Maintaining staff motivation in the workplace is challenging for any good manager.
Nonetheless, it is one of the most crucial workplace tools since motivated people are the most productive and provide the highest quality work.
Also, if your workers are driven, office morale will be strong, and employees will be inspired to remain with your company, enhancing employee retention rates.
Hence, we created this post for you to stay updated and get inspired by our 20 ways of enhancing morale and workplace motivation.
Table of Contents
Way #1: Create a Modern and Pleasant Work Environment
Way #2: Recognize their Achievements and Accomplishments
Way #3: Clearly Communicate Company Goals
Way #6: Encourage Upskilling and Development
Way #7: Create a Connection Through Unique Swag
Way #8: Cultivate a Positive Work Culture
Way #9: Gather Employee Feedback
Way #11: Discover What Drives Each Employee
Way #16: Encourage Bonding Outside of Work
Way #17: Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals
Way #18: Don’t Tolerate Bad Performance
Way #19: Promote Employee Wellbeing
Way #20: Forget About Micromanagement
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Way #1: Create a Modern and Pleasant Work Environment
It’s critical to create a pleasant working atmosphere, as it raises morale and contributes to the professional development of a favorable company culture.
Also, if employees feel respected and appreciated, they are more likely to contribute to the larger purpose of your business.
In other words, in a hectic setting, it might be tough for anyone to do their best job.
Moreover, your business should emanate cheerfulness and comfort via its décor and friendly culture.
Warm hues, relaxing plants, and neutral design are excellent tools for creating a peaceful, neutral atmosphere.
Employees will be encouraged to perform their best in modern workspaces with natural light.
Furthermore, strict dress regulations and formal apparel are long gone.
More organizations are adopting principles and guidelines that promote more progressive practices (like relaxed dress codes).
Business casual is taking on a new meaning, with casual pants replacing suits and dresses.
Instead of imposing a dress code, encourage your workers or colleagues to wear whatever makes them feel the most comfortable.
Consequently, you will establish a more favorable work atmosphere and increase positivity and morale.
Way #2: Recognize their Achievements and Accomplishments
Manager appreciation communicates to workers that their efforts are valued by fostering a suitable and stimulating workplace.
Peer-to-peer recognition contributes to the development of a caring and trusting culture.
Indeed, firms that foster a culture of employee appreciation experience concrete benefits ranging from higher employee satisfaction to enhanced bottom-line performance.
A practical employee recognition approach, on average, helps to develop more productive, innovative, and successful workers.
When merited, accomplishment acknowledgment should be offered often and lavishly to promote desirable behavior; it doesn’t have to be expensive to have a significant and personal influence.
Way #3: Clearly Communicate Company Goals
Another motivator for workers is that the employer clearly states the company’s objectives.
This implies that employees want to grasp the overall big picture and how they fit within the organization.
Therefore, staff motivation has a significant influence on employee performance.
When employees understand why they are performing their job and how it relates to the company’s goals, they are more confident in their position and work more effectively.
Furthermore, the leaders of your firm should remind individuals of the company’s aims.
Not only that, but they must also demonstrate conduct in agreement with attaining the objectives.
Moreover, employees will be less likely to believe in or comprehend the purpose if they feel their leaders don’t.
Your company’s objectives shouldn’t be contained in a piece of paper that you throw away someplace and never look at again; they should be communicated in some way via various internal communication channels.
Way #4: Reward them
Rewards and recognition play a vital part in employee engagement.
Yet, rewards are only effective when they are meaningful and meet the receiver’s requirements.
This entails identifying the environmental factors at work in motivation and how they affect the impact of incentives.
In general, it’s vital to address internal issues while building a motivation system.
Everyone wants to be rewarded for their achievements, but they also want more autonomy and responsibility, which gives them the sensation that they are adding value to the business.
External elements like incentives, salary rises, free lunches, parking places, and other amenities are always appreciated, but they are more successful at averting unhappiness than inspiring individuals.
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Way #5: Allow Autonomy
There are various advantages to encouraging worker autonomy.
Putting confidence in a team may transform a company environment, replacing a feeling of hierarchy with one of trust.
Some businesses fail to enhance employee satisfaction because they approach it incorrectly.
As a result, they often miss the need to eliminate rigid norms.
A staff that works quickly and according to their rules is more likely to be pleased.
In addition, every assignment is a reason to feel satisfied since the rewards of hard work are an instance of personal success.
When team members make their judgments, workplace engagement and motivation automatically grow.
However, learning and adhering to a set of tight guidelines is a time-consuming process.
This is especially true when workers are penalized for breaking the rules.
Moreover, taking up hard work with freedom, on the other hand, is energizing.
It encourages employee self-advocacy and allows for more innovation in the workplace.
According to a study, 79% of autonomous employees are engaged, making them more responsible and perform better.
