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How To Boost Employee Motivation With These 12 Tricks?

Author: Ravijojla Novakovic Last updated: March 5, 2024 Reading time: 13 minutes

Get actionable tips on how to boost employee morale and motivation and encourage your employees to go the extra mile.

Many employers know that employee motivation is crucial for a productive workplace and, consequently, for business success. In this article, you will discover how to boost employee motivation with 10 practical and easy-to-implement strategies. 

Furthermore, you will find out the results of multiple research studies that show how essential it is to motivate your employees, learn how to motivate them and reap all the benefits of highly engaged employees for your business. 

What Is Employee Motivation?

Simply put, employee motivation is the amount of enthusiasm, commitment, and energy employees exhibit at work. Motivation is a complex concept to grasp and can be difficult to measure. However, motivated employees are more dedicated to their work, which employers can later measure in overall productivity. 

There are two types of motivation – intrinsic and extrinsic. It is important for employers to distinguish them so they know how to incentivize their employees

Intrinsic employee motivation 

Intrinsic employee motivation refers to behavior that is driven by internal satisfaction. In other words, employees are motivated to do certain tasks because they derive pleasure from them. When your employees’ values are aligned with your organization’s and when they are aware of how their work contributes to a larger team’s success, they are awarded internally by the feeling of purpose. 

Extrinsic employee motivation 

On the other hand, extrinsic motivation relates to behavior that is driven by external rewards. Your employees are motivated to do their jobs better if they are rewarded for their work. The reward itself does not have to be a monetary one – receiving recognition is also a very powerful motivator. 

Employee Motivation: Why It Matters and How to Achieve It?

Employee motivation is the level of enthusiasm internal drive, energy, and commitment that your employees have towards their work. It is important to increase and improve employee motivation for your business because it affects the quality, quantity, and efficiency of your employees’ output. Motivated employees are more likely to be productive, creative, loyal, and satisfied with their jobs. They are also more likely to deliver excellent customer service, which can increase your customer retention and profitability.

There are many ways to achieve or boost employee motivation, depending on what motivates your employees. Some common methods are providing rewards and recognition for good performance and achievements, giving feedback and guidance for improvement and learning, and communicating the purpose and vision of your organization and how each employee contributes to it. 

Creating opportunities for growth and development for employees and investing in a company’s skills strategy to enhance employees’ skills and career prospects would be another great method to increase employee motivation. 

These are just some of the strategies that you can use to encourage employees and motivate them. You can also ask your employees what motivates them and what they need to feel valued and engaged at work. By understanding and addressing their needs and preferences, you can create a positive and motivating work environment for your employees.

How To Motivate Lapsed Employees?

As we explained earlier, employers can motivate their employees in many ways. A variety of monetary and non-monetary incentives is at every employer’s disposal. Depending on the outcomes you wish to achieve, you can implement many strategies to motivate your employees to do their best work. 

However, employee motivation is just one aspect of your employees’ experience. HR Professionals usually implement programs that influence more elements that comprise employee experience, like employee productivity, company culture, and employee retention. 

Furthermore, a couple of basic requirements need to be fulfilled if you want to see results from your employee motivation strategy. Many employers forget that rightful wages, decent work conditions, and a solid work atmosphere cannot be compensated for. 

If your workplace lacks any of those, it is extremely hard to motivate your employees to go the extra mile. 

1. Appreciate your employees’ work 

As discussed earlier, employee recognition is the most powerful motivator of all. By thanking your colleagues or subordinates for their contribution, you incite feelings of happiness and pride in their work. 

You can start by simply saying “Thank you” to your employees. Furthermore, by implementing an employee recognition program, you can centralize your recognition efforts and track the results in your appreciation culture. 

Find out which steps you should follow to implement an employee recognition program.

2. Give meaningful feedback 

When you give meaningful feedback to your employees, you spark their intrinsic motivation for work. Both re-directive and positive feedback have the power to boost motivation and make your employees feel that you value their work and want them to succeed.

Therefore, try implementing some of the best employee evaluation practices. This can improve your employees’ motivation and incite the feedback culture in your company. 

