Keeping your staff motivated and productive can be difficult even in the best of times. One recent study found that only 30% of U.S. workers feel “engaged and inspired” by their careers. But motivating your employees, and making them feel appreciated, engaged, and fulfilled, is critical to employee retention. Are you up to the task?
Take a walk around your company and observe your employees. Do they interact? Do they appear engaged by their work? If not, your personnel policies may be at fault.
Eliminate unnecessary rules. Do company rules hinder productivity and communicate mistrust? If your policies are riddled with over-zealous attendance rules, unreasonable internet usage guidelines, and petty parking lot decrees, consider rewriting them in a way that shows you trust your employees to perform in a professional manner.
Hire the right people. A team with broad experience, training, and a common vision can perform wonders. Give employees the benefit of working alongside like-minded professionals who have the training and skills that allow everyone to succeed.
Inspire top performance. Set the bar high. Establish goals for each of your employees and schedule regular performance reviews to keep them on the right track toward reaching those goals.
Value differences. Do you know what motivates individual employees? For some, a public pat on the back is a real incentive. Others might prefer to stay in the shadows and receive kudos without fanfare. Be a perceptive manager, and take time to understand these differences.
Focus on leadership. Be the kind of boss you’d want to work for. Avoid excessive control, harsh behavior, and arrogance. Remain accessible and open to feedback. Understand the day-to-day work your staff performs, give employees a sense of autonomy, and treat everyone as an integral part of the team.
Provide long-term career opportunities. If the workplace seems stagnant and career paths are nonexistent, a loss of motivation is not far behind. To counteract flagging morale, create paths to promotion in as many roles as possible. Challenge employees with new tasks that will prepare them for the next level of career advancement.
Open communication. Communicate with your employees. Provide clear and timely updates and feedback, even when presenting bad news. Keeping everyone in the loop will stop rumors from spreading, and help your employees develop as a team.
For more tips on how to build a productive and motivated workforce, give us a call.
© MC 2017 | “Business Tips” are published monthly to provide useful business information. The business information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
Empowering business owners and individuals in South Jersey and Philadelphia to feel confident through proactive accounting and advisory solutions.
