People and Organization - 11 employee motivation ideas successful organisations use
11 employee motivation ideas successful organizations use
11 employee motivation ideas successful organizations use
Sometimes it can be all too hard to motivate your employees – and once one person’s motivation levels reach a low-point, it appears to catch on like a bad case of the flu.
You may believe in the company, but without employees who can match your enthusiasm, your company just won’t reach its full potential. In fact, that lack of motivation could lead to poor performance, unsatisfactory customer service, decreased revenue, and a spiraling brand reputation.
Understanding and tapping in to the sources of your employees’ motivation, on the other hand, will lead to a more engaged workforce that has the drive and capacity to reach – and even surpass – their goals.
Employees respond to productive working relationships with their managers, a positive work environment, and a few extra incentives to encourage them on their way!
We’ve compiled an extensive list of the best employee motivation ideas and techniques that successful organizations use every day to get the most out of their talent. These employee motivation ideas can help you transform your workforce from humdrum to a busy beehive in no time.
Employee motivation idea #1: Set SMART goals
Planning and setting goals is a great way to motivate employees, but if the task is too great your employees can feel overwhelmed.
That’s where SMART goals come into play. They’re bite-sized goals that appear easier to achieve, with each one bringing your team one step closer to completing the big goal.
SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Agreed Upon
- Realistic
- Time-based or Track able
Set weekly SMART goals, and you’ll keep your employees motivated and on track to reach that big end goal.
Employee motivation idea #2: Reward and incentive
Not all work offers an immediate reward for employees, but providing incentives helps them define goals: nothing works better than a reward to encourage employees to reach their objectives!
When you’re planning rewards and incentives for your employees, remember to keep the goals clear. They must be achievable and the rewards must be something your employees actually want. Take this opportunity to ask your employees about their preferred perks: having tailored incentives might be the motivation they need to pick up the pace or push a product with passion. You can use bonuses or gift cards as incentives, or benefits like better parking spaces.
Incentives can motivate your employees to increase customer satisfaction, drive more sales, and encourage more collaboration. It can even promote more employee loyalty and help you retain top-performing talent.
Employee motivation idea #3: Remember that trust breeds loyalty
Your organisation’s success relies on the quality of work your employees produce. Be sure to let them know that you and the business depend on their work and that you trust them to put in their all.
Showing you have trust and confidence in their abilities could help them feel a part of the team and encourage greater loyalty in your organization. Once employees are committed, it’s natural for them to be more motivated!
Employee motivation idea #4: Cultivate enthusiasm
Positive and negative attitudes are contagious, so it always helps to promote a positive and enthusiastic office culture that will encourage your employees to view their workplace in a good light. It’s a good sign if they’re not dragging their feet to work each morning!
Positive workplaces all share some common characteristics – these include:
- Having open and transparent communication channels
- Having a focus on training and development
- Providing recognition for hard work
- Promoting a sense of unity, tolerance and acceptance
Even on bad days, employees will find it difficult to remain miserable in an upbeat office. Banish negativity and your employees will enjoy their working environment. If work isn’t a slog, they’ll put more effort in.
Employee motivation idea #5: Promote transparency
Being honest with your employees is the best way to promote loyalty. Let them know about organizational plans and always keep them informed about the direction the company is headed in. Allow them to feel included in the big decisions.
If they know about the big picture, they’ll honor your honesty with loyalty and increased motivation.
Employee motivation idea #6: Schedule regular one-on-ones
Scheduling one-on-one meetings between managers and their staff will ensure you can address issues before they become major problems.
Individual sessions show that you care about your employees as individuals. These sessions can help you:
- assign incentives that suit them
- set individual smart goals
- motivate them to work toward the common company goal
Employee motivation idea #7: Recognize and celebrate achievements
It’s important to recognize your employees’ achievements. Whether this is in a Monday morning meeting, or during Friday night drinks, celebrating and praising your employees will encourage them to continue their good work.
Employee motivation idea #8: Get to know your employees
If you’re having motivation problems in your workplace, why not suss out why that lack of motivation is there in the first place? Find out what work employees look forward to doing, and what jobs they always leave until last.