3. Celebrate employee milestones 

Apart from recognizing your employees’ everyday contributions, you should celebrate their milestones. Your employees’ anniversaries are important events that mark your employees’ commitment to your company. Therefore, appreciating your employees’ loyalty motivates them to continue being a part of your company. 

Check out how you can recognize your employees’ achievements and celebrate milestones with our Recognition and Rewards Platform JobPts. 

4. Give monetary incentives 

Monetary incentives like bonuses or cash prizes are standard motivators and are becoming a part of employee incentive norms. 65% of employees prefer bonuses to be based on personal performance, and it is because they can best control meeting their goals when working alone on a project. However, if you want to incentivize teamwork, try linking monetary incentives to team project outcomes. 

5. Offer flexible work options 

An overwhelming majority of employees – 98% of employees would like to work remotely at least some of the time. Allowing your employees to work remotely is a great way to motivate them since it offers them the possibility to commute less and achieve a better work-life balance. Besides, having a remote work option is a great employee retention tactic. 

6. Provide growth opportunities 

If your employees don’t feel like their efforts lead to career advancement, they are demotivated to do their best. This is especially true for younger employees – 52% of Millennials believe that opportunities for career advancement make the company an attractive employer. 

7. Make your employees’ work more meaningful 

Employees who find work meaningful experience significantly greater job satisfaction, which correlates with increased productivity. Try making your employees’ work more meaningful by aligning it with your company’s core values. 

Moreover, explain to your employees how their work fits into the bigger picture or broader organizational goals. 

8. Empower your employees 

When you give your employees more responsibility and decision-making power, you increase the level of control they have over their tasks. Consequently, you motivate and equip your employees to better carry out those tasks. In other words, empowerment gives your employees autonomy and allows them to develop a sense of ownership over their work, which is motivating itself. 

9. Facilitate employee wellbeing 

Optimizing your employees’ mental and physical health has a direct effect on your employees’ motivation. 85% of companies that implemented a wellbeing program report that it increased their employee engagement as well.  

Namely, employee wellbeing initiative has the power to supply your employees with means to handle stress better or get in better physical shape. This shows employees that your company cares for their wellness, which also motivates them in their daily jobs. 

10. Enable seamless communication 

One of the biggest struggles of teamwork is effective communication. It can be frustrating if communication between managers and subordinates or between peers is poor and ineffective. By facilitating smooth communication, you will remove one of the biggest productivity stoppers in employees’ opinion. 

11. Have a motivation recovery plan

Implementing motivation recovery plans for lapsed employees is a strategic approach to re-engage and reignite the enthusiasm of individuals who may have experienced a dip in their commitment or productivity.

These plans involve a personalized and empathetic analysis of the root causes behind the employee’s disengagement, whether it be burnout, personal challenges, or dissatisfaction. By understanding these factors, organizations can tailor recovery plans that address the unique needs of each individual.

Incorporating motivational strategies can contribute to the revival of employee enthusiasm. The most common employee motivation techniques are:

  • setting realistic goals
  • providing additional training or mentorship
  • fostering a supportive work environment
  • offering therapy time

Regular check-ins, open communication channels, and acknowledging achievements are essential components of these plans.

Ultimately, motivation recovery plans not only ensure employees not only help in retaining valuable talent but also helps foster a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring employees feel valued and motivated to contribute their best to the organization.

12. Give employees additional time off to recharge

Often, the reason why employees feel burned out boils down to not enough time to recharge or suffering from a poor work-life balance.

how to avoid employee burnout
Source: Spring Health

According to a study from Spring Health that surveyed 1,136 employed U.S. adults, more than three-quarters (76%) of U.S. employees are currently experiencing worker burnout.

Granting employees additional time off to recharge is a proactive and compassionate approach to promoting overall well-being and productivity within an organization.

Recognizing the demands of modern work life and the potential for burnout, providing extra time off serves as a strategic investment in employee mental health.

Whether it’s a day off, a long weekend, or a flexible schedule, this initiative allows employees to step back, rest, and rejuvenate.

This practice not only helps prevent burnout but also fosters a positive and supportive workplace culture, where employees feel valued and motivated. In turn, the refreshed and energized workforce is likely to exhibit increased creativity, efficiency, and long-term dedication to the organization’s success.

