Sometimes it can be all too hard to motivate your employees – and once one person’s motivation levels reach a low-point, it appears to catch on like a bad case of the flu.
You may believe in the company, but without employees who can match your enthusiasm, your company just won’t reach its full potential. In fact, that lack of motivation could lead to poor performance, unsatisfactory customer service, decreased revenue, and a spiralling brand reputation.
Understanding and tapping in to the sources of your employees’ motivation, on the other hand, will lead to a more engaged workforce that has the drive and capacity to reach – and even surpass – their goals.
Employees respond to productive working relationships with their managers, a positive work environment, and a few extra incentives to encourage them on their way!
We’ve compiled an extensive list of the best employee motivation ideas and techniques that successful organisationsorganizations use every day to get the most out of their talent. These employee motivation ideas can help you transform your workforce from humdrum to a busy beehive in no time.
Employee motivation idea #1: Set SMART goals
Planning and setting goals is a great way to motivate employees, but if the task is too great your employees can feel overwhelmed.
That’s where SMART goals come into play. They’re bite-sized goals that appear easier to achieve, with each one bringing your team one step closer to completing the big goal.
SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Agreed Upon
- Realistic
- Time-based or Trackable
Set weekly SMART goals, and you’ll keep your employees motivated and on track to reach that big end goal.
Employee motivation idea #2: Reward and incentivise
Not all work offers an immediate reward for employees, but providing incentives helps them define goals: nothing works better than a reward to encourage employees to reach their objectives!
When you’re planning rewards and incentives for your employees, remember to keep the goals clear. They must be achievable and the rewards must be something your employees actually want. Take this opportunity to ask your employees about their preferred perks: having tailored incentives might be the motivation they need to pick up the pace or push a product with passion. You can use bonuses or gift cards as incentives, or benefits like better parking spaces.
Incentives can motivate your employees to increase customer satisfaction, drive more sales, and encourage more collaboration. It can even promote more employee loyalty and help you retain top-performing talent.
Employee motivation idea #3: Remember that trust breeds loyalty
Your organisationorganization’s success relies on the quality of work your employees produce. Be sure to let them know that you and the business depend on their work and that you trust them to put in their all.
Showing you have trust and confidence in their abilities could help them feel a part of the team and encourage greater loyalty in your organisationorganization. Once employees are committed, it’s natural for them to be more motivated!
Employee motivation idea #4: Cultivate enthusiasm
Positive and negative attitudes are contagious, so it always helps to promote a positive and enthusiastic office culture that will encourage your employees to view their workplace in a good light. It’s a good sign if they’re not dragging their feet to work each morning!
Positive workplaces all share some common characteristics – these include:
- Having open and transparent communication channels
- Having a focus on training and development
- Providing recognition for hard work
- Promoting a sense of unity, tolerance and acceptance
Even on bad days, employees will find it difficult to remain miserable in an upbeat office. Banish negativity and your employees will enjoy their working environment. If work isn’t a slog, they’ll put more effort in.
Employee motivation idea #5: Promote transparency
Being honest with your employees is the best way to promote loyalty. Let them know about organisationalorganizational plans and always keep them informed about the direction the company is headed in. Allow them to feel included in the big decisions.
If they know about the big picture, they’ll honour your honesty with loyalty and increased motivation.
Employee motivation idea #6: Schedule regular one-on-ones
Scheduling one-on-one meetings between managers and their staff will ensure you can address issues before they become major problems.
Individual sessions show that you care about your employees as individuals. These sessions can help you:
- assign incentives that suit them
- set individual smart goals
- motivate them to work toward the common company goal
Employee motivation idea #7: RecogniseRecognize and celebrate achievements
It’s important to recogniserecognize your employees’ achievements. Whether this is in a Monday morning meeting, or during Friday night drinks, celebrating and praising your employees will encourage them to continue their good work.
Employee motivation idea #8: Get to know your employees
If you’re having motivation problems in your workplace, why not suss out why that lack of motivation is there in the first place? Find out what work employees look forward to doing, and what jobs they always leave until last.
Chances are if your employee enjoys a certain kind of work, it’s because they are good at it. Learning more about your employees’ skills and interests, proficiencies and passions, may lead to you finding new opportunities for the company in unexpected places.
Employee motivation idea #9: Value work-life balance
Work isn’t everything, and sometimes stressed and unmotivated employees just need to take a break from the daily grind. Encourage your employees to make the most of their holiday leave, and they’ll come back refreshed and ready to work.
It’s important for everyone to separate their work and home life. Finding the perfect work-life balance will allow your employees to rest and relax in their personal time and return to work ready to take on the big challenges.
Employee motivation idea #10: Listen to employees’ ideas
If you are looking for fresh ideas and new business opportunities, it’s a great idea to look within the organisationorganization for inspiration. Who knows your business better than your employees?
Fielding ideas and recommendations from within won’t just build your relationships with employees: it will also encourage them invest themselves in how the business operates.
Employee motivation idea #11: Use leadership opportunities as motivation
Giving your employees more responsibility might be just what it takes to motivate them. This won’t work for every employee, but those with a lot of potential will benefit from the added responsibility and greater trust in their abilities.
Showing employees that you appreciate their work and that you trust them to take on a leadership role could change their entire attitude towards the business, while also helping your succession planning.
It comes down to a simple takeaway: don’t let your workplace descend into the doldrums. Instead, opt for an environment of positivity, community and transparency. With a little bit of positive encouragement from top management, along with incentives and opportunities for growth, your employees can become much more engaged in their work. Having satisfied, motivated employees means you can also reap the rewards of an employer brand that attracts – and keeps – top talent.
Learn more about how to motivate your employees and promote loyalty and engagement in your workforce with articles, whitepapers and more on the PageUp Resource Hub.
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