We have all worked in environments where there is a complete lack of motivation amongst staff; no-one is happy, everyone spends their days moaning about the place and most people are actively seeking another job. These places tend to sap the life out of you and make you dread each day you have to return. Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint the problem, especially if the people are generally pleasant and get on well with each other. If this is something you can relate with in your own business, it’s time to take a step back and look at ways you can motivate staff, before you lose them!
Top ways to motivate staff
Value
One of the main reasons people feel unhappy in their work is that they don’t feel valued. There may be a number of factors causing this or just generally the way they are treated in the workplace. If you treat your employees as a number who can easily be replaced, rather than a person, you can guarantee they won’t stick around for long. Appreciate what your employees do and thank them for their efforts. If you think that someone is under too much pressure or seems unhappy, speak to them and find out if you can do anything to help. You don’t know what someone else is going through so always offer support, rather than instantly trying to get them out the door if they are not performing at their best – having care and consideration is one of the best ways to motivate staff.
Salary
It won’t come as a surprise to hear this but salary is a huge factor on whether you will be able to motivate and retain talented individuals in the workplace. Don’t make the mistake of paying people at different levels who have the same experience and do the same job, as it’s not worth the stress if they come to find out and more importantly, it isn’t fair! Salaries shouldn’t be plucked out of thin air, they should be compiled through market research and should be updated to reflect the market rate.
Opportunities
Ambitious, talented individuals are the kind of employees you want but they come at a price and not just monetary value; they want to have a clear line of progression in the company. Opportunities to move and develop in the company are probably on par with salary and if you want to retain and motivate staff, you should ensure you have this in place. It’s important to always consider internal employees for jobs before you even think about advertising externally. Of course, not everyone is suitable for every job but there should be training in place to allow progression into other roles in the department or different departments which require a similar skillset. This is one of the most effective methods of motivation.
Get the help you need with HR and recruitment
Recruit Write offers a suite of HR and recruitment services that can let us focus on hiring new employees while you focus on motivating staff. Get in touch for an informal chat and find out how we can help.
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