The success of any business is closely tied to the degree of motivation of its employees. A happy and hardworking staff leads to high levels of productivity, which in turn leads to profitability for the entire organisation. When morale is low, however, nothing seems to turn out well, and it’s a good bet that employee turnover levels will increase, as well. It’s hard for any business to maintain a level of success when employees aren’t feeling happy and fulfilled; satisfied employees make positive contributions to the company’s bottom line.

Here are some general guidelines as to how successful companies effectively motivate their staff.

1. Make Your Business An Enjoyable Workspace

No employee wants to work in a dingy, boring space for eight hours or so a day, seven days a week. Having an enjoyable, well-lit and fun office space makes coming to work for employees a lot more pleasant. The essential step for this is to make sure that equipment and office necessities are well-kept and up to date.

It also means enforcing a clean work environment and even making it nice looking – a few plants and pictures would do a treat!

2. Offer Rewards

If you are looking to keep your employees motivated, the key is offering them incentives. You need to create a reason for why your employees should work for you. Examples of incentives could be any of the following:

• Private healthcare
• End of year bonus
• Offering to pay for additional qualifications
• Profit-share in your company
• Free gym membership

Read Low Cost Ways To Retain Employees.

3. Give Them Room For Progression

Giving your employees room to grow, is a popular motivator. Employees always feel they are trusted and respected for their work when they are given new opportunities. If your team members feel they are ‘stuck’ in the same job and role, they will quickly lose motivation. Promoting from within demonstrates that the organisation is committed to helping them reach their next goals.

4. Clearly Define Your Expectations

When employees don’t understand what is expected of them or are confused about certain tasks they need to deliver on, it is hard for them to become excited about their work duties. Every time you create staff tasks, include as many details as possible and verify your expectations and deadlines. Encourage your employees to ask any questions, if they need any additional information.

5. Set A Good Example

You should be the first person who follows the standards set for employees such as punctuality, appearance, willingness etc – “Do as I say and not as I do” isn’t practical in business.

6. Criticise Constructively

When you feel your employees are working below the standards you have set, let them know but do so with care. It is important you never criticise employees while others are around. Also, focus the discussion on the performance, not the individual and how the person can do better in the future.

7. Keep An Eye On Salaries

Money is not the only reason why people are excited about work, but it is a critical factor of why they come to work. Think about offering salaries slightly above the average pay, if you don’t you could be sending out the message to your employees that you don’t value their worth.

8. Get Out The Office

Encourage celebrations, work socials, and training events off-site. Breaking away from the routine of being in the office, and engaging in social activities can help enhance the spirit of teamwork.

9. Stimulate Friendly Competition

Competition amongst employees is a great way of increasing productivity. Friendly competition amongst teams helps with employee engagement and participation.

10. Recognise Great Work

One of the most important factors for increasing employee motivation is how often their hard work is recognised by managers. Employee recognition is more than just annual bonuses at the end of the year, they should be meaningful and frequently given as much as they are needed.

Next, read A Guide On How To Hire.