Tips to Motivate Your Employees

How to motivate employees

No two employees are exactly alike and, therefore, each has different motivators. Since employees can be motivated by many different factors, it’s important to take a multifaceted approach when trying to motivate your team. Here are some tried and true methods to motivate your workforce. 

Ask employees to do only the things you’re willing to do yourself.

If you want good workers, you have to show them that moral principles are what you and your company are all about. It’s not enough to tell them you expect X, Y and Z when you don’t live by those values yourself.

“When leaders model culturally aligned behavior, it gives permission and encouragement to folks to ‘do the right thing,’” Monica Parker, culture change expert and founder of HATCH Analytics, told us. “Further, it can model very practically the steps to take to achieve successful outcomes. Without this, motivation is just talk.”

Workers feel better about taking on certain tasks after seeing their leader work on the same ones, even if it is just once. This shows them that while their boss could do it, they trust their employees to handle it. It leads to a significant boost in confidence and employees feel more motivated to do good work for the company.

Here are a few other ways you can lead by example:

• Work hard: If you want your business staffed by hard workers, be a hard worker. 
• Be honest: If you want honesty and transparency, be open and upfront with your employees.
• Accept feedback: If you want employees to welcome feedback, be honest with yourself when you get constructive criticism.
• Show respect: If you want respect and fairness, show that to your workers. Don’t single anyone out or pick favorites. People instantly pick up on it, leading to a toxic workplace.

Once you lead by example, you’ll see a return almost immediately.

Estimated time of completion: Three to five weeks

“On an individual level, you may be able to see results quite quickly — within a few weeks,” Parker said. “But keep in mind that ‘motivational leadership’ is not a cure at all. Unrealistic deadlines or metrics, poor resourcing, an otherwise toxic environment — these are all foundational elements that have to be met before motivation will have its desired effect.”

Ask employees what they want from your workplace culture.

Your first inclination as a leader may not be to check with your employees about what they want from your company’s workplace culture. According to research conducted by Quantum Workplace, highly engaged employees feel more positive about their workplace culture. Furthermore, respondents reported they would leave their current job for another one if the culture was better.

As an employer, you must ensure your employees feel safe, welcomed and cared for. Tell your employees regularly that you are interested in what they have to say, that they have autonomy and that they’re a valuable asset to the business moving forward.

Parker recommended taking these additional steps as well:

• Recognize there will be a period of significant adjustment within the company and have a high level of tolerance for change.
• Be transparent with managers and employees on the desired outcomes and accountabilities.
• Commit the resources, such as people, money, time and political capital, to change.
• Hire external professionals to determine and deliver the action steps needed to create a sustainable change in behaviors.
• Empower people to enact change at every level of the organization.

Estimated time of completion: 18 months to three years

“If all these conditions are met, 18 months should produce meaningful change and another 12 months to really embed the behaviors so they aren’t new but, rather, ‘This is how we do things around here,’” Parker said.

Establish employee and team goals that align with the organization’s mission and purpose.

Employees want to feel like their work is valuable to the organization and that what they are doing is making a difference. Establish individual goals for each employee that ladder up to overall team and company goals. 

“Employees are more motivated when they understand how their work contributes to the organization’s goals,” said Nicole Griffin, talent acquisition leader at Korn Ferry. “Leaders should ensure transparency and regularly connect individual roles to the broader mission.”

Tracking these goals throughout the year is paramount as well. Host regular check-ins with each employee to see how they are progressing. This not only helps motivate workers to do their best and reach their goals but also allows you to offer assistance or course-correct if an employee starts to fall behind.

Estimated time of completion: Three to six months

Setting meaningful goals and aligning them with company objectives takes time, especially when incorporating employee feedback and tracking progress through regular check-ins. Although results can be realized within months, it may take a full year for employees to reach their annual goals and feel aligned.

Assign tasks and let employees complete them with little intervention.

If you want productive, intelligent, hard-working employees, treat them as skilled, capable professionals. Far too many employers micromanage employees, looking over their shoulders, not trusting that they will complete tasks within deadlines and talking down their abilities. Step back and let your workers do their jobs. Delegate tasks to them and then leave them alone.

You may be the boss, but the work these individuals do for your company is invaluable and you can’t afford to lose them.

Think of different ways you can demonstrate your trust. Ask for suggestions on how they could feel more respected and appreciated. Determine a compromise that addresses both parties’ wants and needs and meet in the middle.

Estimated time of completion: A few weeks to a few months

Once an employer realizes that micromanaging is not a beneficial quality, change can happen quickly but it won’t happen overnight. For many leaders, that type of management is engrained and relearning a new management method takes time. If both parties communicate openly and are willing to work together to achieve that change, the transition should go smoothly in no time at all.

Actively listen to employee concerns by asking open-ended questions and engaging in a two-way conversation.

As a leader, it’s important that when an employee is expressing concerns to you, you absorb what they’re saying and take actionable steps to improve the situation.

If your employees feel that what they say or think doesn’t matter, they’ll believe their work doesn’t matter either and that is one of the easiest ways to lose faithful people who add value to your company.

Active listening isn’t just nodding your head to show that you’re listening. It’s asking open-ended questions, asking for suggestions, being part of the conversation and detailing how you will address what your employees are telling you. Two-way conversation conveys that you care about making real change.

