How to motivate employees and boost productivity

All companies want to hire and keep the best people, but how can you stay a step ahead? The key is getting your workers to feel a strong connection to your company, your mission and your success. In other words, you must know how to motivate employees, and recognize their achievements.

Studies show that a motivated workforce significantly out-produces an unmotivated one. They also reinforce the notion that employee creativity is the key to innovation and customer satisfaction. And if the employees in your workforce aren't motivated, creativity probably isn't in your workplace.

So how do you motivate employees? Here are a few simple tips:

Be positive.

Employee motivation requires a company culture that is dynamic and nurturing. As a manager, you are in a position to significantly influence the atmosphere in your workplace, so be positive! If you can create an environment that people actually enjoy working in, they’ll be more likely to give you their very best.

Listen to your people.

Money is not the number one motivating factor for everybody. In fact, given the choice, an increasing number of people would prefer to receive non-financial benefits. So pay attention to what they want – the more in touch you are with your employees’ needs, the better they’ll feel about putting forth their best effort. Here are some examples of what employees are looking for these days:

• Opportunities: Developing talent within your company and grooming employees for leadership positions is a good way for you to prepare for the future. It also engenders loyalty and helps people feel as though they’re working hard towards something better.
• Challenges: Giving your best people more responsibility or ownership of a particular project helps them feel that their contributions are more meaningful. If they are more directly connected to the company’s success, they’re more likely to try harder to meet your common goals.
• Training: An effective training and development plan is one of the best ways to show your commitment to your employees. When you consider the costs (in time and money) of a high turnover rate, the expense of a solid training program suddenly doesn't seem like too much to bear.
• Balance: Yes, your employees do have a life outside of the office. So let them enjoy it! Flexible work schedules and mandatory vacations help employees put some breathing space between them and their jobs and give them time to re-energize and return to work at full strength.

Talk with employees – not at them.

Keeping open lines of communication is vital to employee motivation. Try scheduling regular meetings where employees can share ideas and concerns. Set up a company email address for feedback and suggestions. When you allow employees to take on a more active role in your company and listen to their input, they can’t help but feel like a valuable member of the team.

Interested in learning more about employee motivation? Contact us today to speak with a staffing professional.