What Is the Connection Between Employee Engagement and Motivation?

When employees are motivated, they are also more engaged in their work. Employee engagement is directly derived from employee motivation and satisfaction. There are numerous aspects of employee experience that affect employee motivation and vice versa. 

As we explained, employee motivation is hard to grasp and measure, but employees display their motivation with engagement. Intrinsic motivation directs employees in certain industries or job types because they are more stimulated to perform certain tasks than others. 

However, external motivation is extremely important to keep employees satisfied and driven in their jobs once they start working. 

Employee motivation can come in many forms. However, there are certain aspects of workplace culture that prove to be powerful employee motivators. In return, employee motivation contributes to better business results in many ways. 

What Happens When You Increase Employee Motivation?

Workplace recognition provides a sense of accomplishment and makes employees feel valued for their work.  According to research, 93% of employees who feel valued by their employer are motivated to do their best work, while only 33% of those who do not feel valued are motivated to perform their best. 

Regular employee feedback increases employee motivation 

When they receive regular feedback, your employees are reassured that they are doing a good job and know which aspects of their work should be improved. Research shows that 67% of employees are fully engaged in their work when managers give them positive feedback. 

Employee motivation improves employee productivity 

When your employees are aligned with your company’s values and know how they contribute to your organizational goals, they are motivated to perform their best. This is evident in their higher engagement levels. Gallup’s research on employee engagement states that engaged employees are 17% more productive than disengaged employees.   

Employee motivation decreases absenteeism 

Giving your employees purpose and rewarding them for positive behavior motivates them to be consistent in their work. When your employees connect their work experience with positive feelings, they are less likely to avoid coming to work. 

More specifically, Gallup’s research shows that highly engaged workplaces saw 41% lower absenteeism

Employee motivation improves retention 

According to research, 68% of HR professionals say that their employee recognition program positively affects retention in their company. 

This is because employees are motivated by recognition from their managers and peers. When recognized, employees feel more inclined to keep working at a company that values their contribution. 

Free Sample Employee Motivation Survey Questions 

Every company’s employees are different – so you need to find out what motivates your employees to go the extra mile. In other words, before implementing any kind of recognition or feedback program, you need to measure the state of your employee motivation. That way, you can estimate the effectiveness of your motivational efforts. 

Use Nurture to survey your employees and find out what motivates them. Check what your employees say are the obstacles to their best performance and listen to their suggestions.  

Ask your employees these 20 questions to understand what motivates them. 

  1. How important is it to be good at what you do?
  2. What inspires you about your work? 
  3. How motivated would you say you feel in performing your everyday tasks? 
  4. How much ownership do you feel over your work? 
  5. How do you feel your job relates to our company’s goals? 
  6. Do you feel your work is aligned with our company’s values? 
  7. How can your manager help you gain more autonomy and independence in your work? 
  8. How can your manager help you feel more aligned with the company’s goals? 
  9. Do you see yourself developing a career in this company? 
  10. Do you have an opportunity for advancement in this company? 
  11. Do you find your work stimulating and engaging? How? 
  12. How motivated are you to go the extra mile at work? Why? 
  13. How important is it for you to develop new skills at work? 
  14. How appreciated do you feel for your work? 
  15. How focused are you in performing your daily tasks? 
  16. What motivates you to do your best work? 
  17. What can your superiors do to motivate you at work? 
  18. What can our organization do to increase your motivation? 
  19. Is there anything that causes you frustration in your work? What is it?  
  20. What is the most meaningful part of your job?

Finding New Ways to Motivate Employees

You have just learned how to boost employee motivation with 13 effective and easy-to-implement strategies. By applying these tips, you can create a positive and engaging work environment where your employees feel valued, appreciated, and motivated to perform their best. 

Employee motivation is not only beneficial for your employees but also for your company and business. Motivated employees are more productive, loyal, creative, and innovative, which can lead your company to higher customer satisfaction, retention, and profitability. Therefore, investing in employee motivation is a wise and rewarding decision for any employer.

Now that you know how to boost employee motivation with these 13 tricks, what are you waiting for? Start implementing them today and see the difference in your workplace. If you have any questions – contact us to learn how we can help boost employee motivation in your company. 

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