In order to have a truly successful business, firms must keep their employees happy and invested in their work. Some businesses make the mistake of believing that money is the only factor that can be used to motivate employees. In fact, there are many tools organizations can use other than money to help motivate.
Set Smaller Weekly Goals
Making sure that employees understand the big picture and are aware of the long-term objectives is important. However, annual goals are not going to keep employees motivated each week. It is important to set short term goals either on a weekly or monthly basis in order to give the employees something to reach for. The short-term goals can be smaller milestones needed in order to reach the organization’s long-term objectives.
Positive Energy
When positive energy surrounds people, they feel positive as well. Employees who feel positive about their work environment will be more motivated. There are many ways to help add to the positivity of the office, including playing music, taking short breaks throughout the day to play a game and joking around. Positive energy will keep the office motivated and happy throughout the day.
Be Flexible
In this day and age, allowing employees flexibility in their work hours is a great tool to keep them motivated. Employees who know they have the flexibility to work hours outside the regular 9-5 or work from home on occasion will be more satisfied with their job and it will help them to stay motivated on their work.
Social Event and Team Building
In order to be truly motivated at work, employees must feel a personal connection to each other. There are many activities organizations can plan for the staff to give them the opportunity to get to know one another better. These activities give the staff a needed break and also remind them that they are appreciated. If you’ve never invested in a corporate event for your employees, now may be the time to do it. For ideas on what to do, take a look at Teamtactics.
Offer More Vacation Time
You can reward your top performers with incremental vacation days to show them how much you appreciate their hard work. These are your best employees, so there is little concern that a few extra days off is going to negatively impact their work performance, and it will go a long way in terms of keeping them motivated.
Career Pathway
Another important motivator is making sure employees understand the different career paths available to them within the organization. The firm should also provide employees with the development and training programs that employees can utilize in order to continue on the career path. This will help keep them motivated to work toward a goal and increase the likelihood they will remain within the organization.
Say “Thank You”
This is probably one of the most underutilized tools organizations have to help keep employees motivated. Offering appreciation for a job well done will keep employees motivated to keep doing a great job for the firm. If you are in a leadership position, you should take the time once in a while to write handwritten thank you notes for your team. These little gestures in between bi-annual and annual reviews will go a long way.
Free Food
Right next to saying thanks, free food is the second most underrated tool organizations have to motivate. Organizations can provide a weekly breakfast or a weekly lunch. It gives people the opportunity to take a break from work and socialize while reinforcing that the firm truly values and appreciates their hard work.
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