Staff motivation should always be on top of your priority list because a business thrives when it’s people thrive.
If they’re not motivated – if they don’t feel as if they’re adding value and are indispensable within the team – then your business is at a huge disadvantage.
There are many ways to motivate your time besides basic financial incentives.
It’s a common misconception that staff are just concerned with the financial benefits of their role, that as long as their pay packet looks nice, they can’t complain. This isn’t true, the fact is people are more likely to leave a job for personal reasons than purely financial ones.
It’s more likely people will be attracted to a role if there are other incentives, such as role autonomy, team-building days or social events, which illustrate a genuine care for staff happiness.
There are many different ways you can reward your staff and show your appreciation for their work in addition to pay raises. One of the best ways to motivate staff is to show you’ve noticed the areas in which they are adding value.
People want to feel like the work they’re doing is appreciated and noticed. As a manager, if you’re not voicing your praises or haven’t got a process in place that allows staff to gain the appreciation they deserve, you can’t expect miracles. If employees feel replaceable, they will not do the best job they can and will start to wonder if the grass is greener elsewhere.
Motivating A Team With More than Money
Every member of a team should have clear set goals and knows what it takes to get from A to B. Ask everyone to send weekly updates detailing everything they’ve worked on that week. Here they can show exactly how they’ve added value and where progress has been made.
By introducing a simple process like this, as a manager, you’re able to keep track of staff progress and identify areas of improvement. Employees also have a detailed record of their personal progress and the chance to mentally reflect on their week.
All in all, both manager and employee can use this to determine what success looks like, which will strengthen their relationship and act as a driver for improved motivation. This simple step can help you retain talent.
Finding the Right Balance
Work/life balance is something every employer and employee thinks about and the majority of the time, they probably aren’t happy with it. Addressing this balance is a sure way to induce career contentment and promoting it will vastly improve your business brand.
Recognizing home life needs, such as childcare and flexible working arrangements help to promote a healthy work/life balance and can dramatically improve work ethic and motivation levels in the office.
Innovative thinking is the key to success. Taking the time to listen to your employees’ ideas can unlock a wealth of untouched potential. Who knows, you could have the next Mark Zuckerberg in the midst of your team – but without actively seeking out this sort of behavior, you’ll never find out.
Other Incentives
Giving your employees equity breeds loyalty, motivation and drive, more than anything else. Employees will go the extra mile to ensure business success because, if it isn’t successful, they could be at risk. Owning something is a great feeling, and this definitely has a positive, knock-on effect within the whole team.