organization
b) Market conditions
c) Security of job
d) Pay rises
e) Work pressure
5) In your view, do you think your manager is a champion when it comes to improving staff morale or do they sit on the fence and do nothing?
a) Manager is a champion
b) Manager sits on the fence
A report can then be written on the responses provided in the workshop and an action plan can be created and presented to management. After all attendees approve the action plan, a follow up workshop can be held much like a follow up audit.
Contributed by Kastuv
Ray 12/01/04
kastuv@kastuv.fsnet.co.uk
