How to Motivate Employees and Boost Employee Engagement

How to motivate your employees and boost employee engagement

Unmotivated employees can impact team morale and jeopardise the future of your business.  

Unfortunately, motivating your employees and maintaining a low employee turnover can often be more challenging than the recruitment process! The answer to high retention rates? Boosting employee engagement.  

Employee motivation is something all companies should prioritise, but doing so can be challenging. Read on to learn how to get the most out of your workforce by boosting employee engagement. 

What do your employees really think about their jobs? 

In an ideal world, every employer would like to believe that each team member wakes up in the morning feeling excited about going to work. You provide a pay check and in return, they give you loyalty and always bring their A-game. 

In reality, employees want and expect more from their working lives than just a job: 

• According to Metro, one-third of UK workers feel unhappy with their jobs. 
• The average yearly employee turnover in the UK stands at 15-17% (CPD Online). 
• Employees care more about having flexible hours than being able to work remotely (Wall Street Journal). 
• 70% of US workers feel disengaged (We Forum). 
• It costs 16-213% of a current employee's salary to acquire a new one (Centric HR). 

What does this mean for your business? 

While those statistics may seem bleak, employee engagement doesn't have to be a puzzle. Here are the best ways to motivate employees and create stronger working relationships that promote loyalty and boost retention rates. 

Manage with respect, not fear 

The best managers know that respect is everything. When you learn how to communicate with your team effectively, you'll be able to address performance issues in an open and honest environment.  

Here's how to ensure your employees respect you:  

Be approachable 

Your team needs to know that your door is always open. If your employees feel like they can't come to you with their problems, there will be a sense of mistrust. Being approachable is about letting your team know that you're human and ensuring they feel comfortable discussing their work problems before they get bigger. 

Ask for feedback 

It's always a good idea to show your team that you value their feedback and ideas about how you manage them. Many employees tend to prefer providing feedback anonymously, so consider creating a suggestion box where they can offer honest feedback without it being linked to them.  

Hold regular meetings 

Both team and individual meetings are essential for high employee morale. People want to feel like they’re part of something, so bringing everyone together to discuss operations and other concerns will help drive employee engagement.  

Individual meetings are a chance for each employee to open up and discuss any concerns they have that aren’t appropriate for a group setting.  

Allow room for growth 

It's not all about the money; employees want to grow too. If your workforce doesn't have opportunities for professional development, they'll go elsewhere. 

However, if you encourage innovation and take time to motivate employees, you can boost productivity levels. 

Motivated employees will strive to achieve more - especially if they know there's an opportunity to take on more responsibility and meet their far-reaching career goals. 

Create a strong company culture 

Company culture defines how the company interacts with its employees and customers while setting expectations of individual behaviour and performance. A positive company culture can create an environment that encourages collaboration, communication, respect, growth and development among its team members. 

Every company has a unique culture that can range from casual gatherings to structured processes around walk-throughs and reviews. If you don't clearly outline your company objectives, you won't be able to instil a team spirit mentality in your employees and ensure they work towards the company mission. 

Recognising achievements encourages employee motivation 

Employee recognition is so important for your retention levels. After all, employees might go above and beyond their duties, and you should show them how you appreciate them. 

Keeping employees motivated in fast-paced industries is difficult, but it's essential to recognise team and individual performances. If you can boost employee morale and offer great incentives, people will be more likely to stay. 

Create a rewards scheme 

One of the best ways to boost motivation levels is to introduce a rewards scheme. As one of the UK's biggest employer incentive providers, Perkbox is a huge authority on how these schemes boost motivation levels. 

63% of employees who receive rewards are unlikely to leave the job, and 66% feel that rewards create positive outcomes in terms of productivity. 

Both extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation incentives make a significant impact on your team. If you focus on giving employees positive feedback while prioritising salary, discounts and other incentives, you'll safe proof your business for future growth. 

Offer flexible working arrangements 

Where possible, offer flexible working arrangements. We live in a digital-first world, so there's no longer the need for employees to be in the office full-time. Flexible working arrangements have numerous benefits, including boosting employee productivity. You can motivate employees by giving them more flexibility, enhancing job satisfaction and preventing high turnover rates. 

The bottom line 

An unmotivated employee is a risk to the entire company, but following the tips in this post ensures you can create a company culture that talented workers want to be a part of, long term. 

Most companies are acutely aware that they need to work harder to ensure their employees feel motivated and also valued. By celebrating milestones and focusing on giving people the opportunity to develop new skills, you'll enjoy the rewards of a loyal, dedicated team. 

Motivated employees result in business success 

Boosting employee motivation doesn't need to be a headache - but it might seem like an uphill battle. Between focusing on fulfilling the company's mission and managing daily operations, you might not have time to recognise your employees' achievements. 

With a software like Planday that makes employee scheduling a breeze, recognising the value of individual employees can become a reality. The platform allows you to automate your daily operations and manage remote employees seamlessly. 

If you want to: 

• Automate shift scheduling 
• Facilitate clear communication wherever your team is 
• Gain valuable insights into employee motivation and engagement 
• Monitor the achievements of your team 
• Connect the software with your current systems

Planday could serve as the perfect tool for your needs. If you'd like to see how our software can work for you, please don't hesitate to book a free trial. There's no upfront charge, and you can cancel at any time.