There is also a considerable difference between firms with over 500 workers and startups with less than 100 employees: Just 34% of employees in more prominent organizations feel independent at work, compared to 79% in startups.
Way #6: Encourage Upskilling and Development
Not only can upskilling increase employee retention rates, but it may also help you stay ahead of the competition.
According to Gartner, 64% of managers believe their staff would be unable to keep up with future skill requirements.
Yet, over half of the study respondents believe they aren’t given opportunities for career advancement.
This skills gap might be overcome by looking internally at present employees and identifying strategies to prioritize upskilling for future success.
Furthermore, employers must first assess the current state of their workers’ abilities:
What skill sets are required for your company to function effectively and successfully?
Are there any staff who could be taught to cover existing shortages if these abilities are missing?
Addressing these issues may help provide the groundwork for a future upskilling strategy.
In addition, workers often believe they don’t have enough time to master new skills with a hectic job.
Therefore, employers should support continuous learning by including upskilling opportunities in weekly and daily activities to prevent this dilemma.
As a result, personnel should be given a certain amount of time to devote to training, mentoring, and courses.
Employees will flourish with the newest skills if this time is encouraged, and businesses will benefit.
Way #7: Create a Connection Through Unique Swag
Sending business swag is a fast and straightforward way to enhance staff morale.
You can either send matching gifts to all workers or give them a budget and let them select their gifts.
We recommend sending out hoodies, coffee mugs, Bluetooth earbuds, and other types of swag that can be used regularly.
As an example, branded hoodies make great swag items; they are cozy and will always look great while highlighting your company logo.
Moreover, coffee mugs are everyone’s best friend at work; your employees will highly appreciate getting a high-quality coffee mug like the one you see below.
Author’s Tip: Feel free to add some customized office supplies, cool tumblers, and branded t-shirts to create a great-looking swag pack that will impress all your staff.
Way #8: Cultivate a Positive Work Culture
According to research, workplace stress increases voluntary turnover by over 50%. People change jobs, refuse promotions, or quit.
In addition, the costs of turnover, such as hiring, training, decreased productivity, lost knowledge, and so on, are enormous.
Therefore, it’s crucial to create a positive work culture and a healthy workplace that makes your employees feel like they’re part of the team, that they have room for development, and that they have a work-life balance.
Remember that employees that are able to have a conversation with their colleagues, express their thoughts, or discuss their concerns create a more comfortable and supportive workplace.
If your workers could speak to you as more than simply their boss, but as a caring human being, they would feel safer and happier at work.
An “open-door policy” is a great way to show your staff that you care about their opinions and comments.
In addition, open dialogue can also offer you much-needed knowledge regarding the benefits and possible pitfalls of your organization.
Furthermore, let your staff work at their own speed and degree of comfort – within reason, of course.
Allow them to take advantage of your tolerance, but give them an opportunity to demonstrate that they can manage the task that has been assigned to them.
Micromanagement causes undue stress on workers, which can impede productivity and impair wellness in the workplace.
Be aware of activities that need your attention and understand when to let go and allow people to use the skills you recruited them for in the first place.
Way #9: Gather Employee Feedback
Employee feedback is critical since it assists you in determining career objectives and pathways for your most promising employees.
This inspires your top talent and establishes a long-term retention strategy for your business or organization.
You can schedule your recruiting cycles and prepare ahead of time for changes to your staff and changes in employee responsibilities and tasks.
Also, you can modify and personalize training programs with engaging and participatory employee feedback sessions, which will help you shape each employee into the performer you picture them to be.
By implementing a performance management and analysis system, offering feedback becomes associated with attaining company objectives and milestones.
It also assists you in adding value to your staff and improving employee experience.
Moreover, employees are more receptive to change when there is an open and clear communication channel between workers and employers, particularly regarding all performance and goal-setting elements.
This leads to better employee engagement, which is a benefit to any firm.
Giving employee feedback often accomplishes an arduous job because employees exploit their abilities more successfully when they know them.
Since they are more aware of their own limits, employees are more inclined to avoid circumstances that provoke these behaviors, making them more engaged workplace participants.
Way #10: Show Gratitude
It’s critical to demonstrate gratitude for your workers’ hard work and contributions to the organization.
Gratitude helps workers know when they’re doing well and can boost employee morale.
Rewarding your staff may range from sending a letter to offering monetary incentives, and you can express your gratitude as frequently as you choose.
Moreover, recognizing your staff for outstanding work is as simple as acknowledging their efforts immediately.
To have the most effect, express your gratitude in person.
You may, for example, congratulate the staff for successfully conducting an important meeting or finishing a large project on time and under budget.
You can also express your appreciation to your staff by using the following ideas:
- Thank you note
Put your thanks in writing if you can’t express it straight away or if the significance of the achievement warrants more than a short “congratulations.”
