Work motivation and employee engagement should be at the top of any manager’s priorities.
But, of course, motivating employees is harder than it looks. Everyone is different and has different motivators. Managers must find new creative ways to foster motivation at work on a daily basis. Their efforts will certainly be beneficial to their employee’s overall performance.
Thus, I decided to create a list of simple ways to increase employees’ motivation in the workplace.
1. Organize Team-Building Activities
Team cohesion is an essential part of any and all stimulating workplaces. It also improves team spirit. Why not come up with team-building activities every month? Book an escape the room session, plan a physical activity, schedule a lunch with your team, etc.
Here at Agendrix, for example, we created a committee responsible for planning a team-building activity each month. The committee even has a budget, and activities are organized accordingly.
2. Lead by Example
Leadership is one of the most important qualities a manager should have. Leading by example is fundamental: stay positive and don’t be scared to jump into action to help out.
Maintain a strong work ethic. If you’re late every morning, there’s a high chance your people will be too. Obviously, nobody is asking you to be perfect. But do your best to inspire your employees to give their best.
3. Trust Your People
Nobody can thrive under overly restrictive conditions. Foster self-empowerment. Delegate specific tasks to your team members and support them when they need it.
4. Be Flexible With the Work Schedule
Allow your employees to change up their availability and exchange work shifts with one another. Also, be fair with your staff. For example, don’t always make the same people work during weekends; establish a rotating shift schedule.
If you can, let your employees pick and choose their own schedule, or at least, let them tell you their preferences.
This is one of the reasons why Agendrix allows its users to modify their availability so easily in its employee scheduling software. It makes promoting a healthy work-life balance that much easier.
5. Recognize Their Good Work
Your employees want their efforts to be noticed. A simple thank you can go a long way. There’s so much you can make to recognize their efforts at work, so be creative.
6. Ask for Their Input
Why not ask your teammates for their opinion when you have to come up with a solution for a work-related problem? Your employees might have a helpful point of view. Moreover, it will make them feel appreciated and give meaning to their work.
7. Offer Benefits Beyond Pay
Hiring and retaining employees can be really challenging, especially in certain fields. To stand out from other employers, offer benefits that go beyond salary: insurance, RRSPs, in-store discounts, or even scholarships. Speaking of which, it’s exactly what the Ashton restaurant chain did to better attract and retain students.
Also, make sure your employees feel comfortable in their workplace environment. We can assure you that something as simple as a chair can make a huge difference.
8. Reward Your Employees
To have your employees achieve specific goals, you sometimes have to find ways to motivate them further. Create a sales contest for your staff, for example. Make sure the prizes are nice, too: gift cards, extra vacation days, paid lunch, etc.
9. Nurture Fun at Work
Yes, work is serious business, but that doesn’t mean your employees can’t have a little fun. Make sure their workplace environment is enjoyable. Set up a baby-foot table in the lounge, invest into decorating the workspace, or encourage activities between colleagues.
Beyond the material side of things, you should try and use communication tools that facilitate friendly conversations. For example, in our app, you can use emojis to chat. It’s a simple way to make exchanges feel much nicer.
10. Invest Into Your Employees’ Professional Training and Development
Lack of training is a major barrier to productivity and fulfillment.
Take some time to provide proper training to your employees.
Make it happen on an ongoing basis. If one of your team members has a lot of potential, give them the opportunity to further develop their abilities.
11. Provide Great Work Tools
Is there anything more frustrating than working with bad gear? Forget those outdated tools and methods that hurt your employees’ productivity. Don’t be afraid of change, see it as a badge of quality.
Here at Agendrix, we always go for the best tools, even if it ends up being more expensive in the short term. In the end, if your employees don’t like what they’re working with, it will influence their motivation. Technology can also be a great motivator.
12. Promote Physical Activity
Did you know that physical activity, too, can stimulate motivation? Oh yes. So, why not reimburse some expenses for physical activity, create a friendly soccer league, or plan a hike with your team? There are hundreds of ways to make your people more active.
Recently, we ourselves put together a hockey team. Let’s say that even before the season even began, there was a clear positive impact on team spirit.
13. Give Up Restrictive Hierarchy
Loosen up your company’s hierarchy. This way, everybody helps out when they have to, even managers. This also allows to build stronger relationships that are based on trust. Friendly relationships between employees and managers are now more than merely accepted. In our opinion, they should be the status quo.
Foster a Positive Work Environment
Ultimately, what matters most is to build a fun and stimulating work environment. And the responsibility doesn’t lie entirely on managers, but they certainly have an important role to play.
Did you come up with innovative ways to motivate your employees? Let us know in the comments! 👇
