Innovative Ways to Motivate Employees and Boost Productivity

What’s your organization’s most important asset? Is it your IP? Is it your leadership team? Is it your spirit of innovation or your unique systems and processes? Or, is it perhaps your people??

As the old adage goes: Any company is only as good as the people who work there. With that in mind you probably already know that recruiting and retaining the very best talent is crucial to your ongoing success. But what about the employees that already work for you? How can you ensure that they’re engaged in their work and motivated to succeed??

That’s where motivation comes in.?

Motivated employees are not only happier in their work; they’re also more productive, more engaged and more likely to stay in their roles and reach their full potential.?

So, what can leaders do to motivate their employees and boost productivity? From short-term solutions to long-term strategies, read on to find out some ideas for innovative ways to motivate your employees.

What is employee motivation??

Before we go any further we should define exactly what we mean by “motivation”.?

Put simply, motivation is the reason why people get out of bed in the morning - the driving force behind the enthusiasm, energy, commitment and creativity that they bring to their role.?

Of course, different people are motivated by different things. Some are encouraged to work at their best by deadlines, others by the prospect of a bonus, or they may be motivated to work hard simply because they love their work.?

Generally, however, motivation falls into two main categories:

Intrinsic motivation: This is the personal willingness of an employee to perform better. It’s an internal driver, one that’s driven by their own need to accomplish goals and their enthusiasm to face challenges at work.?

Extrinsic motivation: On the other end of the spectrum, extrinsic motivation refers to the external factors that motivate employees. This could be employee recognition, rewards, incentives or bonuses.?

Ensuring that your employees are motivated in their work and excited to help your organization achieve its goals is a complex formula of different tactics that carefully balances both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.?

By the Numbers - 6 Statistics that Prove the Connection Between Motivation and Productivity?

• 37% of employees feel most encouraged by personal recognition. Fortune .
• Disengaged employees cost U.S. companies more than $550 billion a year. The Engagement Institute.?
• Highly engaged teams boost company profitability by 21%. Gallup
• Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 x more likely to feel empowered to perform to the best of their abilities. Salesforce .?
• Motivated workers can raise sales by up to 37%. Harvard Business Review.?

Why Prioritize Motivation?

So why should you want your employees to be motivated? Perhaps a better question would be, why wouldn't you??

If your organization focuses on how to motivate its employees, you can expect to experience a host of benefits. Motivated people are more adaptable, they’re more engaged, better at being creative, less likely to be absent and more likely to share a positive image of you as an employer.?

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.?

So what are some of the ways increased employee motivation could boost your business?

Increased engagement

Today’s very best talent aren’t motivated by corner offices and big salaries. Sure, those things are important, but in the hierarchy of needs they come well below the North Star for many peoples’ careers - purpose. Employees want to be engaged at work, they want to be actively involved in your company and not just punching clocks and collecting paychecks. And that all stems from how motivated they are to perform their roles to the best of their abilities.?

Improved creativity and innovation

We live in uncertain times. Today’s businesses need to navigate an ever-changing landscape or risk being left behind. That’s especially true of small businesses and startups where innovation is key to success. The good news is that when your employees are motivated they’re more likely to create and innovate , navigating uncertainty with ease and spotting solutions to help your organization not only survive, but thrive well into the future.?

Stronger relationships

If you want to build stronger relationships between every level of your organization then you need to know what makes your people tick. Tapping into what motivates your team members and creating opportunities that allow them to come together and achieve those desires, can build better relationships at every level.?

Better customer service

In an era where negative reviews can quickly spread via search engines and social media, customer service is more important than ever. Motivation can play a key role in delivering the best experience to your customers. If you don’t believe me, just think of the times you’ve experienced exceptional customer service, nine times out of ten it will have been delivered by an employee who was willing to go above and beyond to exceed your expectations.?

Positive culture

Motivated employees are the secret ingredient behind any great company culture. When your people are engaged and feel connected to your organization and its vision it spreads throughout your entire operation. Positivity breeds positivity and with a workforce full of motivated employees you’ll have no shortage of culture champions to uphold the values that are central to your organization’s success.?

Low absenteeism and turnover?

If your employees are motivated then they’re less likely to be absent from work. They’re also a lot more likely to stick around in their roles. The link between employee motivation and employee retention is well established. If you don’t believe me, consider this research from Gallup, which found that engaged employees were 59% less likely to leave their roles in the next 12 months. The reason why motivated employees tend to stick around is because they’re invested in your organization and their place within it.? Improved retention can not only save your business from disruption, it can also boost your bottom line, especially as the estimated cost of replacing a skilled employee is as much as 30% of their first year earnings.?

The Relationship Between Motivation and Productivity

For many organizations, the biggest benefit of motivated employees can be seen in increased productivity.?

From office layouts to stress levels, there are dozens of factors that can impact productivity. But the levels of employee motivation within your organization are probably the most important.?

That’s because motivated employees perform better than their unmotivated colleagues. I know I do. These employees tend to work harder, achieve more and deliver the best outputs for your organization. Conversely, when your employees don’t feel motivated, they’re not driven to perform at their highest levels.?

The reason behind this relationship is that there is a direct cause-and-effect between motivation and productivity.?

Here’s an example from outside of the office that explains why.

If you’re anything like me then you probably put off your chores as long as possible. Yes, the house needs tidying, but there are friends to see, couches to sit on and the latest shows that need binging. As a result, that spring clean you’ve been planning will almost always be pushed down to the bottom of your “to-do” list.?

However, if you decide to invite some of those friends over to sit on your sofa and watch your new favorite show with you, then cleaning the house becomes a whole lot more important. Suddenly you’re thrust into action, getting the place ready for guests. Maybe you’re doing it because you want to show it off, maybe you’re hoping to receive some compliments on how good it looks, or maybe you’re worried about what your friends might think if you don’t get it ready - whatever the case you’re now motivated to be more productive and achieve a task that you wouldn't have done otherwise.?

It’s a simple analogy, but one that showcases just how intrinsic motivation is to productivity.??

The 7 Best Ways to Motivate Employees?

If you’ve read this far then you’ve no doubt already bought into the power of employee motivation, but what are the best ways to motivate your people and boost productivity? To discover the 7 best ways to motivate employees, head to our blog and find out!

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