The world of work has undergone massive change in recent years, and keeping employees and colleagues motivated is top of mind for many business leaders. According to Gallup's 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report, low engagement costs the economy $8.8 trillion. Additionally, the report found only 30% of employees in the U.S. and Canada say they are engaged at work.
Companies eager to retain workers often end up offering bonuses and out-of-cycle salary increases to inspire greater effort and loyalty. While financial rewards can effectively motivate employees, business leaders can take many less costly steps to create a thoughtful, productive work environment where employees are energized. Here are 10 tips to help boost morale and motivation at work.
1. Prioritize Physical and Mental Health
Workers who are healthy in body and mind may be more likely to stay motivated and continue to perform well. They may also be less likely to take sick days. Companies can demonstrate their attention to employee wellness in several ways, which may include providing health insurance with a focus on wellbeing and perks like reimbursing gym memberships and meditation apps. At work, encouraging frequent breaks during the workday and offering healthy snacks can help people feel good throughout the day.
2. Provide Ample Time Off
Employees who take time off are often less stressed and more engaged, creative, and productive. Yet at many organizations, workers are not taking the time they are entitled to. Leaders can consider giving the gift of time, not just in terms of generous vacation policies like unlimited PTO, but in other ways. For example, if you know an employee worked late a couple nights to wrap up an important project, you can encourage the employee to take that Friday off. Not only will a restful break likely do the employee good, but feeling recognized for hard work may motivate them to go the extra mile again when needed in the future. Balance can be key.
3. Offer Educational Courses
You can find many courses online to help employees level up their skills or tap into a new interest. In addition, could workers at your organization teach important skills to their peers? You might consider asking them to develop a course on a topic that taps into their expertise and helps advance company goals. This can help the teacher's career as well. Imagine a class in closing sales over video meetings, mastering spreadsheets, or even prepping healthy meals. Providing the time, equipment, encouragement, and promotion for such an endeavor could help boost employee engagement and motivation.
The drive to constantly innovate can mean longer hours, a faster pace, and more stress – a recipe for burnout that can lead to higher employee turnover. Business leaders can find ways to balance the drive to innovate with the need for employees to take care of themselves and their families.
4. Find Balance While Innovating
A company’s success can depend on its ability to innovate. However, innovation can come at a cost. The drive to constantly innovate can mean longer hours, a faster pace, and more stress – a recipe for burnout that can lead to higher employee turnover. So business leaders can find ways to balance the drive to innovate with the need for employees to take care of themselves and their families. Clearly communicating expectations and encouraging people to create a boundary between their work and home lives can be crucial.
5. Take 'Shadow IT' Out of the Shadows
With the cloud, SaaS, BYOD, and the mainstreaming of open source, many 'regular people' can implement software and services required by small businesses. Yet companies often discourage “shadow IT,” technology used without an IT department's knowledge, because of potential risks. However, if workers find software that will help them do their jobs more efficiently or allow them to enjoy the work more, it might be worth looking into the request and overseeing its safe use. Business leaders can help improve motivation by respecting and being open to employees’ tech preferences – which could potentially boost communication and productivity.
6. Be Flexible With Remote Work
In the past few years, many workers got used to the flexibility and freedom that working from home provided, and in many cases businesses saw productivity increase. Some companies even became remote-first. Other companies can maintain some level of that flexibility by avoiding strict in-office schedules. Leaders can make sure to listen to employees and allow what works best for their needs whenever possible. Even if it doesn’t make sense for an employee to go fully remote, workers can feel more motivated when business leaders offer some flexibility.
7. Make Work Meaningful
Meaningful work can be highly motivational, thus leading to improved performance, commitment, and satisfaction. The more meaningful their work, the more people can derive a sense of pride for a job well done. Requiring reflective thought and utilizing a given worker’s unique skills can help work feel more meaningful. You can consider how your organization might tap into these features to encourage more motivation.
8. Provide Authentic, Constructive Feedback
Employees who feel like they're working in a vacuum are not likely to be motivated for long. It can be important for business leaders to provide ongoing, authentic, and constructive feedback, along with space and comfort for employees to ask questions. It’s easy to let workers know that they’ve done a good job, but more context can be helpful. You can set clear expectations and goals and review how effective employees were in meeting them – and what they can do to improve. Even if a conversation feels difficult, it's better not to avoid it. For employees who are doing a great job, make sure you go out of your way to let them know. A simple “thank you” can go a long way.
9. Look for Warning Signs of Demotivation
Along with actively trying to motivate employees, business leaders can make an effort to identify those who aren’t motivated. High levels of absenteeism, poor performance, or a withdrawal from in-person or online collaboration can be red flags. Moreover, it’s important to understand why an employee isn’t motivated before trying to take corrective action. An employee who feels incapable of doing a certain part of their job won’t be motivated by being told to work harder. Understanding the underlying cause can help leaders encourage demotivated employees, demonstrating to all employees their individual wellbeing, sense of purpose, and success matter to the larger company.
10. Have Some Fun
One of the many benefits of a fun workplace can be a more motivated workforce. How do you create a fun workplace? You might host a variety of formal and informal activities that can improve morale. These activities can include games, celebrations, team-building activities, and recognizing milestones and achievements. These activities can happen in-person or online.
The Takeaway
Many workers take a hard look at their jobs and the way their professional lives do and don’t provide purpose. For that reason, maintaining workplace motivation can be crucial to business success. Motivation stems from company culture: business leaders can assess the current state of motivation throughout the organization, then set up a plan for improving it. This can be an ongoing initiative toward building a better company culture.
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