We all have days when we feel a bit ‘meh’ and can’t find the energy to give work our all. But if your team members have those days frequently, their productivity will take a nosedive. That low employee morale can be infectious too. Before you know it, the quality and quantity of your employees’ work is on a downward spiral.
It’s a global issue too. A Gallup survey showed that only 21% of employees worldwide are engaged at work. So, what can you do to keep your employees motivated and engaged? How can you ignite the spark that drives people to go the extra mile and deliver not just good work, but innovative and excellent work?
You can start by ensuring they have a positive employee experience. Create a work environment that your people want to spend time in. Below, I’ll share my ten top tips to do just that.
What 5 techniques would you use to motivate your team?
People respond differently to motivational factors. What drives one person to succeed isn’t a big motivator for another. That’s why it’s a good idea to ensure you have a variety of motivational factors in play in your workplace. By recognising individual needs and preferences, you’ll get the best out of them.
1. Intrinsic motivation: A sense of purpose brings job satisfaction and fulfilment. These people are motivated by undertaking meaningful work which brings them joy.
2. Extrinsic motivation: These people like to be recognised for their work with rewards like salary, bonuses, promotions, or benefits.
3. Achievement motivation: Achieving goals, reaching targets and striving for excellence motivate these employees. They like clear metrics and milestones to aim for.
4. Affiliation motivation: These employees need to be around others. They place importance on team building, collaboration and a sense of belonging. A good workplace culture is everything.
5. Competence motivation: Driven by a desire to improve, learn new skills and challenge themselves, continuous professional development is important to these personalities.
By recognising which of these motivational factors works best on which employee, you can put the right things in place to boost their morale and engagement.
10 ways to get a more motivated workforce
1. Positive company culture
Happy team members are more likely to stick around and work well. In fact, happier workers are 13% more productive than unhappy ones (according to Oxford University research). And your workplace culture plays a big part in that.
A positive company culture filters down from the top of the organisation. It happens when people feel valued, supported and recognised for playing their part in achieving company goals.
2. Regular one-on-one and team meetings
Keep lines of communication open. As a manager, it’s so important to hold regular meetings with your team members. Some weeks that may be a quick 10 minute check-in, but other times you’ll need a more in-depth discussion. People need to feel heard, supported and appreciated by their manager.
I’ve always had an open door policy (even when we work remotely!). I like team members to know that I’m here for them to talk to whenever they need help, advice or just a sounding board.
3. Sense of purpose
“Why am I here?!” Purpose is a very strong intrinsic motivator. People want to contribute to a cause they believe in.
When you understand the company goals, and the part you play in achieving them, you have clarity and a sense of purpose. This contributes to better teamwork too. Employees can visualise how their individual work feeds into the team aims, and ultimately, company goals.
4. Work-life balance
Burnout is a huge issue today. Mental Health UK states that 91% of adults experienced high pressure or stress at some point over the last year. That takes its toll on your physical and mental health, putting you at risk of burnout.
By prioritising your employees’ wellbeing and encouraging a good work-life balance, you’ll see better employee performance, less absenteeism and happier team members.
5. Flexible work environment
One size doesn’t fit all in the workplace. Some people love remote work from home as they find it easier to focus. Others thrive on being around other team members in a distinct workplace. There are the early birds who work better first thing, and those who take a while to get going. Offering some flexible scheduling of work hours (where you can), can help to get the best out of people. It can also benefit your business if it means you have team members working over longer hours than the standard 9-5, as one person starts at 7am and another doesn’t finish until 7pm.
Recognising individual preferences and needs helps them to feel valued, trusted and appreciated. In turn, that can boost employee performance.
6. Reward and recognition
Acknowledging a job well done makes people smile. It makes them feel better about themselves and the business. Recognising hard work and rewarding people for it is an important part of your company culture.
Take your team out for a drink when they’ve gone the extra mile. Send a thank you email to acknowledge the person who cleared up the shared drive. Celebrate workplace anniversaries and their contribution to the business. Encourage team members to highlight hard work and achievements too. It doesn’t just have to come from you.
7. Open communication
Trust your teams to handle the truth. If business is going through a tricky patch, let them know. Clear and open communication helps your teams to understand what’s going on. It prevents speculation and fear-mongering.
Establish a regular two-way conversation with your employees. Encourage them to be open and honest with you, and you respond in the same way. That means having difficult conversations too. Be clear about career progression and salary. Provide constructive feedback. When employees are clear on their roles, their goals and potential opportunities, they feel more motivated.
8. Training and development opportunities
Learning new skills, gaining additional qualifications or taking on new challenges can be a real incentive for employees. It’s an attractive perk that’s been proven to increase productivity, employee engagement and retention.
It doesn’t have to be costly either. You can run in-house learning lunches and mentoring schemes to help people enhance their skills or progress along their career path.
9. Encourage innovation and creativity
You may be the boss, but it doesn’t mean you have all the answers. Create a work environment that gives your team members the freedom to express new ideas and initiatives.
Don’t pigeon-hole people either. Just because you work in finance, it doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to creative solutions. Encourage cross-team collaboration and brainstorming. You may get some game-changing, dynamic results. And you’ll give your teams a creative outlet and a real boost.
10. Fair pay
Here’s the thing. It’s not all about giving employees more money. Research shows that increased pay doesn’t necessarily increase motivation. However, underpaying people does decrease motivation and lead to disengagement.
Perks like training, flexible working, recognition and new opportunities are all non-monetary rewards that can incentivise and motivate your team members.
Do you need to boost motivation in your workplace?
Have you noticed a sombre mood in your workplace? Perhaps you’ve seen an increase in your employee turnover rate or absenteeism. It’s time to nip that in the bud.
Take action to improve employee morale and motivation in your workplace before it declines further. You can start by addressing some of the suggestions I’ve made here.
But if you’d like to chat about your own business situation, I’d love to connect with you. Get in touch and we can work on this together.
