8 Highly Effective Ways to Motivate Your Employees

Finding a way to motivate employees should no longer be a mystery. While some are motivated by a better salary, others are stimulated by training or a simple “thank you for your work”. Talking about motivation requires first understanding that being unmotivated is not a choice. There are several reasons, but you should know that it is an essential issue because better motivation in the workplace can help: 

• Improve teamwork
• Increase talent retention
• Enhance competitiveness and innovation 
• Boost productivity

If you’re a leader, chances are you’re already up against one person, or worse, a group of people, who have lost motivation and we know it can be frustrating. So stay tuned because here we will give you 8 practical ways to motivate your employees, 

What causes demotivation?

Before I give you practical input, it is important to understand why we want to feel motivated and find meaning in our actions. The answer is that it is part of our biology. A part of our brain called the search system creates the natural drive to learn new skills and take on challenging, meaningful tasks.

When we follow these impulses, we get a dose of dopamine, which makes us happier. When we stop experimenting and learning, the opposite happens. Here we explain everything related to the science of happiness at work. 

Key factors of labor demotivation 

At work, a lack of motivation can be caused by the following factors:

1. Monotony in the work routine
2. Lack of career vision
3. Lack of security about the duration of the position
4. Not feeling valued or appreciated
5. Bad work environment
6. Absence of development opportunities

So in the first instance, it will be key to identify the cause so that you know which of the measures we explain later you can apply.

8 Ways to motivate your employees during teleworking

1. Recognition is power, even from a distance

You can’t talk about motivating employees without mentioning recognition. Most workers say they would be more involved in their work if they felt their achievements were recognized, and it is one of the best ways to give an emotional salary.  

To recognize the work of your collaborators in this new normality, you could rely on technology. For example, use recognition software, use gamification strategies or give them a free course. In this way, you can ensure that they will have training and knowledge that will help them grow and feel rewarded for their work.

2. Propose virtual activities

Develop a system that rewards your collaborators for interacting with social networks or following your website’s content. This is to promote motivation, teamwork and the involvement of employees in the organization. 

Play virtual games. For example, you can use roulette wheels or true or false surveys so that everyone can have fun while learning about a project or the company.

3. Set small, measurable goals 

We’ve all had projects that just drag on or never end. It can be demotivating to be stuck in a rut. Seeing how your short-term goals have been achieved can be very satisfying and boost motivation. 

Set clear and achievable goals. To achieve this tip, we recommend that you implement the OKRs in your company to define individual objectives by area or globally.

4. Never forget the Feedback

Maintaining constant Feedback should not be an aspect that motivates only in person. Employees want to know what they are doing right and wrong, even through unusual means. To achieve this, according to our experience, you must:

1. Choose the appropriate medium (mail, video call, chat)
2. Specify the topic to be discussed in this session
3. Perform individual Feedback
4. Ask for Feedback on your Feedback
5. Follow up on feedback sessions

5. Ensure the health and well-being of your staff

During remote work days, your home becomes the office, making it more difficult to disconnect and reconcile. Personal and professional life have merged during this crisis and the company must take into account the different needs of each collaborator more than ever, showing them that they are interested in their well-being.

Teams can schedule start and end times for the day where everyone appears offline from apps like Slack. Another alternative is to schedule active breaks so that everyone will have spaces for recreation and relaxation during the workday.

6. Let go of the reins

Autonomy and flexible work hours are incredibly effective motivators. Giving employees more say in when and how they do their work can improve their efficiency and help them stay motivated.  

Tell your collaborators what needs to be done by a deadline, but let them decide when and how they will do that work. This will motivate the staff, making them feel like key players in any project.

7. Encourage teamwork 

Teamwork is one of the greatest motivators that exist. Knowing that your peers support you is a satisfying feeling. If motivation wanes, your teammates will support you as you complete your next project.

One of the dynamics that can be implemented to promote teamwork can be the game “deserted island.” Here each collaborator must choose from a list of 10 objects, five that allow them to survive on a deserted island. The interesting thing will be to know your co-workers’ criteria and decision-making. 

8. Offer virtual or e-learning training plans

As we saw much earlier in this article, employees get demotivated because of the lack of growth and development in their careers or jobs. According to a LinkedIn study of more than 10,000 users of its platform, 45% of those surveyed consider this the main reason for resigning from a company.  

Taking advantage of the technology that will be used during teleworking, you could provide your collaborators with online training programs such as virtual courses, digital books, quick training videos, etc.

Components of motivation

The consulting firm assures that 8 out of 10 workers feel they need more satisfaction in their work. Faced with this, companies must maintain these three components of motivation in their employees, according to the Harvard Business Review:

• Their role: that is, their active and constant participation in the organization.
• The purpose: the reason and goals for which they work.
• Potential: the development and application of their skills at work.

However, now that we are working at home, the teams have reported difficulties that make it more complex to maintain these aspects at work because with the decrease in team visibility, for example, teamwork decreases and the purpose is lost by not knowing what the impact of the work is on clients or colleagues. 

Although it may not seem like it, work motivation is one of the keys to the success of any company since it makes employees feel aligned with organizational objectives while at the same time meeting their personal goals.

Conclusion

In remote work days and in a context of uncertainty like the current one, human resources leaders and managers have to be closer than ever to collaborators to find out their needs and be able to guide and advise them in a personalized way, motivating them in their work. “Great leaders get out of the way to increase the motivation of their people. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can achieve.” Finding a way to motivate employees should no longer be a mystery. While some are motivated by a better salary, others are stimulated by training or a simple “thank you for your work.”