Home » Training & Onboarding » How to Increase Employees Motivation in the Workplace
A motivated workforce is critical for business success, where employee satisfaction really does go a long way.
A top priority when considering your employees motivation is to keep them productive and engaged, which will generate numerous benefits on route to achieving business goals.
There are many challenges and obstacles which prevent consistent maintenance of high-end motivation, but fortunately there are methods to boost employee morale and incentivize them to work in the best interests of the organization.
Below are some great tips for keeping your team motivated, which work collectively to influence your team’s attitude towards high performance. Remember, when employees motivation increases, so does the likelihood you can keep them. This helps you create a loyal and productive working culture.
Without further ado, here are some great ways to ensure your employees motivation levels remain high:
Recognition
When employees work hard, they deserve recognition. By doing so, you’ll reinforce positive behavior, while making staff feel valued for their efforts.
This is a crucial aspect of employee satisfaction, a critical motivational focus. If your team does good things and don’t get rewarded for them, they’ll feel uninspired and unappreciated. This will discourage them from repeating behaviors which benefit the organization.
As human beings we naturally seek validation for behavior, and though you could argue this is a weak characteristic, it becomes more pertinent in work environments, where we need direction that aligns with company values.
Recognition isn’t always enough, rather how you recognize positive contributions. An annual bonus is one thing, but recognition should extend to appreciating your staff as more than numbers, but valuable team members.
A Positive Mindset
Everyone has a threshold to negativity, where there’s only so much you can take before demoralization sets in. Constructive criticism is one thing, but an overly negative focus can influence employees motivation.
No one wants to hear about how badly they’ve done, and though we don’t live in a dream world, that doesn’t mean you can’t be optimistic. Leading with positivity is easier for everyone involved, where rather than dwelling on the past you should highlight areas of future improvement.
Additionally, you can positively reinforce staff by focusing on the things they do well, before identifying potential changes to problem areas. Happiness plays an important role in organizational success, and can enhance your work relationships and overall experience. This will ultimately enhance engagement, productivity, motivation, and success.
Set Achievable Goals
There’s nothing more demoralizing than striving towards unrealistic targets, engaging in a project that seems as if it will never end.
It’s much better if you can break your work into manageable chunks, reaching small milestones along the way. These will help you appreciate the progress you’re making, and serve as reassurance you’re heading in the right direction.
Achievable goals help you realize your work is making a difference, and are facilitated by effectively tracking your work scope. Every time an employee reaches a new goal, this offers a real motivational boost, which is consolidated when you celebrate success.
Are Your Team Well-Fueled?
Diet is an often neglected but essential component of employee performance. A workforce who doesn’t have the fuel they need to be productive are left feeling lethargic and dejected.
This underlines the importance of keeping staff well fed, and though you can’t control their dietary habits outside of work, you can encourage positive habits while they’re at work. This will enhance employee wellbeing, and maintain the health of your workforce.
A great way to maintain your team’s health is by introducing healthy snacks around the office. This will keep energy levels high, and can be achieved with things like fruit and nuts. You’ll easily recoup your investment with enhanced productivity.
Additionally, you can even arrange lunch buffets for staff in-house. This will cultivate a great atmosphere, and encourage team bonding, but will most importantly provide the fuel your team needs.
Health
Linking in with the last point, health is of utmost importance. A healthy workforce is a more productive one, and if you’re concerned about your employees motivation, you should perhaps consider whether you’re working them too hard.
Some work cultures facilitate a ‘work through illness’ approach, where leaders seek to squeeze as much from their employees as they possibly can. What’s even worse about forcing employees to come in sick is they can make everyone else sick too.
Make sure your work policies are reasonable, so staff don’t feel undue duress to push beyond their boundaries. Additionally, allow your staff time off. With a reasonable work culture in place, staff will be more motivated to complete what’s asked of them.
While we’re on the subject of time away from work, promote regular breaks to avoid staff feeling burned out. With moments to step back and recalibrate, your workforce will return to their job rejuvenated, with enhanced motivation. Even a five minute break can positively influence mind and body, where nonstop work can be to the detriment of performance.
