Creating a committed workforce

Impact International head of creative change Dominic Fitch suggests six ways to boost your employees’ motivation

Keeping employees motivated can be tricky for leaders and managers, especially in this challenging economic climate. Motivated employees are happier and more productive, so it is an essential thing for businesses to consider.

It is vital to ensure you are offering any remote employees working for you just as much support and help as clinic-based staff. Motivated staff lead to a productive and enthusiastic working environment for everyone, creating a more committed and passionate workforce and a more energetic atmosphere, which improves the workplace. Ensuring employees feel motivated and fulfilled at all times will have many business benefits, including lower staff turnover rate, higher quality of work and generally better staff performance, resulting in better company performance and a more profitable business.

1. PROVIDE PRAISE AND OFFER REGULAR FEEDBACK TO EMPLOYEES

It is no secret that employees like hearing when they are doing well, and, as a manager, it is important to give feedback to your staff. Being told they are doing a good job is morale boosting for staff, making them feel valued and appreciated. Regular catch-ups are a good way for a manager to check in with staff members, offer praise and constructive feedback and generally see how they are doing on a personal level. A quick Teams message, a video call or an email circulated are all easy, low-cost options that make an employee feel good about themselves. Feedback of all types is essential, however, as helping an employee improve and learn from any mistakes or setbacks can also improve their motivation.

2. ENSURE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE

This is critical and must be in place if you want a truly motivated, passionate, and dedicated workforce. No matter how much an individual loves their job, it is vital to ensure that they are getting enough of a balance between working and having time away from the job. There are a few ways managers can help with their staff’s work-life balance, and they are simpler than you may think. Encouraging people to take breaks away from their computers or desks is a good start. Try to encourage staff members to take walks and get fresh air at lunch break. Managers should consider offering flexible working to staff if this is something that will work for the business. Even just a couple of days of this can help balance work and life, cutting down on commuting time, saving money on travel, and just allowing the person to spend more time at home.

3. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER PROGRESSION

An employee that can see a clear route to progressing their career within an organisation is likely to be a motivated employee. Like offering regular feedback, this is something managers can implement into their management style. Looking at options such as recruiting for senior positions from within the company is noticed by staff and gives them something to aim for moving forwards.

4. ENSURE CLEAR COMMUNICATION WITH EMPLOYEES

Communication in many aspects of business is critical, and it is no different when it comes to motivating a workforce. Regularly informing your workforce of any updates or changes to the business is vital, and it is important to let staff know about the company’s overall performance. Ultimately, they are coming to work each day to make the company a success, so they should be kept up to date with happenings in the wider business and any external issues. This creates a more invested workforce, who can see the overall picture and understand how they play a part as a member of one big team.

5. MAKE ROLES PURPOSEFUL AND ASSIGN MEANINGFUL TASKS

An employee wants to feel part of an organisation and see that they are playing a vital role in the success of a business. Employers should, where possible, ensure that tasks are interesting and engaging. This, coupled with feedback and regular communication, can help staff members feel connected to the company and show that they are making a valuable contribution to the overall business success. This can boost morale, making everyone feel that they have something to strive towards.

Also relating to this is the issue of job roles. Naturally, different people in the organisation carry out different tasks – but everyone’s overall role is the same, to contribute to the success of the business. Ensure this is clear to the employee so that they know how their role, regardless of the pay grade level, is contributing to the wider business. As mentioned, regular company updates, business-wide meetings and team days to update everyone on company plans and performance can also help with this and ultimately create a happier and more passionate workforce.

6. OFFER EMPLOYEE INCENTIVES AND BONUSES

An employee incentive programme will directly reward employees for their accomplishments. It is a good way to keep employees focused on achieving goals and gives them something to strive for, whether it be a financial reward or something else. Bonuses, team days out, vouchers and extra time off are all great ways to keep people engaged and motivated, particularly in more challenging times.

Motivating employees is something we have seen can be achieved by taking some simple steps and focusing on your staff. Incentivising and rewarding staff goes a long way to making them feel appreciated within the organisation. Benefits are also felt by the business, with staff less likely to leave, as they feel like part of the company, working towards an overall goal. Staff retention reduces costs, as well as potential downtime due to staff numbers being down, and having a motivated, invested workforce generally will benefit a company in the long term.

DOMINIC FITCH

Dominic Fitch works with diverse stakeholders, from senior executives in multinational companies to primary aged pupils. He is passionate about developing people, teams and organisations, to collaborate and share skills, to lead, to change, to care more and be ambitious for each other and the planet.