As far as many employers are concerned, regular paychecks should motivate workers to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. Many workers, however, see things differently. If their respective employers put forth minimal effort to keep them motivated, they’re likely to show the same enthusiasm for their work. So, if your team members are at a loss for motivation, it’s in your best interest to get to the heart of the issue posthaste to ensure a workforce motivated to complete the business needs..
Depending on the nature of your business, team members may need to refine their current skill sets and acquire new skills reasonably consistently. Instead of expecting team members to do this without assistance, you’d provide formal training whenever necessary. This may entail having professional instructors visit your business, paying employees to attend outside classes, utilizing digital learning platforms, or any combination thereof. Additionally, when seeking out a learning platform that’s uniquely suited to your business’s needs, take some time to consider the difference between LXP vs. LMS and which one would be right for you.
Stagnation is among the chief causes of demotivation in a workforce motivated by stagnation. For one thing, remaining in the same role and performing the same duties for an extended period can leave employees bored and unchallenged. Secondly, even if repetition isn’t a concern, not many workers are keen on an absence of pay raises and promotions, as this indicates a lack of recognition and appreciation on the part of employers.
So, if you’re not promoting from within or providing employees with regular pay raises, it’s time to rethink things. With the rising cost of living nationwide, long periods without pay increases can significantly impact workers’ quality of life and breed understandable resentment towards their employers. As such, it’s recommended that you promote from within whenever an opportunity arises. Not only will this help foster company loyalty, but it will also provide other team members with a solid incentive to do their best consistently. Employees who believe their efforts will result in a tangible reward are motivated.
Far too many workforce members feel they don’t have a voice. And given how unreceptive many employers are to employee suggestions, inquiries, and grievances, there’s little wonder why. It should come as no surprise, then, that people who work for such employers tend to be unhappy and unmotivated in their professional lives. Although some employers do not give workers a voice, others arrive at this result unintentionally.
To help ensure your team members feel heard, encourage them to come to you with any questions, complaints, or suggestions they think are essential. This isn’t to say that you’re necessarily going to agree with everything your employees put forth, but each submission should be treated with importance and given genuine consideration.
Some employees may hesitate to submit complaints or suggestions for fear of retribution. For example, in a workforce motivated by fear, if someone is making a formal complaint against a colleague in a position of authority, they may be afraid of facing the consequences of the party in question. For cases like these, provide your employees an easy way to submit things anonymously, such as placing a suggestion box outside your office or in a common area.
These days, many people feel as if they need to genuinely clock out of their respective jobs. After all, if you’re expected to take work home, make phone calls, and answer emails well into the evening, do your work days ever truly end? Hoping an employee puts their best foot forward during work hours is perfectly reasonable, but expecting someone’s life to be one continuous workday is wrong and will likely hinder motivation.
That being the case, employers must recognize that workers have lives outside their jobs and acknowledge that their time belongs to them. Furthermore, if employees must be called upon to work after-hours or on weekends, they should be handsomely compensated for your workforce motivated to continue to strive to help.
For many employees, maintaining motivation can be an uphill battle. After all, why should an employee consistently put their best foot forward without sufficient incentive? Additionally, if your team members lack motivation, there’s a good chance that the problem lies with you. Getting to the bottom of the issue and putting forth practical solutions can tremendously benefit your employees and your business.