Take the time to send a handwritten message or an email expressing your sincere thanks, including acknowledgment of their good work and professional advancement.
- Publicly thank your team
While many individuals appreciate personal expressions of gratitude, it’s also crucial to make your appreciation public, especially when your team has done something remarkable.
To publicly acknowledge workers, speak briefly about their accomplishments at your weekly department meeting or monthly staff meeting.
You might also write a statement of congratulations in your internal newsletter.
- Give more time off
Although most workers value monetary incentives, many value intangible benefits such as increased vacation time.
Consider offering top-performing staff a monthly afternoon off, or allowing chosen team members to work on a flexible schedule within a certain period.
You can also demonstrate your appreciation by enabling staff to work remotely, a feature most sectors greatly respect.
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Way #11: Discover What Drives Each Employee
Money and material incentives don’t always motivate employees to perform better.
They certainly assist, but not everyone is driven in the same way.
For example, some believe their career path is more essential than financial rewards.
Every employee in a firm is an individual who should be treated as such.
Hence, talking to individuals and learning what inspires them can help you create trust, in addition to face-to-face interaction or via an employee engagement survey that includes a list of employee motivation interview questions.
Way #12: Provide Flexibility
In today’s environment, high-caliber individuals seek career opportunities that are favorable not just in terms of compensation but also in terms of enhanced benefits, technological assistance, and flexibility to help them attain peak performance and positive outcomes.
According to statistics, when work arrangements are flexible, 78% of workers believe their productivity increases.
Furthermore, 77% believe that flexible work arrangements are an important factor when applying for and assessing employment prospects.
A flexible work environment benefits both the employer and the employee.
It not only helps to boost organizational efficiency but also promotes employee happiness, which leads to a slew of additional perks.
From the employee’s point of view:
- More time and space to fulfill personal requirements: Workplace flexibility allows for more freedom to satisfy family and personal demands.
- Increased job happiness: More freedom in terms of when, what, and how to work promotes employee confidence and increases job satisfaction.
- Improved productivity: Increased job satisfaction and more flexibility to select how to work boost employee productivity, which leads to more future prospects.
From the employer’s point of view:
- Less employee turnover: Because workplace flexibility promotes employee job satisfaction, it contributes to lower staff turnover in the organization.
- More productivity: Greater flexibility minimizes tardiness and absenteeism, increasing organizational productivity.
- Better corporate image: Workplace flexibility generally improves the firm’s image as a family-friendly workplace with a positive workplace culture.
This encourages more job seekers to prefer the company over others.
Way #13: Be Transparent
Transparency is a method of communicating and creating relationships that emphasizes being straightforward with coworkers.
It’s particularly beneficial in raising productivity and encouraging overall corporate success since it eliminates misunderstandings and encourages genuine contact.
Speaking honestly to other colleagues entails expressing your feelings and thoughts in a real way.
Moreover, make sure to express yourself honestly and explain yourself so that others may understand.
Honesty is incredibly useful in the job because when you are honest, particularly when you need support, people can aid you.
Employees will be unable to help you if they are unaware of what’s going on.
Furthermore, asking questions shows humility and honesty since you understand your need to develop and learn.
In addition, asking questions encourages people to clarify what they don’t know.
This setting fosters learning by encouraging individuals to share their expertise with others.
Transparency in questioning discloses any extra training that workers need as well as differences in employee expertise.
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Way #14: Celebrate Success
Because celebrations should seem exceptional, it is important to choose the appropriate times to celebrate.
Avoid going overboard and celebrating every day, or assigning praising tasks to others. Recognition should be sincere and spontaneous, coming from a real place of gratitude.
Here are some examples of situations in which you would wish to recognize an employee. ?
- When it is the first success
This is especially important for new recruits, but it also applies to anybody taking on new tasks or difficulties.
Praise someone when they do it right the first time (then ease off the praise as it becomes second nature).
It is an excellent and simple way to instill confidence in them. ?
- When it has a positive impact on another person
Small things can make a big difference.
Recognizing instances when workers help one another, such as taking on someone else’s task so they can go on vacation, reminds individuals that their efforts matter and helps show appreciation.
Way #15: Leverage Teamwork
Almost three out of every four employers consider cooperation and teamwork to be vital.
Hence, focusing on your team-building and enhancing teamwork is essential to making your business a better place.
Team building doesn’t have to take place when you are working.
Indeed, taking breaks together can increase productivity and help reconsider objectives as required.
One week, collect the team for a coffee or pick up some sweet goodies for your team on the way to work and assemble for a morning conversation.
Also, a meeting in a less formal atmosphere will promote improved communication, sharing, and bonding among team members.
