A team of motivated, hardworking, dedicated, and engaged employees is a force to be reckoned with. They can help to increase your company’s revenue, attract customers, and build your reputation. Attracting motivated employees can be difficult. What’s more difficult than that is motivating employees who are already unmotivated, lazy, and uncooperative.
Fortunately, there are ways for you to effectively motivate your staff, from incentivizing hard work to holding out-of-work get-togethers and events.
In this article, you will find out the best practices for motivating your staff:
Engagement Surveys
Engagement surveys can be a very effective way of motivating your staff and engaging with them. When you get into the habit of routinely sending out employee engagement surveys, your staff will have an opportunity to voice any concerns that they have with your company and the direction that their career is going on. This puts them in the driver’s seat and allows them to explain directly what they think could be improved, and how they feel working in your company. If you then implement the changes that they suggest, your staff will instantly become more motivated and will feel like they have a say over things.
Incentivise Working
Incentivising hard work is another very effective method of increasing your staff’s overall motivation and commitment to their work. You can do this by offering bonuses, extra vacation time, and rewards for hard work. Some employers offer their staff Christmas bonuses, which all staff are eligible for provided that they work hard enough. Others give their staff an additional week or two of vacation time each year. Whatever you decide to implement, just know that incentivizing hard work to your employees can be very motivational, especially for employees who have families or earn very little.
Verbal Recognition
In addition to recognizing hard work through rewards, calling an employee into your office and telling them that you are aware they have been working hard and you appreciate their commitment is a very effective way of motivating them, and other staff. Not only will that member of staff begin working harder to impress you more [so that they can ascend the ladder and receive a promotion], but other employees may become jealous and will begin seeking your approval also so that they too can ascend the employment ladder. It’s also worth emailing staff from time to time to thank them for their work. Recognition can be very motivational.
Company Events
Holding company events is a good way to motivate your staff, especially if you have a large company and don’t have the time to speak to them individually. At these events, you have an opportunity to stand up in front of your entire company and tell them how proud you are, and how happy you are with the work that they have been doing. You can also single members of staff out as part of incentivized work schemes and appoint an employee of the year – or month. Company events should take place infrequently, so that when they do take place, they are special, and aren’t considered an inconvenience. If you hold a meal once a month, for example, your staff will come to resent these events and may find excuses to avoid them, so that they can spend time with their family and friends instead.
Updated Technology
Investing in the latest technology is a good way to motivate your staff. It can be very hard for employees who are forced to use antiquated technology, especially if they are being given tasks that would be easier if they had the latest and most up-to-date tech at their disposal. Using antiquated software and technology can limit your staff’s efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, it can slow them down and allow your competition to roar ahead, taking clients, customers, and achieving exposure. Many software and hardware manufacturers will do bulk deals if you purchase lots of tech at once, which will save you money and time in the long run.
Firing Staff
If staff members aren’t up to scratch and don’t do their job properly, don’t hesitate to fire them. Firing members of staff who aren’t cutting it can be very motivational for your staff. They will see that you do not tolerate laziness and time wasters. When they recognize this, they will work harder so that they don’t also find themselves out of the job. With this said, it’s important to offer your staff job security and make it clear that they won’t be fired or disciplined unless they break the rules.
There are a lot of advantages to motivating your staff, from increased revenues to better industry exposure. In addition, staff who are motivated are usually happier in their lives and feel like they have better job security.
