When we are motivated, we feel enthusiastic and optimistic about our actions. Motivated employees feel better about themselves and their jobs, which improves their quality of life, leads to increased employee engagement and productivity for the company, and makes the employee less likely to leave.
While some employees are naturally self-motivated, for many people, motivation comes from the working environment as well as their own drivers. Intrinsic motivation comes from desires within you, such as the satisfaction of feeling you have done something well. In contrast, extrinsic motivation comes from external factors such as rewards from others or avoiding punishment.
Here, we examine some of the strategies companies can use to keep their employees motivated, engaged, and producing high-quality work for the company.
Table of Contents
1. The Work Environment
If the physical workplace is safe, comfortable and attractive, employees feel supported in terms of their basic needs. Simple things like ergonomic chairs, enough space for everyone, plenty of natural light and regularly cleaned kitchens and toilets signal that the company cares about the well-being of its employees. Healthy employees who feel valued by the company are more likely to feel energetic and enthusiastic about life and their work.
The work environment should also be inclusive and meet the needs of all employees. For example, wheelchair-friendly and gender-neutral toilets can make a huge difference to how supported individual employees feel.
2. Company Culture
A company culture that creates a strong sense of belonging is one that helps to motivate employees. When people feel that they are working together with others for a common goal, they are more likely to want to do a good job. A culture that shares information, celebrates successes and uses mistakes or failures as a learning opportunity rather than a ‘blame game’ clearly signals to employees that it embraces and values the work everyone is doing within the company.
Spending time together socially can also play a significant role in motivating employees. When companies invest in events that bring employees together without a professional agenda, employees can feel valued as individuals and not just employees providing them with a service. These events can be small scale such as take a morning coffee break together or celebrating a colleague’s birthday with a cake in the afternoon, but they still help people feel part of the company.
3. Democratic Leadership
While the nature of leadership is that you have to make decisions and take responsibility for them, doing this in a way that helps employees feel involved and part of the process can boost employee motivation. Employees can feel involved in the process when they are asked for feedback, invited to contribute to working groups or forums, or simply asked for their opinion on something during a meeting or in passing.
Leaders and managers who take the time to listen to what their workforce tells them show their employees that they care about what they think and do. This helps people feel valued and part of the team and, therefore, more likely to be motivated.
4. Objectives
When we have a clear idea of what we are trying to achieve, we are more likely to be motivated to do it because we can focus our attention on that specific goal and put our energy into what is required. Setting goals creates an expectation of what an individual can achieve and regularly reviewing their progress supports them to do it. Goals should be challenging but achievable to really motivate employees. Objectives that are too difficult to meet can have the opposite impact on employee retention and motivation, as people can actively disengage and struggle to find the energy and focus to do something that feels out of their reach.
5. Rewards
What motivates individuals varies from person to person, but the anticipated reward is often a significant reason people want to do something. Having a system of rewards that recognises achievements publicly and privately can motivate employees. While these are often financial incentives (for example, employees working in sales may be motivated to do the work that gets them their commission as a reward), it’s important not to underestimate the impact of non-financial personal recognition. A short note praising a piece of work can improve someone’s confidence and help employees feel motivated for their future work.
6. Development Opportunities
Offering development opportunities, including professional training and programmes that make a wider contribution, such as charitable schemes, can improve employee motivation by allowing the individual to expand their knowledge and influence within the company. Learning new skills can motivate employees to want to use them, and being involved in other areas of the business can help open their eyes to what else is happening and make them feel part of a wider team. The fact that the manager or company wants to invest in the employee can also impact motivation. When employees feel their contribution is valued beyond the requirements of their role, they are more likely to want to contribute more.
7. Provide Support
Feeling supported to do your best work leads to higher motivation levels because individuals are encouraged, have a sense of accountability because others are behind their progress, and feel they belong to a broader system working with them. The first step is to determine what type of support an individual employee needs. Some people may be motivated by regular check-ins, while others may value flexible working hours to help them do their best work and achieve a work-life balance.
Supporting good mental health is essential for companies who want to motivate their employees. Access to counselling services and wellness programmes, mental health days, and flexible schedules can all play a role in providing this support. It’s also important to take into consideration any support needs that neurodiverse employees may have. For example, people with ADHD may need a different type of support than other employees.
8. Communicate
One of the best ways to keep employees motivated is to communicate well. Good communication involves listening as well as sharing information verbally and in written form. Through communication, people can create and maintain relationships, express their feelings and thoughts, and pass on relevant information. Communication ensures that engaged employees feel supported and valued and understand the role they play in the broader company goals, which in turn means they are more motivated to do good work. It also support employees by removing ambiguity and reduce conflict, which can be demotivating, and to improve collaboration, which can motivate employees by helping them feel part of a team.
Employee feedback is one of the key methods companies can use communication to improve employee motivation. Positive feedback helps to create happy and motivated employees by encouraging people to feel that they are doing the right thing. Equally, constructive feedback can be one of a number of motivational factors when employees are faced with a clear mandate to improve.
