“Motivation is perhaps the one staple feature of every successful workforce. It’s what gets the best out of your employees, enables productivity, boosts morale, and keeps your most skilled with you.” — From the Timely Blog
Do you find motivating your workforce to be a challenge? Is that a resounding YES, I hear? You are not alone.
Employee motivation is not an easy task. But it is a worthwhile pursuit. Compelling your employees to give, do, and be their best will pay dividends all-around—productivity increases, greater employee engagement, improved on-the-job satisfaction.
These five strategies will help your management team motivate your most valuable asset—your workforce—to great heights.
Create a positive work environment
Many physical factors contribute to the workplace environment, such as décor, lighting, and crowded conditions, to name but a few. From the vantage point of the folks working in the space every day, look around. Would a fresh coat of paint perk things up? Would better lighting or more natural light be a positive change? Are too many people crammed into too small of an area? Seek feedback, listen attentively, and then plan to improve the physical space.
Minimize organizational politics
When office or company politics escalate, you can bank on motivation and productivity going the other direction. Too much time, energy, and focus will funnel toward taking sides, “playing the game,” and looking over one’s shoulder.
If employees feel promotions and rewards stem from the political engine rather than valid qualifications and performance measures, all incentive to work diligently will evaporate. Eventually, and sometimes eventually arrives quite soon, folks lapse into a state of I-don’t-care. Why bother? Why even try? Those negative mindsets are venomous to motivation.
Prioritize employee wellbeing
It is really quite simple—happy, healthy employees are more motivated. Too many double shifts, too much overtime, too many back-to-back major projects, or extended periods of being short-staffed can push employees to the edge of burnout. Few things are more detrimental to motivation than burnout.
Ensure your employees are allowed time to relax and refuel away from the workplace –
strongly encouraged them to do so. Provide a space for unwinding while on the job and stock the area with beverages and healthy snacks. Encouragement to take breaks will help fuel both creativity and motivation.
Recognize a job well done
Employee engagement expert Liz Guthridge reminds us that, “People crave recognition. Recognition serves a worthwhile purpose. Recognition confirms you are doing the right thing and encourages you to keep doing it. Plus, the act of giving and receiving recognition makes both the giver and receiver feel good, thanks to the hit of dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter.”
Recognition can take on several forms, from a simple in-person thank you to company-wide recognition to a tangible reward. Check out these ideas to find those that would work well for your company.
Follow through on promises
Trust has always been and will always be a key component of motivation. When a company, boss, or manager can be trusted to stand by his/her word, motivation gets a boost. But when promises are not kept, and that trust is violated, motivation can’t help but take a significant hit.
Promising the moon will backfire. Sugar-coating to get folks on board will turn sour at some point. But knowing the company can be trusted to be straightforward motivates employees to give their best effort, much more so than a constant worry that management may or may not be telling it like it is.
A strong business needs strong talent. As one of the top locally owned and operated staffing agencies in Connecticut, A.R. Mazzotta works hard every day to connect employers with the best talent in Connecticut. We have been in business for more than 50 years – and our personal approach is the driving force behind the success we achieve for those we partner with. Give our team a call today.