Top 10 List of How To Increase Employee Motivation
If You Think Having AMAZING Employees is NOT Worth a few minutes of your time to read this post...
Then this is NOT for YOU!
I am guessing you are a Local Business Owner?
... & Your employees take you for granted, they don't work hard enough. Worse they aren't even the type of employees you want because you can't find talented employees who want to work for you.
Want To Know How To Increase Employee Motivation?
This is why we wrote YOU this blog post...
We 100% guaranteethat if you read through this blog post and take action on our tips, how to's and techniques...
You will have employees who want to work for you!
If you find this helps you in anyway...
Please share this to a boss who you think could benefit from this! Thank you in advance :)
1. Appreciate Your Employees
Something that is unknown to many employers is that making your employee feel appreciated can be more valuable than money itself. You must see from their perspectives and not just your own. They are not just cogs and machines they are people. They are actual humans with real emotions and thoughts. Plus they are dedicating their time, labor and talent to your business.
Studies have shown by doing little things like buying coffee for your employees on a merit basis will increase your employees productivity.
If you think it’s because of the caffeine that’s making them move faster, it Is not...
It’s Because you made your employee feel that you appreciate their “time, labor & talent they give to your business.”
This small sign of appreciation can change their attitude to be much more positive. People love working for employers who appreciate them vs taking them for granted. Other examples could be from time to time buy them lunch, allow for more paid holidays off, & simply point out their work that you truly appreciate.
There are some appreciation techniques that employers do that end up making your employees feel unappreciated.
An example of this would be the “employee of the month.” By signaling out one employee from the rest of your employees results in making them feel unappreciated to even depressed.
Even when a person wins “employee of the month,” months later they will start to feel that same sting of not receiving the employee of the month title even though they have already gained it.
When you show genuine appreciation, and do it right, you will spark a dramatic attitude change in your employees, resulting in higher productivity.
2. Respect Your Employees
This should come as a no brainer but to many employers this is non existent. The best practice is to go by the golden rule “do on to others as you want to be treated.” Talking to and managing your employees with the same respect you would want to receive is exactly how you should act.
Confident & competent employees can only respect you as much as you respect them. With no respect, your employee’s will simply be walking out the door before you even set up their direct deposit.
TOP 6 WHAT NOT TO DO:
- Talk down to your employees.
- Insult them or their intelligence.
- Curse or say inappropriate things to them.
- isrespect personal issues, family problems, deaths of friends or family members, asking for time off, raise/promotion requests, if they need receive maternity leave etc.
- Raise your voice or yell at your employees.
- Hurt your employee verbally or physically. (Definitely don’t do this!)
3. Don’t Manage Using Fear
Thank you for still reading this. This means you are a genuinely good person who is trying to create a better work life experience for your employees.
Many employers are asked would you rather be feared or loved?
They often answer feared because they believe employees will obey you more.
The answer to that question is “why is this a relevant question?”
Your goal is to increase your bottom line and earn profits. This involves managing your employees and doing it right.
Managing with fear or love is a very polarizing, ineffective and crippling strategy.
Take in mind your employees can now leave reviews on websites like glassdoor to tell their experience while working for your business.
This is something over 90% of potential employee candidates will research before they go on your interview. If they see negative comments, this will be a deal breaker for talented, hard working employees.
Yes, fear may get your employees to work faster, maybe even harder. You are also making them apply faster to work at another job.
Also, you are putting your employees in a negative mind state.
This will increase errors and decrease their quality of work dramatically.
Also, some employee’s may do spiteful things and seek revenge from being managed with fear.
So imposing fear back fires on you in the end. The only employees that will still work for your business, will be desperate, not talented, have a terrible work ethic and in some cases secretly sabotage your business without you knowing.
5. Take Emotions out of Managing Employees
Mistakes happen, and mistakes will continue to happen as long as your employees are still humans. When an employee makes a mistake, its just that a “mistake”. They didn’t do it on purpose to intentionally slow your businesses productivity or decrease your profits.
You must understand that and not take it personally. We understand your business is very special to you and in some cases regarded to you as "your baby".
The facts are when you take the emotion out of managing your employees, you are more capable of creating a solution.
For example, if an employee keeps missing deadlines on finishing a work report, instead of jumping to blame your employees lack of work ethic, try this instead.
First take the emotion out of it and separate the employee from the issue.
Then fully understand all aspects of the situation.
Maybe your employee has a slow computer or a virus on it that is causing this delay. In most cases when mistakes are being made, quick & simple adjustments in the work process or updating of needed tools 100% corrects them.
When you find an employee that obviously continues to make the same mistake time and time again, even after trying many different solutions to fix it, then maybe that employee is not right for that specific job.
Maybe they are better suited for a different position or in some cases just not right for your company.
