A recent Gallup poll shows 49% of employees are disengaged in the workplace. This means that workers are losing motivation and probably lacking in productivity as well. This could cost a company lots of money in the long run.
However, there is a way to prevent all of this from happening. You have to set the tone for keeping employees engaged and on-task. Keep reading to check out 10 tips for how to keep employees motivated at work.
1. Give Feedback
Sometimes you may run into a person who can’t exactly see what their strengths and weaknesses are. This is why its good to give feedback to employees. Providing feedback could be a roadmap for them in helping to navigate where they are in their current performance and where the company would like to help them get to.
Be sure to avoid being condescending and negative. Help the employee make a plan to reach their potential and improve themselves.
2. Show Appreciation
Everyone loves to be acknowledged for their hard work and efforts.
If you want to know how to keep employees motivated then you may want to put this tip to use. Make employees feel appreciated and supported by offering kind words of encouragement or small tokens of appreciation (such as free lunch, small company gifts, etc.).
People generally work better when they know their work is helpful and useful. Management should help employees to feel like assets to the company.
3. Ask for Input
One of the best ways to figure out how to keep employees motivated in the workplace is to get suggestions directly from the source. If you are unsure about what may be the reason for lack of motivation in the work office, it may be best to ask employees directly.
You could have one-on-one or group discussions about improving the work environment. It may also help to have occasional surveys and polls about concerns or changes that people in the workplace may think would be for the better.
4. Spread Positivity
All employers should consider their employees’ personal lives when they are thinking about how to keep employees motivated. Some people may be having a rough time at home or may just be facing difficulties in their personal lives that could be affecting the way that they are functioning at work.
This is why its best to try to keep an overall positive environment to help employees feel a little more at ease and less stress when they come to work. Promoting a peaceful office space can have many benefits for the business in general.
5. Have Friendly Challenges
Some people begin to show a lack of motivation at work when they aren’t feeling an adequate level of challenge in their work. This is typically boredom that begins to negatively affect work ethic and decrease productivity.
One way to solve this issue is by creating friendly challenges in the office that help to re-ignite a level of competitiveness and hunger that some employees need to get refocused. Take time to learn more about introducing healthy competition in the work office to motivate employees.
6. Set Goals and Deadlines
Have you seen a pattern of projects taking way too long due to lack of organization? Well, this issue can be fixed by simply putting some goals and dates on a calendar. This could definitely be an overlooked way of how to keep employees motivated.
Give employees more specifics about expected timeframes for tasks and assignments. Try not to micromanage, as this could be counterproductive.
7. Provide Tools and Training
A lot of times people don’t ask for the help that they need because they don’t want to seem as if they don’t know how to do their job. But, in reality, there is always room for growth and improvement. This is where sufficient training and resources can help.
Make sure that all employees have an ample amount of training tools to help them do their job seamlessly and stress-free. Proper tools to complete tasks and projects should be available to everyone at all times.
8. Create a Fun Workspace
Anyone who has fallen into the routine of being workaholics can definitely say that a lack of motivation may have come about from going to a lifeless environment every day. You can help by motivating employees to engage in making the workplace more lively.
Even if you start by doing small gestures, such as friendly jokes, themed work days or company happy hours, this can help to bring up the overall vibe of the workspace. Remember to provide employees with enough sunlight, bright walls and breakroom space as well.
9. Be a Leader
Before you can try to motivate someone to actively engage in working harder, you need to show a level of leadership in your own actions. And, the best way to motivate employees is by being a walking example of practicing what you preach.
Step up as a leader and show employees that management can meet their own expectations. They’ll definitely respect you more for this.
10. Highlight Health and Wellness
Spending the majority of time at a workplace can begin to take a toll on an employee’s health and wellbeing. A lot of employers don’t pay attention to this but promoting health and wellness could help people to work more efficiently.
You can do things such as provide in-office fitness and health sessions, choose the best health insurance packages for employees and keep healthy options in vending machines. Encourage people to support each other in adopting healthier lifestyles during and after work hours.
Looking for More Tips on How to Keep Employees Motivated?
When employees lose interest in their work, it can be very detrimental to the overall functioning and wellbeing of the company. However, there are ways to learn how to keep employees motivated that management should consider.
These tips will definitely get you on the right track of helping employees to refocus. If you’re looking for more in-depth ways to motivate employees, check out this helpful article in our business section.
