Why is having a motivated and engaged workforce important?
The answer is simple – it effects your profits; your results and your staff turnover – in other words it is crucial.
If you are not regularly measuring how your staff are feeling, this can create a huge impact, not only on their motivation and mental health, but also on your company as a whole.
Motivated and engaged staff meet and exceed targets, they are champions of your company and they are loyal.
Replacing staff is a costly experience – motivated and engaged staff stay!
Here are ten different ways you can motivate your employees and increase their engagement in the workplace:
1. Give regular and timely feedback
If you spot an employee doing a great job, tell them. Congratulate them on their hard work and efforts, this works wonders towards positive mindset and being motivated to keep their work to a high standard. If you are trying to give feedback on areas for improvement, be factual – no opinions, remain calm to avoid employees feeling like they have failed. This helps with them taking the feedback on board and wanting to make improvements.
2. Communication
Communication is key. Make sure each employee knows they can reach out to you if they would like to discuss an idea, an issue or have any questions. This will make them feel more connected to the team and a part of the company’s progression. It will help them feel more confident in putting their own ideas across. Weekly contribution meetings could be a great idea for this, as your employee’s motivation and engagement can boost just from you listening to them.
3. Setting Clear Goals
Setting each employee some SMART goals throughout the week can be a great way to keep them motivated. Having a list of tasks to complete encourages them to aim higher and achieve those targets. Once they have met these goals, they will feel proud of their work and see it as an achievement rather than a task. Just make sure the goals are in relation to their role and SMART.
4. Understand your employee’s expectations
Your employees know your expectations, but what are your employee’s expectations of you as a manager? Instead of guessing their needs, or waiting for them to come to you, try sitting down and ask them what they expect from you as a leader and the company as a whole. Creating a feeling of a two way street is a great motivational tool.
5. Offer on the job training
While your employee’s may already have the qualified skills and training for the job, you may find obstacles where some may need the extra help. If this happens, offer training. This can be a course, self-study, coaching or a monitor. Training has a huge impact on the employees’ attitude towards work, as they will be motivated if they feel the company is invested in giving them the right skills to succeed.
6. Encourage creativity
No matter what kind of business you run, boredom and repetitive days will always destroy someone’s motivation. Letting employees bring out their creative side and contribute to business projects or decisions will change their attitude towards their normal workday completely. Invite them to discuss ideas they may have, and you will find its also great for your business as well as their motivation. Often those doing the job have the best ideas for improvement. Having your skills recognised is a big confidence boost and may change the way your employee’s view your company.
7. Give career goals
Everyone is much more motivated when they know they have a career path. Giving each individual the opportunity to grow and develop within the company will motivate them to give their best. Letting staff know they all have a chance of achieving more, will create a career goal for them and a more loyal member of the team.
8. Trust and guidance
Letting your employees work through their tasks without being constantly watched over and micromanaged will also increase motivation. They will realise they have been trusted to be independent and will want to show you how well they can do on their own. Whilst this is a great way to achieve motivation, you will also need to let them know if they need any help throughout their tasks, that you will be there. Not offering guidance may result in them feeling abandoned if help is needed. There is a fine line between trust and abdication!
9. Let them be their own individual
Making sure you understand not every employee’s personality is going to be the same is a huge factor when it comes to running a business / team. If your ideal workplace is in a busy office, that may be someone else’s worst nightmare. Taking this on board and speaking to each member of your team to assess their preferences will increase their motivation as it shows you are happy to do what you can to make them feel comfortable. Finding a way to include all types of personalities into a team can really help in the team’s engagement and success.
10. Set an example!
Making it clear who you are, how you conduct yourself, your own work ethic, how you deal your team will create a bold impression and hopefully make them want to follow suit!
These are only 10 ideas to start with. There are many ways to motivate you team, in our courses we cover all the motivation theories as well as practical plans to create a culture of engaged motivated staff.
If you are interested in motivational and leadership training or comprehensive sales training, contact Sales Training International on +44 (0) 1704 889325 or email info@salestrainingint.com for more information.