Chances are if your employee enjoys a certain kind of work, it’s because they are good at it. Learning more about your employees’ skills and interests, proficiency and passions, may lead to you finding new opportunities for the company in unexpected places.
Employee motivation idea #9: Value work-life balance
Work isn’t everything, and sometimes stressed and unmotivated employees just need to take a break from the daily grind. Encourage your employees to make the most of their holiday leave, and they’ll come back refreshed and ready to work.
It’s important for everyone to separate their work and home life. Finding the perfect work-life balance will allow your employees to rest and relax in their personal time and return to work ready to take on the big challenges.
Employee motivation idea #10: Listen to employees’ ideas
If you are looking for fresh ideas and new business opportunities, it’s a great idea to look within the organization for inspiration. Who knows your business better than your employees?
Fielding ideas and recommendations from within won’t just build your relationships with employees: it will also encourage them invest themselves in how the business operates.
Employee motivation idea #11: Use leadership opportunities as motivation
Giving your employees more responsibility might be just what it takes to motivate them. This won’t work for every employee, but those with a lot of potential will benefit from the added responsibility and greater trust in their abilities.
Showing employees that you appreciate their work and that you trust them to take on a leadership role could change their entire attitude towards the business, while also helping your succession planning.
It comes down to a simple takeaway: don’t let your workplace descend into the doldrums. Instead, opt for an environment of positivity, community and transparency. With a little bit of positive encouragement from top management, along with incentives and opportunities for growth, your employees can become much more engaged in their work. Having satisfied, motivated employees means you can also reap the rewards of an employer brand that attracts – and keeps – top talent.
Learn more about how to motivate your employees and promote loyalty and engagement in your workforce with articles, whitepapers and more on the PageUp Resource Hub
3.
An interesting topic Janarthan. Employee motivation is key to an organisation’s success. It’s the level of commitment, drive and energy that a company’s workers bring to the role everyday. Without it, companies experience reduced productivity, lower levels of output and it’s likely that the company will fall short of reaching important goals too. Thankyou for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much your valuable comments
DeleteHi Janathan, motivation is a broader topic we discussed in HR and followings are the benefits of employee motivation
ReplyDeleteHigher productivity levels
More innovation
Lower levels of absenteeism
Lower levels of staff turnover
Great reputation and stronger recruitment
Thank you very much your valuable comments
DeleteHi Janarthan, as we know Employee motivation is about how much the employee is involved in joining the organization's goals and how strong he or she feels. you have presented it with many ideas. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteEmployee motivation must be recognized and empowered in order to improve productivity and efficiency in any organization. When employees are appreciated for the work, they have done, they feel internal satisfaction and their productivity increases. Employees must be involved in decision-making processes in order to increase their interest in organizational goals and improve performance. When employees are involved in decision-making processes, their motivation and enthusiasm for completing responsibilities increases.
ReplyDeleteIn their lives, everyone has activities, events, people, and goals that they find motivating. The challenge for employers is to figure out how to motivate employees at work. In order to establish a work atmosphere that motivates employees, both intrinsically rewarding and extrinsically motivating components must be present.
ReplyDeleteGood topic Janarthan.By applying successful motivation strategies organization have the opportunity to achieve higher levels of output through increased employee productivity. Also motivation will increase the employee commitment, employee satisfaction, employee development and efficiency.
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons why employee motivation is important. Mainly because it allows the management to achieve the objectives of the company. Without an aggressive workplace, the company can find itself in a very dangerous situation. Motivated employees can increase productivity and enable the organization to achieve higher levels of production. Imagine an employee who is unmotivated at work. They can use the time at their desks to go online for personal pleasure or even find another job. This is a waste of time and resources.
ReplyDeleteMotivation plays a significant role in every aspect of human life. Obviously it is the most influential factor when it comes to drive the workforce towards the common goal. A motivated employee is willing to give back higher level of efficiency, productivity, contribution and will be committed towards organization's objectives. The author has well explained the importance of motivation. Worth to read.
ReplyDeleteIn HRM, this is an extremely essential topic to discuss. Employee motivation and job satisfaction are critical factors in retaining employees in a company. Janarthan, you have provided excellent examples and written an insightful article. Best wishes for your writings.
ReplyDelete