How to Boost Staff Motivation

To keep your staff happy, you have to look at motivators which are crucial for employee satisfaction and retention.

Contrary to what some may think, money is not the only motivator for employees.

Other Staff Motivators may include:

• Recognition for good work through positive feedback;
• Variety and autonomy;
• Responsibility;
• Sense of accomplishment;
• Interesting work;
• Personal growth and development;
• Good working relationships with others.

However, you must not assume that every employee will be motivated by the same things.

The Role Of A Good Manager

Managers need to ensure that they have accurate information on the drivers of motivation so they can design strategies to sustain it.

Making simple assumptions will rarely work in practice.

The role of managers in the motivation of staff cannot be ignored.

A good manager must determine how to access an employee’s motivation in order to achieve work goals.

The two most significant factors in this are the manager’s relationship with the employee in question and creating a work environment and organisational structure that nurtures employee motivation and engagement.

A work environment that fosters motivation is an environment where employees are trusted and not micromanaged.

It is an environment where employees are aware of the values and strategic framework within which they are expected to achieve.

Employees are respected, and their input is valued in the work that they do.

Ways To Increase Employee Motivation

Communicate responsibly and effectively any information employees need to perform their jobs effectively

Employees need all the relevant information so that they make good, informed decisions about their work. This can be done by:

• Having staff meetings after a management meeting, to update them on any subsequent changes;
• Communicating daily with every employee for whom you are responsible;

Provide the opportunity for employees to develop their skills and abilities

Consider having performance management plan in place to help employees develop, or allowing employees to cross train in other roles.

Address employee concerns or complaints before they have a detrimental impact on the workplace

Even if you cannot resolve the complaint to the employee’s satisfaction, they will still appreciate the fact that you took the time to consider what they had to say.

Ensure employees have a good relationship with their immediate supervisor

Ensuring that their supervisor is approachable is a key part of this.

It may be worth considering implementing an open door policy so that senior management is approachable at all times, as well as having frequent one-to-one meetings with employees.

Recognise an employee’s good performance

While rewards can be monetary; employees will also appreciate small tokens of appreciation like a card or verbal praise.

By keeping your staff motivated, this will boost morale, creating a happy workforce, which in turn increases productivity and profit.