10 Effective Ways to Keep Employees Motivated

Motivation is one of the keys in getting success – both in life and business. However, motivation doesn’t come naturally or easily. Just like writer’s block, it has the ability to allow the person to slack off in life or work. It also needs something to get fuel up.

In any business, motivation is a big part to in contributing success to the operation. It is the key to make people stay and keep on doing a great job at work. What if they feel motivated in the long run? What the company can do about it?

The company needs to know what drives people to work better and what makes them productive. If they are motivated enough, it will reflect on their performance. Motivated employees are valuable part of any company’s success. To continue motivating the employees, here are the tips to follow:

Set a good example

Don’t expect your employees to work harder if you don’t lead by good example. If the employees see that the management is working double to accomplish certain goal, they most likely do the same. If they see that their team leaders are excited about a new project, the staff will be enthusiastic as well and will be on-board to complete the project with flying colors.

Empower your employees

Employees are not just workers who will complete the task they asked to complete. It’s recommended that company should give their employees a privilege to contribute on how to do their job. Ask for their opinion and suggestion regarding the improvement of their work performance. There is a higher chance that they have an idea on how to become more efficient, so it’s better to give them a platform to share those ideas.

You can start with the regular employee performance review to discuss things that matter related to their improvement. Taking their pieces of advice during the performance review and implementing them is a win-win solution for both the company and the employees.

Offer rewards

Employees will stay at the company if they have a compelling reason. If you want to keep your employees and feel motivated, you should provide incentive program. It can be in a form of quarterly bonus or end of the year bonus. Another sample is a commission structure. It’s up to you what kind of incentive program you’d like to offer.

Recognize your employees’ achievement

Regardless if it’s for work or personal matter, everyone wants to be acknowledged for something great they have done. Management recognizing the job well done means a lot to the employees who have worked hard to deliver greater result. Keep in mind to give credit when credit is due.

Provide privilege and perks

Work-life balance is important with employees. If it’s met, your staff will work harder and smarter because it’s rewarding. You can offer perks and privileges like flexible working schedule and some work-from-home days.

Aside from work schedule flexibility, you can also offer preferred parking spots, longer lunch time, and more. Keep in mind to know the things that employees might enjoy and in return, work harder for the company.

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Let employees know that they are trusted

Letting employees know that you depend on them and you trust their work, you can expect increased in turnover and productivity. Your confidence on your employees will go a long way. You can expect the best job possible from them.

Make your working environment inspiring and awesome

Mood and motivation are great combination resulting to productivity. This combo affects the energy of the employees, increasing their ability to concentrate on the work as well as their sense of wellbeing. Company owners should invest in making the workplace inspiring for all the employees. Make it friendly and safe.

According to the study of Ohio State University and the National Institute of Mental Health in 2011, workplace environment affects the mood. They found out that workers in older building with loud conditioners and low ceilings were more stressed compared to newer buildings with open layouts and natural light.

Know your staff personally

A company that actually cares for the employees will make a way to know them personally. Learn more about them as people and put an effort to know their families. It’s also heartwarming to ask about their career goals and hobbies. If you do this, it will show that you care about them. If an employee is getting married or your employee’s child is graduating, send a congratulatory hand-written note. This is just a

Set up a friendly competition among employees

A little friendly competition among the employees is not bad. If you have a competitive working environment, the result will be a productive environment for everyone. Management including the HR support should encourage the employees to engage in a friendly competition because it’s healthy and may eventually lead to increased productivity and camaraderie.

Provide opportunities to have professional growth

People feel the burnout feeling when they do same tasks daily. They are stuck in rut, leading to feel less motivated. It also affects their creativity and feels dissatisfied with their work. If your employees feel these things, it will result to lower productivity that may affect the overall operation of your business.

How can you resolve that? Allow your employees with exceptional skills to learn new skills and let them enhance what they know. You can also offer new opportunities where they can fully use their talent. This is a simple way to make them feel professional as you tap their talent and skills to deal with daily business operations.