5 Simple Ways to Increase Employees Motivation

1. The Meaning of Employee Motivation
2. Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
3. The Importance of Employee Motivation
4. 5 Effective Measures to Motivate Your Employeesa. Acknowledge Achievements
   b. Show Gratitude with Benefitsc. Offer Flexibilityd. Work-Life- Balance Prioritizatione. Encourage Autonomy

A little daydreaming never hurt anybody. Occasionally drifting off for a minute or two at work even happens to the best employees and is no reason to be alarmed, unless the disengagement turns into a reoccurring problem. Employee motivation has a major impact on a worker’s productivity and efficiency and thus the success of the company they work for. Unmotivated employees cost businesses up to 118 billion euros per year in Germany alone. However, if employees are unmotivated, several techniques can be applied to create a more engaging and productive workplace. This article will help you do just that!

What Does Employee Motivation Mean?

Employee motivation is a major component of organizational success. It is defined as the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that a company’s workers bring to their jobs on a daily basis. Plenty of research has shown that employee motivation is closely connected to employee engagement, commonly referred to as the emotional commitment a staff member has to the organization they work for and its goals. If the engagement is high, the motivation is most likely strong as well.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

There are two different types of motivation that lead to harder working employees: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from within, whereas extrinsic motivation arises from external factors.Intrinsic motivation: This type of motivation refers to activities people do because they enjoy the activity itself, meaning it’s intrinsic to the task. For example, an employee might enjoy his or her job because they’re intrinsically satisfied with it. They don’t rely on external rewards because the job itself is rewarding.

Extrinsic motivation: This means an employee’s motivation is stimulated by external factors like rewards and recognition. Extrinsic motivation has been proven to promote a person’s willingness to put effort into their job, as they’re motivated by bonuses, perks, awards or praise.

Why Is It Important to Motivate Employees?

Unmotivated employees result in high employee turnover, negative company culture, and poor customer satisfaction. Additionally, research conducted by Reward Gateway uncovered that unmotivated employees reduce productivity by 49% and the quality of work by 39%, with seven in ten employees believing that their employer could do more to instigate better results. A serious decline in their mood, as well as mental health, were also reported, causing unmotivated staff to only stay in their job for an average of eleven months.Considering the economic and emotional impact a lack of motivation can have, companies must take action to increase their employee engagement and motivate top talent. As a matter of fact, it has been proven that motivated employees raise productivity by 31%, sales by 37% and accuracy on tasks by 19%.

5. Effective Measures to Motivate Employees

Making use of simple yet effective motivational measures is all you need to make your employees work hard. We have compiled a list of the best ones you can use as inspiration:

a. Acknowledge Achievements

The sincere praise of achievements is a valuable motivational tool. In fact, 70% of employees state that receiving regular recognition for their work would severely increase their motivation and morale. The positive assessment, particularly from a superior position, can be a powerful spur to productivity and should occur frequently. Remember to praise the achievements of both individuals and teams — while you can recognize an entire team for its great work, recognizing the individual efforts of each team member will motivate them to continue to excel in their role.

b. Show Gratitude with Benefits

On top of giving valuable feedback and praising employees for jobs well done, you can offer corporate benefits tailored to the needs of your staff to show your gratitude. One of the most popular perks among employees is food-related. According to a survey that polled 1.200 full-time professionals, 57% of them stated that food benefits make them feel appreciated. Thanking your team by providing daily office lunches or free snacks can help make employees feel empowered and motivated to continue working hard.Rewarding your team with a benefit they can use every day is a great way to boost employee motivation. Bella&Bona makes this very easy for you. We offer a tasty variety of daily lunch options delivered straight to the office. Hassle-free, timely, and affordable. Check out our website for more information!

c. Offer Flexibility

Flexible scheduling is a big motivational driver for employees. Almost half of the people looking for a new occupation think that flexibility is the most important factor when it comes to job searching. Effective ways to establish a more flexible work environment include compressed workweeks, remote work opportunities, and allowing employees to work hours that differ from the normal company start and stop time.

Company leaders who aren’t at least considering how to implement flexible work options into their culture are generally uninformed and don’t realize the current, and more importantly, the future impact it will have on how they attract and retain their most valuable business asset — employees.

d. Prioritize Work-Life-Balance

Employees can only be motivated and engaged in an environment that prioritizes both work and free time. In addition to offering flexible scheduling, you can offer a healthy work-life balance to accommodate workers who would benefit from regular non-working times. Since getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress, consider setting up an onsite gym facility or offering discounts for local fitness centers. Providing additional time off or childcare services are also great ways to help your employees have the energy to work hard.

e. Encourage Autonomy

Giving employees the autonomy to experiment and pursue their ideas without being constantly monitored by their manager encourages creativity and supports professional growth. It also indicates that you trust your staff to come up with their own solutions. A good starting point is to assign tasks and let the employee know the deadline, without instructing them when or in which order they have to do the work.

*Written by Charline Wi

‍