How to motivate employees

Employee motivation is one of the most important factors in business success. When it is high, employees are more productive and the business is more competitive and profitable.

Employee motivation is a term used to describe the overall satisfaction, happiness, and attitude of employees towards their workplace. When they are happy at work, they are more likely to be proactive, assertive, strive for better results, and inspire others to improve.

Benefits of a motivated team:

• Satisfied employees
• High team involvement
• High productivity
• Lower staff turnover
• Less shirking and overworking
• Fewer mistakes
• Better service and customer satisfaction
• Better team relationships
• Development of the HR brand of the company

In simple terms, employees who are satisfied with their contribution, company, workplace environment, and enjoy the process of work, are more likely to work efficiently and productively. Their work will contain fewer mistakes, which will allow them to do more tasks without wasting time correcting them.

There is no single reason for low motivation. If you notice this phenomenon in your company, then most likely the problem is one or some of these factors:

• Management - managers do not keep in touch with employees and their problems, mistreat them or control them too much.
• Money - employees feel that their work is not well paid.
• Corporate culture - a toxic or ineffective work environment will never motivate employees.
• Incorrectly made changes - when there are big changes, the importance of which has not been communicated to the team, employees can become frustrated by the change in the way they work.
• Workload - employees who are forced to do too many tasks begin to experience stress and resentment.
• Work/life balance - With the onset of the pandemic, people have come to appreciate the flexible work process and want to be able to better balance work and personal life.
• Career promotion - ambitious employees who do not see an opportunity for promotion can quickly become disappointed with such a company. They may also lack opportunities for learning and development or paths to advancement.
• Lack of communication - when employees do not understand the goals of the company, projects and the vision of the leaders, or feel that they are receiving less information, can begin to negatively relate to the company.

There are many ways to increase team motivation by creating an inclusive workspace in which employees are involved and appreciated. Some of these ways are:

1. Inspire employees to speak up
It is important to allow employees to voice thoughts, ideas and concerns about important issues. Do not allow criticism, condemnation and discussion of other employees for expressing their own opinion.

2. Give employees opportunities for professional development
Show your value to employees by giving them career opportunities, learning opportunities and taking courses.

3. Promote a healthy lifestyle
Corporate programs to support physical and psychological health can serve as a way to motivate. You show that you care about the health of your employees.

4. Increase transparency
Management decisions must be transparent. Lack of honesty causes motivation to drop as employees become suspicious and insecure.

5. Use all possible communication channels
Share company news and keep all employees informed about big plans and business successes. Good news boosts employee motivation.

6. Reward and celebrate the best employees
Awarded and recognised employees become more motivated and create role models for their colleagues.

7. Do not allow any bullying in the company
One of the best ways to increase employee satisfaction with work is to combat bullying. Make it clear that you will not allow this in your company and show it in practice.

8. Make sure the promotion process is clear and transparent
Many employees feel demoralised when they find out that their coworker has been promoted, and they did not even know about the opportunity and criteria for the promotion. Make the process transparent and discourage favouritism in the company.

9. Give your employees flexibility
This can be the ability to work remotely, flexible working hours, the ability to complete tasks at any time (if possible). When employees feel flexible about their workflow, they experience less stress and are more motivated to complete their tasks.

10. Provide discounts and subsidies
Salary is just one of the ways to compensate for the work of employees. You can let them buy discounted products from the company or compensate for their trips to the office.

11. Praise your employees
This is a must but often overlooked activity. It is very important to praise the employee for specific points - a job well done on a project, punctuality, the manifestation of individual skills. If you show that you see value in the specific actions of the employee, then they will see that they are appreciated and will try harder.

12. Hold team-building events
In many companies, teams meet at monthly or quarterly meetings to celebrate the successful completion of tasks and develop team spirit. A friendly team will be more motivated and will be able to more effectively solve the assigned tasks.

13. Plan and conduct onboarding efficiently
It doesn't matter whether an experienced employee or a young employee came to your company, he will have many questions about the organisation of the work process and corporate culture. It is important to immediately help the newcomer settle in a new place and let him know that you are ready to help. This will greatly increase his job satisfaction and motivation.

Motivation is an immeasurable concept, but the metrics associated with it can be measured and measured. To properly control the motivation of the team, it is necessary to use the practice of regular surveys. It is worth asking employees about their feelings, well-being, relationships with the team and managers, and checking if they are faced with the problems that cause low motivation, which is described earlier in this article.

Thanks to its versatility and flexibility, Workstories will help you use several different ways to motivate employees through a single platform. You can broadcast corporate stories for remote and office employees both on PCs, smartphones and on TV panels in the office, interacting with the maximum number of viewers.
With a survey platform and built-in analytics, you can track employee motivation, and targeting tools will allow you to show the right stories only to the right employees.