5 Highly Effective Techniques & Ideas to Motivate Employees

re you doing everything you can to motivate your employees so that they’re fully engaged at work?

A recent Gallup report shows that 51% of employees are disengaged in the workplace. Another 13% are actively disengaged, which means they’re spreading their unenthusiasm with other employees.

That leaves only 36% of employees that are engaged at work. While that percentage may seem low, it’s actually the highest it’s been since Gallup began measuring employee engagement — and that was during a global pandemic. So, employers must be doing some things right.

But what are the benefits of when leaders motivate their employees? Why is it worth putting forth the effort? 

The benefits of an engaged workforce

Organizations with highly engaged employees have a 21% increase in profitability, according to another Gallup report. When employees are engaged, they are motivated to work harder.

Companies with engaged workers have 17% higher productivity than those with disengaged workers. Engaged employees are motivated to meet customers’ demands, complete tasks on time, and go the extra mile to reach their goals. That translates to more sales and higher revenue.

Furthermore, engaged and motivated employees are happier overall. When your employees are happy, they’ll come to work on time, take less personal time off, and be more loyal to the organization. This means they won’t want to leave the organization, leading to less overall attrition. 

Now that you now know how important it is to have an engaged workforce, here are five techniques and ideas to motivate employees:

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1.   Give employees flexibility

Employee engagement rates actually went up during the pandemic. A lot of that had to do with the freedom employees were given. They could work remotely, and some businesses allowed employees to work flexible hours. People could take their kids to school, take long lunches, and run errands — as long as their work got done on time.

This type of flexibility creates a more open culture where leaders are more understanding.. With an open and transparent culture, employees know they are trusted and valued, and that the entire team is working towards a common goal. These values promote collaboration amongst individuals, departments, and the entire organization. When a workforce is collaborative, they’re motivated to work through challenges and come up with new ideas.

2.   Have effective communication

There is significant research showing that effective communication makes employees more motivated in the workplace. That doesn’t simply mean having communication tools like Microsoft Teams.

Effective communication can mean a number of things. For example, leaders can regularly share relevant news and information to help employees  feel motivated. Consistently bringing up the goals, vision, and mission of the company will raise more awareness and foster a motivated, communal environment.

Some specific examples of effective internal communication include newsletters, event updates, press releases, milestones, successful projects, and other company news. When employees feel involved in an organization, they feel like their work really matters, which fosters community. People are more motivated when they feel included.

3.   Have a goal-setting or OKR process

In a Blessing White Employee Engagement Research Update, respondents were asked to identify which item “would most improve their performance.” 20% of the respondents’ top answers included “greater clarity about what the organization needs me to do and why.”

Simply put, employees want to know why their work is important to the organization. By setting goals or OKRs, and including your employees every step of the way, they can better see how their work contributes towards those goals.

“Increasingly, we find that a key to building engagement in most organisations is a focus on alignment,” the report said. “Never assume that staff understand and are able to align to what the organisation needs.”

4.   Create a reward system

While the majority of businesses still embrace the formal review process to engage workers, the reality is they simply don’t accomplish what they’re intended to do. A Gallup poll showed that only 14% of employees “strongly agree that the performance reviews they receive inspire them to improve.”

Instead of a formal review process, think about introducing a reward system such as MVP of the week, or offering rewards like giftcards or a company outing. Gamification of rewards is another unique and popular way to encourage employees and show them appreciation. It’s the process of incorporating game-like elements into the employee motivation process to promote higher engagement. For example, employees can gather points for small contributions that eventually lead up to large rewards. 

Employees are more motivated when their good work is recognized. Sending a positive message has a tremendous impact on morale in the workplace, especially for those working remotely. Recognition helps your employees feel valued, which results in motivation to keep performing at a high level.

5.   Utilize tools for motivation

Support employees by providing the tools they need to stay engaged and be more productive. For example, automation tools can do the repetitive, mundane work your employees hate doing for hours each week.

With goal-setting and tracking tools, you can help employees stay motivated and on track with their target goals, while also being able to provide  feedback more regularly. These tools  allow management to set goals that are clearly defined to motivate employees. Plus, managers can see who excels in certain areas and who needs help.

By taking advantage of facilitated training tools that give your employees the opportunity for better work management and upskilling, you can show them how valued they are and how invested you are in their work.

Motivate Employees and Make Big Wins 

Motivating your employees is a win-win for everyone. When your employees are motivated and engaged, they’re more satisfied with their jobs. Motivated employees are also more productive, which means more output and revenue for your business. Plus, management doesn’t constantly have to be looking over everyone’s shoulder to make sure their work is getting done. So if you’re ready to boost engagement levels, follow these techniques and ideas to motivate employees.

Are you ready to help your employees be more motivated and your organization become more productive with employees working remotely?

Try MetaSpark today and start motivating your workforce!‍

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