16 Proven Ways to Motivate Your Employees
According to research performed by the Hay Group, organizations with engaged employees are as much as 43% more productive than those with disengaged employees. This is how much corporations are missing out on, likely even more, when they have disengaged employees at work.
Here are some proven ways to motivate your employees, boost their engagement levels, and improve their overall productivity.
Create a Positive Work Culture
A work environment where employees feel valued and respected is more likely to encourage them to perform their best. Some of the best ways to foster such a positive work culture is through encouraging teamwork, a healthy work-life balance, and open communication.
Define the Company Vision
Employees can be more engaged and motivated to work when they have a clear vision of the organization. Such a vision gives them direction to work, understand how their roles contribute to the larger goals of the organization, and allows them to feel more connected too.
Recognize Your Employees
According to a recent Gallup workplace survey, nearly one-quarter of employees say that the most memorable recognition came from their CEO. Recognition and rewards like monetary bonuses, gift cards, or even awards like employee of the month plaques help show appreciation for all the hard work that employees put in.
Encourage Open Communication
Employees who realize their work culture is one where open communication is encouraged are more likely to express their ideas, raise concerns, and even provide suggestions. This is why employers should maintain open lines of communication between the management and staff.
Encourage Innovation and Creativity
Once an organization fosters an open and positive work culture, employees automatically feel motivated to share new ideas and experiment. Such innovation and creativity should be welcomed by employers, helping employees feel that their contributions are meaningful and appreciated.
Offer Flexibility
Another way to make employees feel engaged and motivated to work better is by offering them flexibility in their work. Options such as flexible work hours or even the option to work remotely can help employees improve their work-life balance and job satisfaction.
Encourage Teamwork
Effective teamwork helps employees share creative ideas, solve problems more effectively, and eventually bring out their best. This way, everyone feels valuable and contributes equally to achieve common goals.
Read also: How to Make a Good First Impression in a New Job: My 14 Best Tips for New Employees
Ask for Input
When you’re making decisions that will impact your employees, it’s best to ask for their input. By giving employees accountability and asking for their input, employers help employees feel more valued.
Develop Career Paths
Employees who have clearly defined career paths are more motivated to work than those who don’t. Each employee in the company should be allowed to grow and prosper, thereby motivating them to do their best.
Training and Development
Training and development not only help employees improve their career prospects but also demonstrate an employer’s commitment towards them by helping them excel in their roles. Training and development can also be done outside of an employee’s current role to motivate them to expand their skills.
Offer Resources for Success
In order to make sure employees are performing to the best of their abilities, it is important that they have all the necessary tools and resources to get the job done. Employees who don’t have adequate resources are more frustrated and less motivated to work.
Offer Competitive Salary and Benefits
Everyone works to get paid, which is why employers should make sure that the compensation and benefits that they’re offering are on par with what the rest of the industry is offering. Health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks further boost employee motivation.
Empower Employees
By offering employees more autonomy and power over their work, employers instill a sense of ownership and responsibility in them. This not only increases their confidence but also motivate them to perform their best.
Have One-On-One Sessions
If employees feel demotivated at work, one way to find out why is hosting one-on-one sessions. There may be plenty of reasons why an employee isn’t performing at par and conversing such sessions can allow them to come up with potential solutions to those problems. One-on-one sessions also allow you to ask your employees what they want so you can design your strategies to address their concerns.
Provide Constructive Feedback
While recognition and reward are important, it is equally as important for employers to provide their staff with constructive feedback. By offering regular feedback, employees can improve themselves and remain motivated to be the best version of themselves.
Celebrate Milestones
Finally, both individual and team accomplishments should be celebrated and acknowledged whenever possible. Such celebrations motivate employees to continue excelling in their respective fields.
