01. What makes motivation in the job so crucial? And how can we make it better?

 What is employee motivation?

Employee motivation is the level of commitment, energy, and innovation that a company’s staff holds during the working day. It is a key aspect of the organization’s growth and success.

Why is employee motivation important?

Consider an employee who is dissatisfied with his or her job. They're presumably working slower, dodging assignments, and spending too much time on their phones. Most importantly, they are unfocused and do not put any enthusiasm into their task.

 This not only wastes your resources, but it may also have an impact on other employees, perhaps preventing the entire firm from delivering work of the best quality or meeting crucial targets.

 A motivated employee, on the other hand, is eager, driven, and takes pride in their work. They do work fast, act, and want to do a good job for themselves and the firm.

 Staff motivation is critical whether your firm is at its peak or on the rise. When it falls, revenue and output may follow suit.

What are the Benefits of Employee Motivation?

1. Higher productivity levels – When employees are motivated, they maximize their effort toward the output of the task. This results in more quality work, customer satisfaction, and more sales for the company.
2. More innovation – Motivated employees make an effort to improve the product and enhance the product.
3. Lower levels of absenteeism – Motivated employees are less likely to miss work unless they have any unavoidable circumstances.
4. Great reputation and stronger recruitment – Motivated individuals spread the word and in turn, give the company a good reputation as an employer. As a result, it becomes easier to recruit the leading talent.

How to improve employee motivation in the workplace

The first step in increasing employee happiness is to ensure that your crew is motivated. The following are the top ten things you can do to keep your staff engaged at work.

1. Lead with vision

Everyone wants to know that their efforts are making a difference. What will be the next step? What does the company's success look like? A destination helps to motivate the trip, therefore ensuring that the company's mission is clear.

2. Make sure everyone understands the ‘why’

Your staff will understand what has to be done, but you must explain why; you must express the 'why' of each assignment. The why is the overarching mission of the firm. When everyone understands how their individual activities contribute to the broader purpose of the organization, even the simplest work gains much-needed intrinsic drive.

3. Set frequent clear targets

You certainly have enormous ambitions for the organization, but smaller goals are the key to motivation. All goals should contribute to the overarching aim, but breaking this down into more manageable portions seems less overwhelming. When employees consistently reach their targets, their sense of accomplishment builds and serves as a powerful drive to move on to the next set of objectives.

4. Recognize and reward great work

Employees must understand that their bosses value their efforts. Giving well-deserved praise boosts not just self-esteem but also energy and team spirit.

5. Give your team autonomy.

Time is valuable. When we don't feel in control of our time and energy, our motivation suffers. Allowing for some degree of independence in the workplace, whether through flexible working hours or limitless time off, indicates leadership's trust in their people. This increases motivation since the gratification of a job well done comes with the knowledge that they were in control and completed it on their own terms.

6. Create a welcoming workplace environment.

Nobody wants to go to work every day and feel like they can't wait till they can leave. Staff morale will rise if they are encouraged to socialize and relax in the office. In this case, the adage "work hard, play hard" rings true. Given the interconnected nature of motivation and disposition, a depressed worker will be less productive and less likely to enjoy coming to work.

7. Offer impressive benefits.

Create an environment where everyone feels like they are contributing to the company's success. 

• Challenge your staff members so they can reach their full potential.
• Engage top-tier workers in demanding tasks.
• A workplace that values its employees and promotes those who deserve it through regular training and merit-based promotions is an encouraging place to work.
• Employee morale and loyalty can be boosted by providing them with advantages and bonuses that improve their lives both at work and outside of it.

8. Encourage teamwork.

When teams in a company work together, ideas can be pushed further. Working with people who have different skills will lead to more creative ideas. In teams, there is strength in numbers, and people who aren't feeling motivated should get a boost from the people around them.

9. Create a career path.

Ask employees what they want out of their careers and spell out the steps required to get there. Have growth talks with team members to design a career path; this will assist to create a drive to advance to the next stage and make them feel like they have a long and productive road ahead of them within the organization.

10. Support staff motivation by supporting employee wellbeing.

Honesty and mutual respect are essential. Build a company culture where mistakes are welcomed and employees aren't frightened to acknowledge they messed up for fear of losing their perks. Because, in the end, failure is the only way to success when it comes to education.

 

How to measure (and maintain) employee motivation

Knowing how workers genuinely feel is the only reliable indicator of this. Get to know them through engaging in conversation. Even just chatting casually could be useful. In contrast to annual surveys or in-person interviews, when employees may have learned to deal with issues by the time the results are delivered for comment, short, frequent surveys would assist. Determine the barrier holding your employee back and act quickly to remove it. After some time, revisit them to see whether any alterations or enhancements were made. You can tell if there has been a shift in attitude just by looking at their faces. Maintaining motivation requires demonstrating that you value their input, pay attention to their concerns, and take appropriate action.

Reference

• https://www.perkbox.com/uk/resources/blog/why-employee-motivation-is-important-and-how-to-improve-measure-and-maintain-it
• https://talenx.io/2020/03/31/how-to-keep-your-employees-motivated-and-happy/
• https://www.hrtechnologist.com/articles/employee-engagement/5-ideas-to-keep-your-employees-motivated/