Way #16: Encourage Bonding Outside of Work
Choosing the appropriate team-building activity for your group might be complex with the wide variety of available options.
Providing chances for your workers to connect outside of the office enables them to get to know each other better and contributes to the team’s trust.
Also, this trust will be reflected in the workplace, fostering a culture of openness and collaboration in which team members may inspire one another.
Getting to know your coworkers in a non-work-related, casual atmosphere encourages employees to create more personal and meaningful ties.
This also applies to remote working employees or hybrid-working individuals, as a sense of isolation must be broken to increase motivation.
Moreover, being outside and away from a computer is a great refresher, especially for unmotivated employees.
Way #17: Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals
While objectives should be challenging to reach, workers won’t buy into them if they are unrealistic.
If not addressed, a lack of buy-in may quickly lead to demotivation and active detachment.
Here are some of the consequences that may occur:
- Missing delivery dates
Setting unreasonable goals makes it more unlikely that your team will be able to meet them.
If your team consistently misses objectives, your boss may query why your team is underperforming.
- Decreased work quality
Employees may be driven to hurry tasks, cut corners, and not take due care in order to meet unreasonable expectations.
This can result in errors and low-quality outputs.
- Swamped charges
If you build your budget on false assumptions, you may be startled when project expenses exceed your expectations.
If your deadline is likewise unreasonable, your team may need to spend more time on the project and work overtime, increasing the overall cost.
- Greater absenteeism
Employees may take time off work for stress-related issues if their expectations are too high.
This adds to the burden since your team members will have to fulfil objectives with one fewer pair of hands.
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Way #18: Don’t Tolerate Bad Performance
Nothing demotivates your hardworking employees more than seeing someone else’s bad performance accepted.
In fact, poor performance sometimes comes with a double whammy for leaders.
When one member of the team fails to pull his weight, the rest of the team is forced to step up and accomplish more than their fair share.
Moreover, this not only produces resentment but may also make stronger contributors doubt their manager’s competency, failing any workplace initiatives and killing any sort of effective communication.
Way #19: Promote Employee Wellbeing
Remember that each employee is an individual with their own professional and personal issues.
Organizations recognize the significance of workplace wellness because workers are holding them responsible for identifying the role they play.
During the pandemic, there was a greater focus on mental health and well-being.
It was, however, a catalyst rather than the cause.
According to a Zapier survey, 91% of Gen Zs and 85% of millennials feel their workplaces should have a mental health policy.
Furthermore, according to Wellable research, mental health was expected to be at the top of the list in 2021.
Empathy and compassion are human nature values that cannot be ignored in the workplace.
Though the workplace is expected to have a professional work culture, limiting it to organizational achievements isn’t optimal for workers’ well-being.
Also, a lack of empathy in the workplace might make it seem too constrained and unpleasant.
This may make it challenging for leaders to direct teams and implement motivational techniques in the long run.
Understanding your workers’ worries and demonstrating understanding and compassion will help you gain their loyalty, which will affect their performance, and they will go the extra mile if possible.
Moreover, they would have worked for the firm just for the monthly rewards, but a little empathy and compassion can help earn their commitment to wider corporate health objectives and the company’s mission.
Way #20: Forget About Micromanagement
Micromanagement is a sign of a lack of trust.
The manager just isn’t comfortable delegating the work to the employee and invests herself heavily in the process to guarantee it’s performed to her satisfaction.
The short-term consequence can be a higher-quality product, but the employee will not feel trusted or appreciated in the long run.
As with any lack of trust, stress between the employee and his management might develop, resulting in a worsening relationship and disastrously low motivation.
While some of these motivators might be attributed to a lack of management training, it is typically a matter of open communication between managers and their staff.
Actively connecting with employees and soliciting their opinion is a wonderful place to begin.
Moreover, direct reports will not be afraid to tell you if anything bothers them.
You’ll understand what actions to take to handle the problem and avoid a greater motivating factor if you listen to them freely and actively.
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Now Over to You
Now that our post has come to an end, we hope our list has successfully inspired you to do better in the workplace.
Remember that boosting morale and building extra motivation is a journey, so make sure you start right now!
If you have any questions or need any advice, feel free to contact us anytime.
Thank you for your time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What are the benefits of employee motivation?
The benefits of employee motivation are as follows:
- Enhanced productivity
- Greater sense of innovation and creativity
- Less absenteeism
- Lower turnover rates
- Better business reputation
Q2. Are there any free ways to motivate my employees?
Setting clear objectives, praising staff for their best efforts and outcomes, obtaining feedback, expressing gratitude, and acknowledging their accomplishments are all great strategies to motivate employees without spending money.
Q3. Are there any signs of demotivated employees?
Lack of focus, lack of meeting inputs, focusing on mentioning negative comments, increased absenteeism, and lack of punctuality are all signs of demotivated employees.
