In the workplace, motivation of staff is a key influencer when it comes to productivity and output. Demotivated staff who feel undervalued of unfulfilled are more likely to produce poor work than those workers who are prepared to go the distance with a piece of work, delivering it on schedule and to a high standard. As a manager, you can influence your workers’ motivation in a variety of ways – from positive feedback to little in-house treats or out-of-work activities. Bear in mind some of the options discussed below and ensure you’re dropping them into your workplace regularly so that your staff are motivated when at work.
Regular Personal Feedback
Nothing motivates personnel better than personalized feedback that cuts to the crux of the work they’re doing. As a manager, you’re responsible for delivering accurate and motivating feedback that will inform your staff where they’re going wrong while also delivering enough praise to boost their pride and inspiration to produce further good work. Make sure to keep up to date with their personal situations so that you can be compassionate if they have problems out of work.
Treats at Work
There’s a near-infinite array of treats you can lay out for your workers, especially if you’re in a tough spike of workload and you’ve asked your staff to really knuckle down for a couple of weeks. To reward them for hard work, and to keep them inspired, consider large pizza delivery orders, dress-down days, afternoons with a glass of wine, or buying in some speakers to pump out music when everyone’s finishing off their work. Little changes to the day of your workers will mean a lot in terms of keeping them happily on their toes.
Activities Out Of Work
There’s an equally wide array of fun activities to take your staff on outside of work that will help with teamwork, cohesion and the confidence of your staff around one another. Why not visit a local escape room: an attractive prospect for a group of competitive workers who like to test their lateral thinking against the clock, solving a mystery through puzzles and clues. Head to a local bowling alley, head out for drinks at the local jazz bar or even block-book a spa weekend for your staff after a particularly tough period of work to show you’re grateful for their efforts.
Pay Rises
Never forget the oldest motivator in the book: pay rises acting as incentives. You can deliver these in a haphazard way as you see fit, and some employees really respond to an increase in pay when they’re having a wobble in terms of their motivation. Likewise, in order to motivate your whole body of staff at once, lay out specific overtime pay to clear inboxes, or certain bonus incentives for those who complete an impressive amount of work per week. Money’s the reason they’re there working, so increasing the rates slightly might be an option to consider that could pay dividends in terms of productivity.
A motivated workforce is a vitally important part of business: it’ll mean your staff are happy, fulfilled and invested in the job at hand, so ensure you’re working to increase motivation every week as manager.