No need to yell or shout at them “you're no good, get lost!” Simply say “Maybe this position isn’t for you, let’s try you in this department." Or “We don’t think this company is a good fit for you.” By putting it on the company you make it less personal and easier from them to accept.
This may surprise you but at the end of the day it is a MUST to make mistakes.
We make mistakes, so we learn what does not work.
Without mistakes we would have no success at all.
In reality if you’re not making a certain number of mistakes, you’re not working hard enough.
Mistakes is the wrong definition in the first place. The correct word is feedback. Without feedback, you will never know what works and what doesn’t. The more feedback you gain the more success you will have.
6. Lead by Example
Imagine, you are working 40 plus hours breaking your back for your boss’s business, but they have their feet kicked up, they are lazy, or they barely show up to work.
Every business has a culture and it starts at the top. The boss reflects the culture that will manifest in your business.
So if you’re a boss who always shows up late or not at all, how do you think the employees will feel about that?
You may say “Hey, I am paying them to be there.” But in reality your employees are thinking “why should I care about this business if my own boss doesn’t?”
It is a monkey see, monkey do mentality.
Make sure to LEAD BY EXAMPLE!
Be the employee you want to employ at your business.
You set the standard because you are the leader.
All eyes are on you. If you work hard and care for your business so will your employees.
Let’s say you have a policy(s) that you want your employees to comply with. For example, follow a dress code, be at work on time, produce at a certain level of quality, work at a certain speed. All of these things should be demonstrated through your “actions” If you want the best results.
7. Be an Amazing Communicator
If you have a closed-door policy, you are doing it all wrong.
Your employees should feel comfortable to approach you with questions and not feel like you are annoyed them.
If you are very busy and unable to be there to provide communication to your employees, make sure you train someone who can.
If that is not an option give your employee the tools to answer the questions for themselves.
Talk to your employees, remember they are still humans.
Also, do not be secretive, be open and let them in on some tidbits of information on your personal life or interests. The more information you reveal about yourself the more trustworthy you will be perceived.
The more you are secretive and keep things hidden, people will not trust you.
With trust being the top three If not the number one response for what someone looks for in any type of relationship, this is very important.
So be very transparent. If you are being ethical you have nothing to hide.
Obviously, somethings you can choose to keep to yourself, this plays on the 2nd list item in this blog post.
8. Offer a Job that’s more than just a Job
Many people today, especially the rising millennial generation simply just don’t want to work a meaningless punch in, punch out nine to five job.
Be a company that stands for something. Fight for a cause, donate to a charity or spread a message that resonates with your employees and customers.
You must understand this because these people are giving most of their life to their jobs or career.
Its important people feel that their job is more than a just a job. It also must have meaning and value to make your employee work harder.
This practice will make their jobs much more attractive.
FOR EXAMPLE: Here at Gift Card Suite we stand up for the cause to End Plastic Pollution by offer virtual gift cards over plastic ones.
9. Have Fun
As mentioned in the last list item that people will spend most of their lives working, why not make it fun?
We’re not talking about turning your office into a jungle gym or a casino.
We’re saying definitely have casual Friday, if not casual week.
Loosen up the work environment to where your employees can crack jokes and have a little bit of fun.
This will make for happier employees and happier people work better.
They also don’t mind working extra & putting in more effort… Something for you to imagine.
10. The Benefits
The benefits that your company offers are in many cases the make or break for employees staying, leaving or to even taking the job at all.
Lets start with the very basics. When I say basics I mean the essentials for survival like water, proper heating and cooling room temperatures, coffee & office supplies (I hope you don't make your employee buy their office supplies.)
If you are running a business with full time employees, it’s a must to offer the essentials like medical insurance, dental, 401K, vaction, sick days, personal days and all types of paid times off.
These are the top three decision makers that could have a potential employee turn down ten thousand dollars or more if certain benefits are not offered.
The secret is to make your own benefits. Make the benefits so appealing that the benefits alone are a reason for why they would never want to lose their job.
This really depends on how generous & creative you want to be.
Offering free take out lunch every day to your employees at their desk may seem like a waste of money, but it will make for happier employees that take shorter lunch breaks.
Meaning they will work more time and appreciate the job more while doing it.
Offer paid time off, and please just not one week. Two weeks should be the minimum, after their first year of emloyment. Each year the employee stays with you they deserve another week - maximum 6 weeks.
Studies have shown after time off employees come back refreshed and work more efficiently. So the paid time off will pay
for itself in the long run.
Offer benefits in the form of rewards like winning a prize, or an eGift Card.
Think about your employees personally, what are their interests?
If you have a lot of young people, perhaps having a gym or game room would be an excellent idea.
For older employees offering free baby sitting or attractive retirement plans would be very appealing.
The benefits should make your employees life easier. The more appealing, generous & specific to your employees interests/needs the more likely they will love to work at for your business.
Thank you for reading!
We hope this blog post gives you employees who actually want to work for your business!
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