On this lovely Friday morning, the Team at National Merchants Association received a nice surprise when Alexis King, Director of Sales Support, and Hortencia Saenz, Executive Administrative Assistant, presented the office staff with bagels.

“It’s a small gesture, but it means a lot to the employees when they’ve been working hard,” Hortencia says, popping a bagel into the toaster. “Sometimes, it means everything!”

The breakfast surprise was indeed delicious and greatly appreciated by the dedicated staff, but it was the meaning behind the meal that mattered most.

“My coworkers made sure they got my favorite kind,” Pablo Nuñez, Risk Analyst, says about the bagels. “I didn’t know that they remembered that about me!”

Whether plain or cinnamon raisin, the fact is this: your employees will feel appreciated when you personally take the time to learn and remember the fine points about them. Employee morale lies in the spirit and energy of the staff you have hired to take care of business. In taking care of your staff, they in turn take care of your business.

Employee morale. Hakuna matata. It means good business.

Morale however, is less about sporadic bagel runs and catered lunches. National Merchants Association Team Members have truly built camaraderie with one another. Good employee morale means not neglecting your employees when they need you the most- for work or even personal problems.

“Knowing that I had the support of my staff when I had a death in the family meant a lot,” Lindsay Sugarman, Copywriter, reflects. “They made sure I had someone to talk to, and checked in on me. My Team filled the void when I needed it the most.”

Establishing good employee morale is a holistic process. Caring for employees will establish loyalty and maintain productivity in the office. So the main point to take home: bagels, though a small gesture, oftentimes mean everything.