Introduction to Employee Motivation in Workplace
Employee motivation in the workplace can be a tricky thing. But if one player holds the key cards, it’s the manager. Like recent management researchers consistently re-iterate, “Employees leave (or stick with) their Managers, not their Companies”! If you are a manager of some sort: people manager, human resource manager, finance manager, operations manager, or any other kind of manager, you’re possibly on the constant lookout for ways to improve employee motivation in the workplace. This post gives you 5 more clever ways to tap into this.
How to Raise Employee Motivation in Workplace?
Below are specific points that can raise employee motivation in the workplace:
1. Increase your connection with Employees
Look, it’s all about connections this century. The internet, social media, cloud computing, heck, and even our traditional mailbox (along with its modern peers: email and sea-mail) have all dramatically evolved to help us connect more with others. So begin your exercise to raise employee motivation in the workplace by connecting with each team member.
So what can we managers do to bridge this disconnect? Here are some ideas:
- We could schedule monthly sessions with individuals. (This may sound like a lot when you have a large team, but if you’re persistent, you could find innovative ways to make this happen. This could even happen over coffee, killing 2 birds with 1 stone.) The intent is to have a brief yet fruitful discussion on how the employee performs and update him on expansion opportunities. This will remove any disconnect between you even as you show that you care about their growth (professional or otherwise).
- Introduce top performers to senior management (either formally, via a well-drafted mail, or informally, perhaps in the cafeteria). All employees love to be noticed, so this simple act will win you massive brownie points and send employee motivation and performance rising like a rocket.
2. Win them over with rewards
This is another area we managers need to work on. We are so consumed with showcasing our best all the time that we often end up inadvertently ignoring mediocre members of our team. Everybody likes to receive rewards; they have the universal ability to catapult employee motivation and performance as nothing else can. This IS the absolute, unflinching truth. However, it’s up to your innovative self to determine the nature of the reward (ideally based on performance).
Thankfully, rewards come in different flavors and sizes.
- Monetary rewards:
This is the most apparent lot. But it needs to be evident that it sometimes makes sense to bestow a monetary reward even on a mediocre performer when other factors are at play. For instance, he may have served for many years at the company, and you want to reward his loyalty. Or he may already be at the lowest end of the pay scale, contributing to reduced employee motivation and poor performance.
While this is often the most difficult to award, it is (but naturally) the most effective reward. If you choose this path, ensure that the employee also realizes the reward qualities (performance, loyalty, attitude, etc.).
- Recognition awards:
Again, this can come in different flavors. A personalized plaque, an appreciation mail from the top boss, a gift certificate, elegant flowers from BloomsyBox, heck, even a free lunch with you where the bills on you can all go a long way in raising employee motivation and performance for “attention-seeking” members!
- Reward a challenge:
The absolute cream of top performers thrives not just on money or recognition but also on constant challenges. For this rare employee, his employee motivation and performance hit the roof when he’s tasked to push himself beyond his comfort zone. These are your dearest employees, so ensure you have a steady stream of worthwhile challenges to keep them eager and hungry for more.
3. Find out what truly matters
As always, expect to be surprised at the answers. For example, someone once told his manager, “I work just for the fun of it. As long as you give me a window seat and a good view, I’m in”. And, this incidentally came from a mighty hard worker!
Finally, be sure to make use of the information you get. Don’t just sit on it (which we managers tend to do when too many things claim our attention). Put a tangible plan in place, and share it with your employee. He will brighten up as he rests assured that his top needs are:
- Acknowledged
- Addressed
This is a foolproof plan to strengthen employee motivation in the workplace.
4. Plan their growth with them
If there’s one thing that universally gets employee motivation activities pumping, it’s growth: personal and professional growth. We all strive to expand and reach our highest potential. If you can consciously plan, share, and participate in this expansion for your team member, you’ve got their loyalty and friendship for life!
Here are some tried and tested ideas that always work:
- Empower them to take control of their advancement.
If there’s one myth that percolates the professional world, it’s this: “My manager is responsible for my promotion and growth”!
To debunk this myth, inform your team upfront that this passive and lazy attitude will NOT get them to the top. Please do this even as you empower them to take control of their growth. Ask them,
- What professional path do they enjoy? Are they tech-savvy, people-savvy, operations-savvy, financially savvy, etc.?
- Where do they want to see themselves two years from now? or 5 years later? At the peak of their career.
- How do they want to pace their (extended) career?
Get them to contemplate deeply on their career; it’s a marathon and not a 100m stint. And the onus is on them to make their dream career happen. But, of course, you are fully available to support and participate in its realization.
- Strengthen their professional skills with adequate training.
The problem lies in need for more communication. The employee or his manager must know the purpose or need for training. Instead, consider planning your team’s activity with their participation. Share with them how you think this will aid their *growth*. (Yes, that magic word again!) Give them clear directives on the tangibles you want them to achieve due to it post-training. With this simple communication in place, training will enhance organizational effectiveness and employee motivation activities and fulfillment.
5. Be a shining example unto yourself.
This is the most subtle yet powerful facet to improve employee motivation in the workplace (which is why we saved it for the last). This requires YOU to have YOUR employee motivation at an all-time high in the workplace. You see, employees don’t just love/ hate their managers; they also tend to follow their managers’ good, bad, and ugly traits. It is the same with your team.
Employee motivation in the workplace is often taken for granted, yet, it is an essential factor that makes or breaks a company’s success. Your actively pursuing of this topic shows that you and your company have your professional heart in the right place. The trick is to keep your mind on this goal throughout the year so your employees stay consistently motivated, productive, and happy.
We believe that it’s possible, don’t you?
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