How to motivate your staff
The employees are the heart and soul of the company and it’s a job of HR management to make sure they are satisfied and motivated on the job. This is partly about providing salaries and bonuses that compensate your workers for their role in the company, but it’s also about creating an engaging and motivating working environment.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to do so, because it’s mostly about making the employees feel appreciated and showing in a public and clear way that they are valued by the management, the owners and the company itself.
More paid vacations
When asked to choose before bigger salaries and longer vacations most workers would choose the vacation time. All things considered, this is more expensive for the company, but you can’t put a price on having well-rested and motivated employees. If your company can afford it, it might be a good idea to organize a few short vacation trips for your employees and really show them you care about their well-being.
Beyond vacations, there are also long weekends that are greatly appreciated by employees, partly because they allow them to recharge and unwind and partly because they come as a surprise. Use the long weekends to reward your employees and make sure they know that it’s a reward for good and hard work.
A fun room
Break rooms in offices used to be mundane looking rooms with a few sofas and possibly some coffee and refreshments. This is no longer enough because the employees want and deserve more, especially if they work long hours and need a place to relax during the workday.
Don’t hesitate to go a bit overboard with this room and ask the employees to pitch in with deciding on what they want the room to be. Everything from video games to a basketball court is a possibility. The only limitations are your facilities and your funds.
Awards
Employees want to be appreciated for their effort and to feel like a part of the community, instead of just being paid and a small part of a corporate machine. It’s often important for it to be the public statement that will let everyone working for the company know that an employee is valued by the business.
Creating the corporate awards that you give out annually is probably the best way to do it, because it makes for a nice public ceremony and can even be very touching for some of the employees looking for validation for their work.
Dinner and conversation
Access to management or even to business owners is something that’s often used a sign of trust around the office and can mean a lot to the employees, especially if they are new to the company and the industry. Take the time to meet with the employee in a personal setting and to share your thoughts about the company and its future.
This is also useful from a managerial perspective because it allows the owners and the managers to get fresh ideas and honest feedback coming from the employees directly. This prevents office conflicts and creates a more productive and trusting environment.
There are many ways to motivate your employees without spending too much money. It’s all about knowing your company and your employees and trying to meet their needs in terms of office morale and productivity
Amelia Atkins is an author at Smooth Decorator and a fresh architecture student. The love for architecture and design runs in her family and she knew what she wanted to do from a very young age. You can often find her with a notepad in hand, just looking at the clouds, dreaming about the next skyscraper.
