Top 10 Proven Ways to Motivate Employees

As an employer, it falls to you to put together the perfect team with individuals who are the perfect fit for your workplace culture. On paper, your employees are highly qualified with really impressive levels of experience. This is the team you have put together keeping in mind their abilities to take your business to a higher level.

But often, the pressure of work can get to your team sometimes. Employees who came up with fresh, innovative ideas aren’t able to do so at the moment, and the overall levels of productivity at your workplace have decreased.

How can you tackle this? How can you boost the morale of your employees?

The answer is to motivate them.

Importance Of Employee Motivation

Your employees are no doubt extremely valuable to your organization. In a study conducted on Employee Engagement & Job Satisfaction by SHRM in the year 2017, 44 aspects of job satisfaction and 38 aspects of employee engagement were examined. While 89% of the people who took the survey felt satisfied with their jobs, there still remained in a gaping difference between how certain aspects at the workplace are considered important, and the number of people who were actually satisfied with them.

Only 38% of the people felt like their contribution at work were meaningful. This leads to your employees feeling distant and disengaged from their work. An employee is not motivated at work is a waste of the organization’s time, energy and resources. To prevent low levels of motivation, it is important to constantly encourage your employees.

A motivated employee is more committed to his work and puts in their best efforts into the tasks they have been assigned. As a result, their productivity levels and efficiency is increased as well. Motivating your employees can also positively affect their overall development at work.

How To Motivate Employees?

There are various ways to motivate your employees. Here, we have listed some of the best ways to motivate your employees to ensure that they do their best.

Create A Healthy Workplace Culture

Healthy workplace culture is one where there is mutual respect between all employees. When the relationship between your employees and you is a cordial, appreciative, and supportive, the environment at your workplace becomes one that in itself becomes a factor of motivation to your employees. When the atmosphere at your workplace is energetic and welcoming, employees feel more motivated to put in their best.

Acknowledge A Job Well Done

Recognition is hugely important. It establishes a connection between the employer and the employee. Acknowledging your employees’ achievements is a critical piece of employee engagement. Having a weekly or monthly awards program at your workplace, such as ‘Employee of the Week/Month’ can be very beneficial in motivating your employees can reinforce your organizations’ core values. Rewarding your employees with a gift card or coupon for their exemplary performance ensures that they keep up their performance at work.

Give Your Team Autonomy

Everybody needs to feel like they’re in control of their own time and energy. Granting autonomy to your team demonstrates that you trust them and is highly crucial for the employee engagement rates at your organization. In the long run, this motivates your employees to become more self-sufficient. They create their own processes at work and it is a mutual exchange of knowledge for both the employer and the employee.

Play To Your Employees’ Strengths

It is very important to understand that all of your employees are different. Some are introverts, some are extroverts. Some might require guidance and others can work independently. The point is, all of your employees have different strengths. So, enforcing a one-size-fits-all solution to your diverse workforce might not be the best for everybody. Interacting with your employees and socializing at work not only helps you to play up their strengths but also greatly motivates your employees.

Give Employees Room To Grow

If your business is rapidly growing; giving your employees room to grow within the company can be a huge motivating factor. The psychological aspect of feeling trusted and respected for their work can encourage them to perform even better in the near future. For instance, if an employee is doing exceptional work with the inventory, training and allowing them to handle vendor relations completely can highly motivate them.

Share Positive Feedback

Positivity is always motivating, especially when it comes to motivating your employees. It gives them a deeper connection to your business. In fact, letting your employees know that they’re doing a great job is one of the key elements of job satisfaction. Having weekly meetings where you can share the positive reviews left by your consumers with your employees can highly motivate them.

Be Transparent

Having an insight as to how your business is performing makes your employees highly invested in the organization. Sending out weekly or monthly reports to your employees and letting them know about where the company stands currently reinforces trust between the employer and the employees. Having access to the data not only makes employees feel important but also helps in pointing out the areas that can be improved.

Encourage Creativity

Always welcome fresh ideas, and make your employees feel like they can approach you with their fresh and innovative ideas that can benefit your company. Encourage them to express their opinions with you. Encouraging creativity and making yourself approachable not only motivates your employees but also gives them assurance that their opinions are valued.

Encourage Friendly Competition

A healthy and friendly competition among your employees can motivate them to perform better in the tasks that they have been assigned. Friendly competitions among teams help with employee engagement and participation. A competitive environment at work ensures better levels of productivity among your employees and motivates them to step up their skills as well.

Express Gratitude

Gratitude is not the same as recognizing your employees’ achievements. Let your employees know that you are thankful to have them as a part of your team, as a part of the organization. Making your employees feel like they matter on a bigger scale in the organizations motivates them greatly.

Bottom Line?

Employees who are highly motivated are an asset to your organization. They reward you with dedication and a positive perspective for your company’s future. There is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to motivating your employees at work. Don’t hesitate from making small adjustments at your workplace that can positively affect the work environment. Every employee is unique and has their own strengths and weaknesses. Similarly, every organization works differently. Understanding what makes your employees tick, and how it can work for your organization is the key to motivating them.

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