Published on December 29th, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

5 Ways to Motivate Your Employees and Increase Company Productivity

If you own a business, your staff will play a crucial role in maintaining your business’ operations. They will become the front-liners and handle the different aspects of the business that you can’t handle yourself. You’ll grow heavily reliant on them as your business continues to grow. However, with more tasks on their plates, they’ll also need more motivation to keep them going.

No matter how great you all start at the beginning, there will come a time when your employees will get tired of the same everyday routine. Eventually, your employees will feel like their job is a chore and will lose all their motivation. With that, your team’s productivity will start to go downhill.

For the business owner, this could mean bad news and it’s also a sign that they need to take steps to resolve the issue.

How? By simply motivating them.

Here are some of the best ways to keep your employees motivated and productive:

1. Be a Supportive Leader

As a manager and owner of your small business startup, you are the leader of your enterprise. Being an effective leader means recognizing the contribution of each of your employees. If they voice out something related to work, offer a listening ear, and consider the issue from their standpoint. Do something about it if you can and explain and offer solutions when you can’t.

Being a supportive leader also means communicating with your employees effectively. It might be helpful to read some books on this because it takes practice and knowledge to master this skill. Once you get a hold of it, your employees will become more loyal to you and their jobs.

2. Always Give a Feedback

Feedbacks are crucial in the performance of your employees. With that, pointing out and recognizing good work is always a big deal for your employees. It tells them that you’re actually paying attention to them. Nothing feels better than getting praised for your hard work and contribution.

Additionally, if an employee needs a boost, don’t hesitate to provide it to them. Professionals at 6 sigma are all thumbs up for pointing out the aspects that need improvement. But do it gently. Constructive feedbacks are meant to get your employees to improve, not criticize. Consider using the 5:1 feedback ratio – for every 5 positive feedbacks, give one negative feedback. This way, they won’t feel so overwhelmed with it.

3. Set Goals

Success is one of the things that you want to achieve for your business. As such, it’s only natural that you set attainable and realistic goals. Break it down to weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals. Once you have that, keep your employees on the loop. Also, establish what you expect from them and what their role will be in accomplishing these goals.

Giving your team members an individual purpose will help them be motivated in doing their part. Being assigned to a specific task lets them know that you trust their skills. Surveys also show that 55% of employees get motivation from the knowledge that they’re doing meaningful work. If they’re aware of what they can contribute to the company’s success, they’ll develop the need to get the work done.

4. Create a Lively Workplace

It’s simple. No one likes to work in a toxic environment. Understand that most of your workers, and you, spend most of your day in your office. With that, you need to create an environment where your employees will be comfortable working in. This will greatly affect their productivity and motivation.

Grumpy, toxic, and demanding bosses and co-workers can make your employee dread coming in to work. Eventually, this will all take a toll on your employees’ mental well-being and you can expect that shortly, they’ll quit. A positive working environment, on the other hand, nurtures their mind and keeps their creative juices flowing. So make sure not to tolerate and resolve issues within the workplace as soon as they arise.

Aside from that, did you know that the office’s design and resources play a role in the productivity of the employees? Proper lighting and ventilation are crucial in the office to promote a conducive working environment. Comfortable working chairs, break rooms, and if you can, an open space with plants will also help condition the minds of your employees.

5. Provide a Reward for Excellent Work

Nothing boosts the spirit of a hardworking employee more than getting rewards. With one, you’re not only recognizing the hard work of your employees, but you’re also giving them something for it. An incentive system will get your employees to do their best to earn something for it. When they exceed expectations with their achievements, reward them for it.

If you aren’t doing this yet, it’s about time that you do so. To start, you can commend an employee for giving an effective presentation or earning a big investor by giving them a bonus on top of their paycheck. If you don’t have enough cash for that, non-monetary rewards, like trophies or badges, are also a good option. For team achievements, you can treat them to a meal. Not only will this act as a reward, but it’s also a good way to bond and strengthen relationships between your employees.

Motivated Employees Yield the Best Results

Nothing is impossible for a motivated employee. But as you go around looking for ways to motivate them, remember that one thing may not work for another. So be sure to explore and experiment. Your employees play in the success of your business. If they’re motivated, they will be able to work efficiently and provide you with only the best results.

Most importantly, be sure to communicate effectively with them. If you’ve done all these things and still end up with nothing, sit and have a talk with them. Sometimes, all it takes is to listen to your employees and their concerns. Lend an ear and who knows, you may even get a fresh perspective on things relating to your company.

Tags: employees, increase, motivate, productivity

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.