You’ve already secured a team of knowledgeable individuals, but how do we ensure they are also working hard?
Motivating a group can be a challenge, especially over time and as workloads increase. Thankfully, the best ways to motivate employees don’t necessarily require a lot of time and money. Learning how to keep your employees motivated may take a bit of dedication, but increasing productivity can do a lot to maximize revenue.
The first tactic many leaders’ minds jump to is money. Yes, increased salaries and benefits are great, but studies have found that this isn’t the most motivating factor for employees. Instead, a team of motivated peers and the encouragement and acknowledgment of leaders can do a lot more than an increased paycheck.
So, how do we increase staff motivation? By getting to know them! Yes, it’s that simple. The best way to motivate employees is to better understand their personalities and beliefs to best target their motivations.
Each employee will fall under one of 16 personality types, and Trust Well Network is here to provide the top 5 ways to motivate your team in all its uniqueness. Plus, our Core Motivation Analysis Tool to ensure your efforts are a success.
5 Manager Tips on Motivating Employees
So, what do companies do to motivate their employees?
There are a few key ways to keep employees motivated, and by utilizing them all in conjunction, you can majorly increase the productivity (and revenue) at your company. Let’s dive right in!
#1: Be a Positive, Respectful, and Supportive Leader
Employee satisfaction relies heavily on management, and a happy team often means a productive one.
Poor management skills can lead to trouble with employee retention, but with clear communication, honesty, and available support; you’ll improve the motivation of employees while ensuring they stay with the company for the long haul.
The top managers’ tips on motivating employees involve looking for positive ways to motivate employees instead of using fear. Yes, the staff knows they have deadlines to meet and significant goals to hit, but you can give them the confidence to get there with encouragement. Creating this safe, positive space is one of the most important tasks for a manager and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
#2: Acknowledge Your Employees’ Accomplishments
Acknowledging when an employee does great work is a simple tip for motivating your employees, but one that has an impact.
Feeling as though their work doesn’t matter or is unappreciated is a big reason employees will lose enthusiasm. Still, with a bit of positive feedback, you can have them feeling appreciated, keeping your employees motivated.
These moments of appreciation must be sincere, and there are a few great ways to go about it. Beyond one-on-one conversations, sending a department-wide email acknowledging their hard work or doing a call out during a company meeting can show the employee how important they are and provide motivation for office staff to work equally hard for a similar shout-out.
#3: Don’t Let Your Employees Get Hungry
Don’t let anyone get hangry! We all know food is fuel, but it’s also an essential part of motivating staff to increase productivity.
Sometimes, a simple way to keep people happy is by feeding them. A survey by Seamless revealed that 57% of employees said food-related perks helped them feel more appreciated in the workplace. This is because meals are a clear way to show you care about your employees’ needs, with food being one of our most basic physical requirements.
So, add a few decent snacks in the office and order lunch for the team, and you’ll see pretty immediate satisfaction.
#4: Listen To Your Employees’ Needs
We can guess what employees want most, but the best way to understand them and meet their needs is by asking. It’s important to know what employees value most, what they would like to improve, and what they need. Taking the time to gather this information helps you better meet their needs and lets your staff feel heard.
For seamless results, offer employees incentives. This can include a day off, a bonus, or a fun new addition to their office space that further shows your appreciation. These incentives are some of the best ways to motivate your employees to work harder and share their insights on the company.
#5: Carry Out Surveys and Performance Reviews
The best way to motivate your employees effectively is to work to understand them better, but we know this is easier said than done.
While it’s a challenge to understand all of your employees and their unique needs, surveys and performance reviews can make a huge difference. With these tools, you can allow each individual to share their insights, either anonymously or to their manager during performance reviews so that they can tell you what they need. But the work doesn’t stop there. Once you’ve listened to the employee’s take, you need to put their words into action - showing that they were not only heard but their opinions were taken into account and applied to the workplace.
There are many options online to help you better understand employees. Still, to really gain knowledge of each individual and their motivations, the Core Motivation Analysis assessment will be the most effective tool to assess each employee’s motivation. With an expert assessment that won’t take too much of your staff’s time, you can gather a lot of information to improve the workspace and ultimately motivate employees.
Does an Employee’s Personality Really Matter?
With the Core Motivation Analysis, each employee will fall under one of 16 personality types. It sounds like a lot of different personalities with a lot of different needs, right?
While it may appear overwhelming, it is vital to know each individual’s personality type to configure a strategy best to increase your employees’ motivation. The methods for improving motivation in the workplace depend on your staff and their requirements and preferences, and understanding their personalities and motivations will be key to keeping staff motivated.
We Have the Right Tool for You to Build on Your Employees’ Motivation
With a 66-question test, the Core Motivation Analysis is a comprehensive assessment that analyzes the 16 personality traits to find each individual’s key motivations, thinking, and behavior styles. Sound overwhelming? Don’t worry - the assessment takes just 10 to 12 minutes yet yields an array of results to help you find the best motivation methods for your staff.
As one would expect, each personality type has different motivations and different preferences for how this is done. By understanding your unique staff, you can best target their preferences based on who they are, allowing leadership to make a logical, focused decision when creating motivation incentives.
Understanding if you’re dealing with a staff that most appreciates a bonus or thrives off individualized praise will help your company better allocate resources to improve staff motivation without wasting time and resources on methods they won’t appreciate.
Why is the CMA Better Than Other Assessment Tools?
The Core Motivation Analysis tool goes beyond basic personality traits, diving deeper into the minutia of what each type believes and prefers, providing a wealth of knowledge in a concise fashion. It’s based on the most respected personality paradigm, the Million Theory, for reliable results.
With the CMA, the assessment considers behavior styles and thinking and motivation - a key component when looking to increase productivity and satisfaction at a company.
This dynamic assessment can:
- Perceive individuals for who they are
- Understand their strengths
- Comprehend what individuals need from others
- Provide a detailed report of each completed test
Understanding employees as the foundation of creating a solid plan to motivate them, the CMA assessment is the first step in motivating your employees.
We’ve Always Got You Covered
Many factors go into properly motivating staff, from being a positive leader to acknowledging employee accomplishments, meeting their needs, and checking in on their thoughts. However, all of these tactics together can do a great deal to motivate your employees effectively, not only creating a happier work environment but a more productive one, too.
If you’re considering how to apply your staff’s results or aren’t sure how to understand them, our experts at Trust Well Network are happy to explain the results and work out the best strategy to boost motivation for staff at your company. To get started today, contact us at 312-919-1676.
