Even if your business has begun to recover from the recession, you probably aren’t quite ready to start handing out employee bonuses and raises. Although most employees are “money-motivated,” there are other (less expensive) things that you can do within your organization to keep up morale, retain your employees, and make sure that you are getting their maximum efforts.
1. Lead by Example- Put in the same amount of effort that you want to get from your employees. Whether you are the CEO or an entry-level manager, the employees under you are going to look to you for how to act. If you are making sure that your job gets done while keeping up employee morale, you are almost guaranteed results.
2. Open Communication- Keep the lines of communication open. Encourage your employees to voice their concerns, ask questions, and come to you with their suggestions or ideas. Your relationship will be stronger if you are open with each other. This includes you asking for employees’ advice and suggestions. Not only does this make the employee feel important but you and the company will benefit from this type of relationship.
3. Recognition/Praise- Employees want to feel appreciated for their hard work, so make sure that you’re recognizing them for a job well done. A great way to do this is to offer praise at the time and then recognize the achievement in front of a group of people in your weekly or monthly meeting.
4. Take a Break from Routine- Sometimes the simple things will go a long way. Randomly have pizza delivered to the office on a Friday or have a sundae party mid-afternoon. You could also take suggestions or find out what people are interested in. You can make these “surprises” or let people know a few days in advance (it gives them something to look forward to).
5. Career-Path- Make people aware of the opportunities for advancement that your company offers. Set career paths and emphasize “promoting from within.” If they know what they are working towards (more prestige, a better title, a bigger paycheck, etc.), they are more likely to work harder to achieve this goal.
6. Work Environment- Many workers spend more time in the office than they do in their own homes. Spruce up your work environment a bit and make it a nicer place to spend the day. You can paint, add pictures or paintings, and decorate to suit the company culture. Also, survey people about their office space and see what they would like changed. If a more comfortable chair or a space next to a window will make someone more productive, it would probably be worth your effort.
7. Treat each Employee as an Individual- Another important thing to realize is that not every worker is going to be motivated by the same things. Find out what works for people on an individual level and then tailor your motivation techniques to this.
