Every employer looks forward to having loyal workers that will be dedicated to their work. Having a dedicated employee is having a motivated worker. The question here is how do you keep your employees motivated and dedicated to their work?
Many persons believe that money is the only motivating tool that brings out the best in employees. Aside from the need of putting food on the table, how much does money motivate workers? Let’s take a look at this scenario, imagine you work in a place where you earn above the average salary for your position, but every day you work to the point of exhaustion, faced with the people that resent you, or you report to a supervisor that doesn’t appreciate you, then I think money won’t be a motivating tool in the case.
Keeping your employees motivated is an important way of not only getting the best out of your employees but also in retaining great talents. Great talents are always in high demand and will need to be motivated to remain relevant. This kind of employee will leave if they are not well motivated.
Below are five factors that can motivate employees more than money;
Recognizing and rewarding your employees for their participation and contribution to the growth of the company goes a long way to motivate them. Employees should be compensated equally for their contributions and achievements. When you recognize and appreciate your workers, they become motivated.
Recognition and appreciation are key tools that can motivate an employee. Employers can do more than just the minimum of remunerating good employees for their efforts. It is also important for you to find out what works best for a particular employee.
Some employees may feel appreciated when formally recognized by their employer in the presence of other colleagues. This kind of recognition can be done by handing in a certificate or simply praising the employee.
Creating a good work environment for your employees goes a long way to motivate them. Creating a good and healthy work environment for your employees can motivate them far more than money will.
When we talk about creating a good work environment for your workers it goes beyond ensuring a clean environment for your workforce, even if that is also very important but making the workplace physical and emotionally comfortable for your employees is far more important.
A good way to create a good work environment for your employees is to infuse other activities that may not even be work related to their daily or weekly routine. Making work fun for your employees is a means of making them interested.
It is important for employers to create a work environment where their employees will feel relaxed and comfortable enough to work and even contribute their ideas to the growth of the business.
Employees that are granted a more flexible work routine will not feel over-used and will also feel motivated.
Surprisingly, creating a workplace that gives your employees a sense of friendship and belongingness is also a good way to motivate them.
It is only normal for employees to be more interested to work in a place where there is a clear growth path mapped out for them. Setting a clear career path for your employees can go a long way to motivate them far more than money would.
Every employee wants to grow, so it is important to always be concerned about the growth of your employees.
Always look for opportunities to make your employees better. You can set a growth path for your employees by sending them out for training. When employees are aware that you are interested in their growth, they would feel more motivated work for you because they know they will benefit too. Training can be a way employers can ensure they help employees achieve the internal growth plan e.g. a technical person can be sent on a Project Management course to better handle the department and grow to a managerial role.
It is also important to show your employees that there is more to their career than what they are aware of and what they can achieve working in your company. Many employees leave their jobs most times because they don’t see that environment as a place where they can promote themselves and communicate their ambition. 90% of the career-driven employees will leave a job that doesn’t challenge them to do and achieve more career-wise rather than leave on the basis of money.
It is always important for employers to set a clear growth path to motivate employees. Make sure you discuss employee growth with your workers. Every employee will feel more comfortable in a place where they know that their effort will be acknowledged and appreciated.
Efforts of employees can be appreciated not only by handing in cash but when you create an opportunity for promotion and progression as a means of rewarding effort can go far to motivate your employees.
As an employer, you should be able to dedicate responsibilities to your employees based on their abilities and roles. When you neglect an employee, it is only natural that over time that employee will not feel relevant to the company anymore. That alone can demotivate an employee faster than a monetary deduction would.
Every employee wants to part of the growth of the business. Giving your employees a chance to perform and own a task or a project can also motivate them.
It is important for your employees to know where they stand or belong within your business, so they don’t feel unimportant. You can help your employees feel more relevant in the business by giving them meaningful tasks and responsibilities. The impact an employee has in a business will help them feel more connected to the business. Employees that feel more connected to the business will likely aggregate the business success with their own.
Allowing your employees to feel like an integral part of the business go a long way to motivate them. Employees should feel as though they have room and license to voice their opinions and idea where necessary without fear of being rejected or ignored.
Helping your employees build their skills is a way to show them that they matter in your business, and also that there is a room for development within their role. People will definitely feel more comfortable and motivated if they are aware that the company is interested in making them better.
An employee will better appreciate an employer that is interested in developing their skill and ability by training them. If an employer doesn’t have a training plan for his employees, they will most likely not be interested in working in such an environment.
It is also important for employers to note that training employees and giving them the opportunity to network doesn’t just only help the employee to become better in their field and stay motivated, but it also goes a long way to even improve and add value to the company and the society at large.
Ensuring your great talents are nurtured by giving them the support and skill they require to grow in their careers can keep them motivated and prevent them from becoming uninterested. There are many things that can motivate an employee far more than money.
It is important to note that the factors that lead to job satisfaction are quite distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction. In the words of Dr. Herzberg the opposite of job satisfaction is not job dissatisfaction. Instead, the opposite of job satisfaction is no job satisfaction. So the fact that lack of money can lead to job dissatisfaction doesn’t necessarily mean that it can lead to job satisfaction.
Also, read Top Secrets to Finding Great Talents
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