When it comes to motivating employees, the first thing that usually comes to mind is money.
However, although this is an important factor, it is by no means the only one.
Moreover, motivation by money alone can lead to the opposite effect, when employees will only work worse, which is confirmed by scientific research. But what to do?
Praise your employees
This is probably the fastest and cheapest way to motivate employees: praise them for doing a good job, preferably in front of the whole team. After all, who doesn’t like to hear that their achievements are recognized?
When you openly tell your employees that they are doing a good job, it really does increase their motivation.
When praise occurs in a group, it encourages not only the person you are addressing, but also the rest of the group present.
Praise and recognition, as well as discussing what was done particularly well last week, can become a regular ritual, for example at weekly team meetings.
Make their work matter
Do you know what motivates you to go to work in the morning and do it well? Probably yes. It should be the same with your employees.
If you let them know why they get up early and come to work every day, it will be easier for them to find the right motivation for their work.
Show your employees why each person does what they do and how they contribute to the big picture and the success of the company.
Give the employee independence
Although there is an initial period when each employee should be under observation, the duration of this stage should be clearly defined.
Once the employee has adapted, it is better to immediately give him a certain level of autonomy.
Suffocating your team with excessive supervision can lead to poor results and a lack of initiative from your staff.
A manager must be able to delegate authority, and be prepared to answer questions and remove any obstacles that may arise. Employees with clearly defined goals, deadlines, and creative freedom within the parameters of the company will be more motivated to get the job done.
Set tasks according to the employee's skills
Psychological research has confirmed that motivation is closely related to a person's ability to perform assigned activities.
When performing tasks that do not match his skills, a worker's productivity usually decreases.
And this leads to stress and even depression. Each employee has their own strengths and weaknesses, and in order to effectively motivate an employee, you must clearly know them.
Set intermediate goals
Small, measurable goals are a valuable way to stay motivated while working on a project.
Helping your team set reasonable and achievable goals will keep employees motivated and excited.
Celebrate milestones and achievements
Always celebrate successes, no matter how small. When you celebrate small and big successes with your team, you motivate them to keep going.
Create a pleasant working atmosphere
The immediate work environment is a key motivator. Make sure to create a pleasant working atmosphere in the office, as well as for colleagues working remotely from home.
Positive and friendly language is a basic requirement that should be deeply ingrained in your corporate culture. It is also important to create an atmosphere in which fun and laughter are allowed at work.
Regular team activities can help create this atmosphere, strengthen the sense of unity between colleagues, and bring managers and employees closer together. Also, keep an eye on conflicts so you can resolve them early.
Provide opportunities for career advancement
Personal aspirations may be very diverse, but they will always be present.
Ignoring them will eventually cause employees to look for these opportunities in other companies. Therefore, immediately determine what the employee should do and how to behave so that he can advance his career.
Implement a rewards system
Money and praise are good incentives for employees, but you can also implement non-financial incentives such as extra vacation days, shorter workweeks, and choice of parking spaces.
This also includes the possibility of working part-time (with pay), switching to remote work, the ability to start a shift earlier or later, a compressed workweek, when an employee works longer each day or in exchange for a day off.
Offer a competitive salary
Yes, money isn't everything, but it's also important. It's the obvious answer to how to motivate your employees, and in most cases, it's taken for granted.
But it never hurts to emphasize and re-emphasize its importance, since the employee, having satisfied his financial needs, will be more focused on completing his tasks.
Earlier, businessman, entrepreneur, media manager, and media expert Vitaly Kisterny told how to make your boss happy.
