LESSON 3.
MOTIVATION AT WORK
Additional Reading Materials:
Why Employee Motivation Is Important (& How to Improve It)
by: Heryati R.
• Employee motivation is a critical aspect at the workplace which leads to the
performance of the department and even the company. Motivating your
employees needs to be a regular routine.
There are companies that sadly fail to understand the importance of employee
motivation. Research shows that many companies have disengaged employees with
low motivation; only 13% of employees are engaged at work (Gallup).
In this article, we look into why employee motivation is important in any businesses
or companies.
Importance of Employee Motivation
There are several reasons why employee motivation is important. Mainly because it
allows management to meet the company’s goals. Without a motivated workplace,
companies could be placed in a very risky position.
Motivated employees can lead to increased productivity and allow an organisation to
achieve higher levels of output. Imagine having an employee who is not motivated at
work. They will probably use the time at their desk surfing the internet for personal
pleasure or even looking for another job. This is a waste of your time and resources.
Note that this is based on one employee. Try picturing the majority of your
employees doing the same thing. This is not a position anybody wants to be in.
Benefits of Motivated Employees
Employee motivation is highly important for every company due to the benefits that it
brings to the company. Benefits include:
Increased employee commitment
When employees are motivated to work, they will generally put their best effort in the
tasks that are assigned to them.
Improved employee satisfaction
Employee satisfaction is important for every company because this can lead towards
a positive growth for the company.
Ongoing employee development
Motivation can facilitate a worker reaching his/her personal goals, and can facilitate
the self-development of an individual. Once that worker meets some initial goals,
they realise the clear link between effort and results, which will further motivate them
to continue at a high level.
Improved employee efficiency
An employee’s efficiency level is not only based on their abilities or qualifications.
For the company to get the very best results, an employee needs to have a good
balance between the ability to perform the task given and willingness to want to
perform the task. This balance can lead to an increase of productivity and an
improvement in efficiency.
How to Increase Employee Motivation
Here are three immediate actionable tips to increase employee motivation in your
workplace.
Improve communication
The easiest way to increase employee motivation is by having positive
communication at the workplace. Not relying only on emails but by making sure they
talk to their employees in person and even on a personal level, if possible.
Try setting aside some time each day to talk with employees or you can join them
during coffee breaks instead of sitting at your desk. By doing so, you actually make
employees feel as though you are part of the team; a leader instead of just the boss.
Experts agree that team communication is super valuable.
Employees also want to see the company that they are working for succeed. Many
have excellent ideas, ranging from money saving to operational improvements.
Management must make an effort to take some time to ask and listen to
suggestions. Nothing is more worthwhile than feeling valued.
Value individual contributions
Management should ensure their employees on how their individual efforts and
contribution plays an important part of the company’s overall goals and direction.
Employees will take pride and be engaged in their work if they are aware how their
efforts create an impact the organisation; regardless of how big or small their
contributions are.
Management does not have to reward their employees with gifts every single time
they did a good job at a task. At times, a simple “Thank You” or “Great job” will
suffice. These meaningful words acknowledge effort, build loyalty and encourage
people to work even harder.
Positive workplace environment
Sometimes, the employees lack motivation because their workplace does not have a
positive work environment.To fix this, management could sent out surveys and get
feedback from employees in order to solve the issues that they may face.
Management could also post a positive quote or picture by the copier, coffee
machine or somewhere else that is visible and that receives high foot traffic so that
others can see. Flora and fauna also helps create a serene workplace environment
for your employees, so why not add a couple of plants around the office.
Management could also find creative ways in which to consistently keep their
employees motivated as much as possible. You can read our post on how to
motivate your employees in 12 easy steps to help you with your company’s
employee motivation.
In Summary
A positive workplace is the basic element that will get your company to the top. We
understand that it may be time consuming and difficult to encourage employee
motivation at the workplace.
However, in order to achieve a high level of employee productivity, management
needs to encourage a positive workplace environment.
Ensure that your employees feel that their work and efforts is an important
contribution to the company’s success. Remember to always keep an ‘open-door’
policy and have an approachable management team.
Related articles
•
Types of Celebrations to Increase Employee Motivation
•
How Leaders Can Motivate Employees at the Workplace
•
How to Motivate your Employees in 12 Easy Steps
• Related article: 40 great ways to say thank you to your employees
Source:
https://inside.6q.io/employee-motivation-important/, Retrieved October 25, 2020.
https://inside.6q.io/types-celebrations-increase-employee-motivation/
https://inside.6q.io/leaders-can-motivate-employees-workplace/
https://inside.6q.io/40-great-ways-to-say-thank-you-to-your-employees/
https://inside.6q.io/how-to-motivate-your-employees-in-12-easy-steps/
