Employees should become better and more productive - that's what they always say. But to achieve this, motivation is needed! After all, every company needs employees who show up on time in the morning in a good mood and are happy, effective and, of course, productive.
We show you 6 ways to increase your employees' motivation.
There are two ways of motivation - rewards and punishments. When employees do what you want them to do, reward them with incentives they strive for - awards, recognition, important titles - like something like "the employee of the month," a raise, and so on. So employees' actions have positive consequences. However, when employees don't do what is expected of them, you punish them with something they don't strive for - warnings, admonishments, demotion, dismissal, and so on. Thus, their actions have negative consequences. By nature, employees prefer positive consequences and tend to shy away from negative consequences.
Today, however, managers are increasingly encouraged to do more to provide positive consequences whenever employees perform well. In addition, you have to be much more selective with negative consequences and very deliberate about when and how you use them. In today's Employee Market, it's much harder to fire employees than it ever was in the past.
What employees really want...
What matters most to employees in our changing times? Here we list some things that are very important to every employee in a company:
1. Development opportunities
Today's employees most value opportunities to gain new skills that will increase their value in their current position and their chances for future positions. Find out what your employees want to learn, how they want to grow and develop, and where they want to be in five years. Take advantage of opportunities as they arise and let them choose their assignments where and when they can. When you give your employees a choice, you will overwhelmingly see more effort and exceed your expectations.
2. Flexible work organization
Time is a very important factor today. Consider your employees' needs outside of the workplace. Be it family or friends - a healthy work-life balance is very crucial here.
3. Personal praise
It only takes a few seconds to give someone a thank you. Many leaders or managers take things for granted and thus overlook top performance from their employees. Employees feel more productive in what they do when this praise is received. Be it written or verbal. They feel valuable and therefore give not 90, but 110 percent from now on.
Praise...? How does it work?
You can praise your employees directly in front of other people or in absentia in written form. Here are three ways:
1. As soon as possible
Just don't lose sight of the timing. Praise your employee as soon as he or she exhibits the desired behavior.
2. As honestly as possible
Everyone knows exactly how something is meant by facial expressions or body language. Always be honest and don't just praise because you think you have to.
3. As positive as possible
Really great, "BUT"...!
Many undermine your praise by following it up with something critical. If this is the case, it is best to leave it completely alone.
6 ways to motivate employees:
Now let's get to the most crucial point - the way you motivate your employees.
We've put together ten ways you can create a motivating work environment:
Take time to sit down with employees and listen to them.
Give your employees specific feedback on their performance often. Help them improve their performance.
Communicate how your company makes and loses money and announce new products, services or competitive strategies. Explain to employees their role within the overall plan.
Involve employees, in decisions, especially if they will be affected. Involvement equals commitment.
Make your employees feel that their work and their work environment belong to them. This can take symbolic forms, such as handing out business cards to all employees.
Celebrate successes - those of the company, the department and individual employees. Make time for meetings and activities that help build team spirit and morale. Be creative.
Conclusion
It is predominantly in your hands how motivated your employees are. Leaders create a motivating environment that makes it easier for their employees to be motivated. When the time comes, reward your employees fairly and equitably for good performance. When you give rewards, remember that employees don't want handouts and hate favoritism toward individuals. So reward performance that helps everyone succeed.
Prosupo knows that trust and credibility are the most important factors you should build in your relationships with your employees. If you lose both, you lose valuable employees.