7 Effective Ways You Can Help Your Employees Improve Their Motivation

Struggling to find ways to get more productivity out of your workforce? Chances are they are not feeling particularly motivated. Perhaps you have neglected the needs of your employees for a while, whilst giving them the bare minimum as a thank-you for their work. If you think that their wage should be enough to get them to produce exceptional work, then you are very wrong. If we take a look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, there are multiple layers to have ticked off before our employees can have a self-fulfilling feeling of motivation and productivity.

Motivating your employees should not come from a place of negativity. Of course, if your employees are showing misconduct in the workplace and show signs of disrespect, harsher measures should be put into place. On the other hand, you should likely have a workforce that you see potential in, hence why you hired them. If you want to avoid the costly recruitment fees and boost the morale and productivity of your workforce, take a look at our following suggestions:

1. Create A Good Environment

Firstly, providing your employees with an environment that is optimized to boost their performance and motivation should be the first thing to review. Perhaps you have an office space that is dull and does not reflect the values of the company. Invest some time in creating a space that allows employees to make the most out of their work, whilst keeping the company values in mind. This might also include investing in some higher-end tech such as new computers and devices and perhaps providing them with comfy office chairs. Giving your employees the tools they need to not only work their hardest but also feel comfortable whilst doing so is essential. Some greenery won’t hurt too to breathe some life into the place!

1. Offer Support 

Providing your employees with the support they need is the bare minimum all businesses should be doing, but unfortunately, it tends to be neglected when things start to grow. Studies have shown that employees feel as though their well-being falls short when it comes to the concern of the business, therefore if you are looking for reasons as to why employee motivation has dropped you should keep this in mind. The best thing you can do for your employees is to offer your support whenever possible, whether it’s to do with the workplace or home life. An example might be if an employee is dealing with a bereavement the company should offer their full support whilst they are dealing with such emotions and allow for paid time off.

1. Encourage Healthy Living 

Another method for increasing the motivation of your employees is to encourage a healthy lifestyle. A lot of time is spent in the workplace, and more specifically in office spaces a lot of time is spent sitting down at a desk with minimal movement. Companies should be pushing for their employees to follow a healthy lifestyle, to support their health and likely give them more energy to stay motivated. This might include paying for gym memberships or possibly providing the office with healthy food options to fuel their work throughout the day. If employees feel as though the business they are working for cares for their health and well-being, they might feel more inclined to put the same amount of energy and consideration into their work.

1. Give Them Results Based Incentives 

One of the easiest ways you can begin to boost the motivation of your employees today is to give them results-based incentives. This is a really fun and interactive way to encourage your team to push harder to reach their goals and targets. These incentives might include team prizes such as meals out together, or they might be tailored for each individual. For example, if people prefer monetary rewards you might offer them a monthly bonus. Speak with your team to see what exactly they would like to be rewarded with so you know exactly what will get the best results.

1. Contribute To Costs 

Even if you provide your employees with a handsome wage, there are still costs associated with work that takes away percentages of their overall wage. For example, transport costs can take up a lot of their wage if they need to commute far to work. Also, health care such as dentistry visits are more expensive than they ever have been. If you are looking to boost motivation, you might consider starting to pay for certain necessities such as transport or dentistry care. Your employees might appreciate their train tickets paid for, or others might prefer contributions towards their dentistry fees. This can be as little as £10 a month, which over time can cover the costs of full dental implants if necessary. Knowing that they work for a business that cares for its employees can be a motivation booster in itself.

1. Have Regular Catch Ups 

Communication is key, and if you have been neglecting catch-ups with your employees it might be time to address the issues as soon as possible. Not having recognition for good work and great results is a serious motivation dropper, especially if it has been going on for a while. Employees require positive feedback, especially when it is positive. If you solely base catch-ups with employees on highlighting negatives you should not be surprised when they show up to work feeling deflated. Start arranging meetings to open up a two-way communication avenue to understand how your employees are feeling, and give them a pat on the back for consistently good results.

1. Share Achievements

On the topic of communication, if one of your employees has shown amazing work or they have achieved new records you should make it known to the whole company. For example, if your employee has done something as simple as getting the most positive feedback from customers, you might share this across the company and ask the whole workforce to offer their congratulations for working so hard. This is not only empowering for the employee who has worked so hard, but it is motivating to other employees who hope to get shouted out for their excellent work also.

Final Thoughts 

If your workforce has been showing a lack of motivation, you should start today to take the steps to work towards empowering them. These might be small, cost-effective changes such as arranging for catch-ups every two weeks, or you might wish to invest in their health care or gym memberships to fuel their health. Whatever you choose to implement, you should see positive changes in no time.