5 ways to keep your employees motivated

Running a business can be stressful, but if you have a group of committed and motivated employees behind you, it can make things a lot easier. Here are 5 ways to keep your employees motivated.

Feedback

Giving feedback to employees about their performance and commending them when warranted can do wonders for their motivation. Feedback can be given regularly and informally, or through a more formal approach, such as an annual appraisal.

An appraisal gives both employer and employee the chance to discuss career opportunities, performance to date, and any other information that might be worth communicating.

Employee wellness programs

The purpose of a wellness program is to encourage employees to become healthier both in mind and body. This, of course, benefits the employer as well as the employee. Healthy staff are more likely to be productive and far less likely to take sick days or suffer from regular illness. The fact that their employer is taking an active interest in their well being is also more likely to motivate staff and make them far more loyal.

From promoting fitness activities such as a step challenge app to offering help to quit smoking, there are many different employee wellness options available that can be structured based on the employer’s requirements.

Rewards

Offering some form of performance-related reward is another very useful way of motivating your staff. Many companies set key performance initiatives (KPI’s) for each employee and, if achieved, offer a gift or financial reward. Whether it be an annual bonus for achieving targets or a bottle of champagne for the most sales closed, rewards can go a long way.

It’s also a good idea to do something for your whole team from time to time. Many employers take their staff for dinner once in a while whilst others prefer going for a few drinks after work. Regardless of the method, it’s a good way to promote teamwork and increase motivation.

Training

Whether it be sending staff on an organized training course or carrying out regularly on the job training, it is likely to keep staff motivated and focussed. It is very easy to become so au fait with a job that you no longer feel that you are being pushed, and so complacency sets in.

Training can reignite motivation and make employees strive to do better. It’s a brilliant way to get the best out of your staff and increase productivity across the board, so think about implementing a structured training program and start the ball rolling.

Career advancement

Many employees will be motivated by the idea of a promotion or a pay rise, so it’s important to recognize this and allow for career advancement when necessary. If an employee has been consistently going above and beyond and is hardworking and loyal, discuss future options with them.

Whilst you may not be able to give them a promotion straight away, if they know that there is an opportunity in the not too distant future, it will keep them motivated and minimize the risk of them looking elsewhere.

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Interesting related article: “What is Motivation?”