Introduction
Daily, companies think of how to motivate employees under their management. Whether as a manager, you want your team to be more productive and work optimally, or as a business owner, you want your workforce to stick around after your offer of employment; motivating them all the way is definitely something you would want to consider critically.
Research proves that motivating employees tend to increase their productivity by 20%, and increase their chance of retention by as high as 87% respectively. It is not irrational to say employees are important stakeholders of any organization, and as such, they play an integral role in the organization’s success and reputation. The best performing and high-rated companies across the globe like Apple, Inc., the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Amazon, Inc, Starbucks, et cetera, all understand the secret behind employee motivation and strive to the best of their ability in motivating their employees, hence their enviable success stories.
Although, generally, people tend to think the only way through an employee’s heart is through money and other related benefits. However, quite far from that philosophy, albeit money and other related perks add up to the list of employee motivation, nonetheless, they are not top on the list of what motivates them. The coming of COVID-19 has changed a lot in the way businesses operate and their approach to those operations. Employees’ motivation, however, falls under this purview. Things like safety, empathy and frequent communication now matter in employees’ motivation.
Research recently conducted in the U.K. indicated that more than 70% of workers want their managers and employers to motivate them. While trying to ensure your staff stays motivated and happy at the workplace, it is imperative that you thread cautiously and apply the rules wisely so as to get your desired result.
In this article, we have compiled the 10 best ways you can consider in motivating your employees, and a critical application of them will boost your company’s productivity, hence leading to an increase in your gross revenues and ROI. However, not only will this article enlist the 10 best ways to motivate your workforce, it would also by extension begin with what employee motivation truly is, and why employers and managers need to motivate their staff.
- Introduction
- What is Employee Motivation?
- Why Employees Should be Motivated?
- Here are 10 ways Companies can Motivate Employees
- 10. Seek their opinion
- 9. Recognize and Celebrate their Wins
- 8. Avail them of schedule flexibility
- 7. Provide Staff Meal
- 6. Be Transparent
- 5. Make your Workplace a Safe and Peaceful Place to Work
- 4. Give Constructive Feedback
- 3. Give them competitive perks and rewards
- 2. Offer them avenues for career progression
- 1. Show Respect, Honesty, Responsiveness, and Support
- Conclusion
- Watch the video
What is Employee Motivation?
Employee motivation is the degree of commitment, dedication, energy, and vitality an organization’s workforce channels towards achieving the company’s goal and objectives. This commitment and altruism are however fueled by the company’s ability and support to make their employees happy and satisfied with their job and the positions they hold. Employee motivation is a key concern to every management and whether or not a company is progressing, employee motivation should be a priority for business owners, as it’s a key to turning a company’s retrogression into progression and from progression to greater progression. As crucial as it is, the absence of employee motivation could jeopardize the entire economic productivity of a nation.
Why Employees Should be Motivated?
Benefits of employee motivation include but are not limited to:
- Increase employees’ performance
- Increases retention rate and lower staff turnover
- Boosts management and employees’ relationship
- Increase better relationships between employees and customers
- Improve product and service quality
- Reduces Absenteeism
Here are 10 ways Companies can Motivate Employees
10. Seek their opinion
In the field of business, there are at least two managerial styles companies can use — the top-down management style and the bottom-up management style. While the former style (top-down) involves strict and coercive principles where top managers give directives to employees without seeking their input in any way whatsoever, the latter (bottom-up) allows employees input and opinions, and such are used in the decision-making of the organization. Although, each of these two styles has its own downside, nonetheless, the bottom-up ranks as the best managerial style as it gives employees a sense of belonging and makes their opinion matter. If you tend to seek the stance of your workers, then you are affirming their significance and importance and such would motivate them a great deal.
9. Recognize and Celebrate their Wins
Whether an employee meets a target, emerges as the staff of the month, or completes a project, no matter how small or insignificant the win might be, appreciate and celebrate them, not only in private but also amongst their colleagues. By so doing, you are motivating them and boosting their morale to do more as well as motivating their colleagues to strive for achievements.
8. Avail them of schedule flexibility
With the increasing trend of digital presence in the world today, for some types of jobs, some employees do not necessarily require to be present in a traditional workplace, in other words, they can work remotely. Hence, on the off chance that you know your business operation falls under the purview of remote work, offer your staff the option. By so doing, you are availing them, of schedule flexibility and the avenue to maintain a work/life balance.
7. Provide Staff Meal
Research proves that employees’ happiness tends to increase by approximately 11% when they have access to free food at the workplace. If your business’s financial position can accommodate free food offerings for your staff, do well to integrate such policy as a staff meal policy into your business operation, and you would see your happy employees going beyond the call of duty to discharge duties.
6. Be Transparent
Allowing employees to access your business data and records would give them an adequate sense of belonging. Share sales reports, revenue reports, aggregate new onboarded customers, budgets, et cetera with your employees, doing so would help them gauge their individual performances and step up their games.
5. Make your Workplace a Safe and Peaceful Place to Work
No one would be willing to work in an unsafe and hostile environment, hence make ensure your workplace is safe to work for employees and is not an environment filled with hostility and absurdity. By so doing, you are most likely to experience a decrease in the level of staff turnover, as well as having a focused and dedicated workforce.
4. Give Constructive Feedback
Ensure that you give constructive feedback to your employees. If they perform a task and meet your expectation, give feedback by appreciating and encouraging them. However, on the off chance that they do not deliver up to your expectation, give constructive feedback by encouraging them and showing them how best to handle the task. Doing so would help stimulate their trust in you and boost your relationship with them.
3. Give them competitive perks and rewards
One of the sole reasons employees tend to stick around with your organization and stay motivated is the competitive perks and benefits you offer them. Competitive rewards range from employee remuneration, health benefits, leave allowance, study allowance, and access to a gym, amongst others. Offering all of these perks to your employees would help them stay motivated and discharge their duties optimally.
2. Offer them avenues for career progression
The second on the list of the ways you can motivate your employees is to avail them of the avenue for career growth. Create programs that would help them scale up in their career path and develop a career-progressive workplace where employees can thrive.
1. Show Respect, Honesty, Responsiveness, and Support
The top on the list is a combination of four solid and vital words which serve as cement to sustaining any relationship, regardless of what sort it is. If you want your employees to not only stay motivated at the workplace, but by extension remain loyal and committed to your business and organization as a whole, then (1) respect them by showing how important they are to your business growth, (2) be honest to them to gain their trust, (3) be responsive when they seek your actions on certain pressing needs, and (4) support them both officially and personally to gain their true loyalty.
Conclusion
As aforementioned in virtually all the sections above, employee motivation is absolutely important in every business setting, regardless of its size, its industry, or business operation. Proactive managers and employers understood the logic and benefits latched behind this and leverage it to propel their businesses to great heights.
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