Estimated time of completion: Immediately to about six months

Putting a time frame on results is difficult because it rests on the leader to enact change. If the employer strives to make a real effort to listen to employee needs, there could be immediate results.

Provide ongoing employee training and development opportunities.

The best employees are eager to learn and hone their skills and one of the best ways to do that is through the 70-20-10 model. This rule assumes that an employee should learn through on-the-job experiences (70 percent), social interactions (20 percent) and formal training (10 percent). Although this method has proven to be successful, many organizations forget about the final 10 percent — formal training. 

Offer training programs and professional development opportunities to provide your workforce with growth opportunities. Investing in employee development is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it help improve employee motivation but it can also increase employee performance, productivity, engagement and innovation.

Estimated time of completion: Ongoing, with measurable results in six months to a year

“Providing training, mentoring or career advancement pathways shows employees that the organization is invested in their development, which can significantly boost morale and motivation,” said Griffin.

Tell your employees just how valuable they are.

What’s more motivating than positive reinforcement? For employees, not much. Employee recognition research by Quantum Workplace found that employees are 2.7 times more likely to be highly engaged when they believe they will be recognized. 

“Celebrating successes — whether through formal recognition programs or simple acknowledgments — reinforces positive behaviors and shows employees their efforts are valued,” Griffin added.

And yet, only 35 percent of employees are receiving recognition on a weekly or monthly basis and one in two employees is actively seeking more recognition for their work contributions.

According to Alice Kemper, president of Sales Training Consultants and Sales Training Werks, managers fail to recognize employees for many reasons. For example, some managers think they don’t need to give praise. “I’ve heard managers say, ‘I hired adults to do their job; I don’t need to give them praise,’ and ‘I don’t need praise, so they don’t either,’” Kemper said.

Other reasons Kemper pointed out as to why managers don’t recognize employees for a job well done include the following:

• They don’t know how to deliver praise and acknowledgment effectively.
• They intend to give praise and acknowledgment but don’t get around to it.
• They believe it’s a sign of weakness as a manager to deliver praise.

Estimated time of completion: Immediately to about six months

Multiple studies show what employee engagement should look like, yet there’s still a considerable gap between what employees want and what they have. All of that, however, can change if leaders invest real effort into creating meaningful change.

Be flexible with employee benefits. 

Employee benefits play a major role in how satisfied an employee is with their job. Be as generous and intentional as you can with employee benefits. This doesn’t mean breaking the bank by offering every benefit imaginable — instead, ask your team what benefits would be most meaningful to them. This allows you to create a customized benefits package that your employees will appreciate and find value in. When employees feel appreciated, they are more likely to be motivated to work.

In addition to standard benefits like medical, dental and vision insurance, think of benefits that will add to the employee’s overall work experience. For example, most employees appreciate generous time off plans and flexible work arrangements. 

Estimated time of completion: One to three months

Implementing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or adjusted schedules, typically requires policy updates and logistical planning but can be introduced within a few months.

Use a personalized approach. 

As mentioned above, each employee has different motivators. The key to effective motivation is through finding out what those motivators are and then acting on them. One way to do this is by having each employee fill out a survey about what motivates them. Carefully review the motivators, discuss them with the employee and then build those types of behaviors into your workplace. 

For example, if an employee reveals that recognition is important to them, dive deeper to determine whether they prefer public or one-on-one recognition. Is it verbal praise that motivates them or monetary recognition? 

Estimated time of completion: Immediately to six months

When you understand what truly motivates each employee, you are in the best position to act on it. 

Motivation mistakes to avoid

Being a manager that is too controlling can quickly motivate your employees in the wrong direction. Trust your team and they will gain the confidence and skills to excel in their career: 

• Not delegating: Not having the confidence in your team to delegate tasks can signal a trust issue. This type of relationship may have negative consequences and decrease productivity. Delegating tasks to your team signals that you know their strengths. Workers will appreciate the gesture, and you will have more free time to complete your required tasks.
• Not making employees take time off: Work can be demanding. Taking time off and potentially getting behind can seem daunting. Encourage your employees to take time off. The period away from work can help them reset and improve their mental and physical health.
• Not offering advanced training: One of the top reasons employees switch jobs is the need for career growth. Offering on-the-job training not only benefits employees but the employer as well. A one-on-one conversation with each employee about their career goals can help you tailor training. While one employee may be interested in cross-training, another might be interested in certification.
• Not leading by example: Employees value actions more than words. Be a leader your team looks up to through dedication, integrity and empathy. Ensure that all leaders in your company act as role models. Provide a culture that encourages leaders to apply from within to minimize bad hires.
• Not showing your employees their worth: Your best employees work hard and deserve recognition. Taking their talents for granted risks losing them to a competitor. It’s important to praise your team for the goals they accomplish. Offering rewards and incentives can keep your workers engaged and have a positive mindset.

When considering employee motivation, it’s important you don’t forget about remote or dispersed workers. Remote employees deserve as much communication and praise as those working face-to-face in an office setting. If you manage a remote team, motivate them by checking in at least once per day. The longer you go without communicating directly, the less engaged they will become.

Jennifer Post and Jared Atchison contributed to this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.