People really are a company’s biggest asset – the success or failure of a business depends on the people it hires and retains within the business. And whilst employees are the biggest asset, they are also crucially (most often) the biggest expenditure.
Motivating and engaging your staff can often be a challenge.
Therefore, we’ve compiled some top tips to help you keep your staff motivated and energised:
1. Have a Vision…
The people in your business will feel are much more likely to be motivated and engaged if feel like they are involved in the "big picture" of the business – whatever that may look like - and they see their own values and goals in tune with those of the company as a whole.
If your business has a clear mission, vision and strategy it will help your people understand the part they play in the business itself.
2. Lead your team…
If you and your fellow managers / leaders are motivated this is a great example for the people around you - "your attitude is contagious." When you are in a leadership role, it's critical to realise the importance of modelling the behaviours that you want to see in your employees
3. We’re only human…
In today’s hectic world we often feel ‘multi-tasking’ or ‘juggling’ a busy workload means we can’t sit down and take a break – the feeling of having to constantly work. However, encouraging staff to take rest breaks can actually increase their productivity and keep people performing at a consistent level. Working all day without breaks, or while ill, can be detrimental to team morale and employee engagement in the longer-term.
Similarly it is paramount to offer some flexibility to team members to allow them to deal with stresses and demands of whatever is going on out of work. Focussing on delivery of key goals rather than set working hours can be a big motivation tool for employees.
4. Recognise their contribution…
A simple “thank you” can have a massive impact on your employees – if people know they matter and are appreciated it can go a long way to improve their productivity. People who feel appreciated are much more likely to feel motivated and perform at a high level.
5. Employee rewards…
Rewarding your employees with internal schemes can be simple, for example
· A colleague recognition scheme.
· An annual award scheme.
· A small (inexpensive) gift as a simple show of gratitude.
Employee perks can really go a long way to engaging employees in your business.
Is employee engagement and motivation and issues for your business? Not sure what initiatives you should have in place? Contact me for more information on this or any other HR related question.