3 Ways to Motivate Your Employees

Are you happy with your job? I used to think this question only mattered to individual employees, but I’ve come to appreciate how morale is also a vital part of an organization’s success. Morale is more than just feeling happy in the workplace—it involves being motivated to continuously improve one’s skills and come up with new, creative ways to solve problems. Organizations benefit tremendously when their employees take the initiative to work on their personal development without having to be prompted by an annual review.

If you answered no to the question, you are certainly not alone: 52.3% of Americans are unsatisfied with their jobs, including 41% of federal workers. Unmotivated employees are more likely to make careless errors and tend to focus on delivering the bare minimum that is expected. A lack of drive and creativity can also negatively impact business development. This makes it imperative to understand how to help employees feel motivated at work.

You’d think financial incentives would be the best way to address a lack of motivation, but as career analyst Dan Pink points out, these kinds of incentives can actually dull creativity and hinder productivity. Monetary rewards may increase motivation for simple tasks, but long-term, complex goals rarely have easy solutions. Working toward a mission requires engaged, motivated employees to provide innovation and creativity, especially at a time when many organizations have to do more with less. So if we can’t use carrots and sticks to motivate employees, what can we do?

The answer is threefold: Invest in autonomy, technology and work-life balance.

Autonomy. Greater autonomy involves providing specific goals and letting employees work to accomplish them through means that best suit them. Sometimes this means letting them work on a slightly different schedule outside of the typical 9-to-5 day, or it may mean letting them try a technique they’re familiar with but may be new to you. Giving employees some freedom to decide how best to achieve the organization’s goals lets them know their opinions and skills are valued, which leads to greater motivation and a more productive workforce. The organization also benefits from fresh ideas, fueling innovation and business development.

Technology. One of the chief contributing factors to federal employees’ dissatisfaction is the lack of sufficient resources to perform their jobs. This can affect private sector employees as well, since insufficient or severely outdated technology can hinder communication across an organization. “Bring your own device” programs allow employees to use technology they’re familiar with and foster collaboration across teams and geographic locations. Providing employees with up-to-date technology signals that the organization is connected to the outside world and willing to invest in employee success.

Work-life Balance. The phrase “work-life balance” is thrown around a lot these days, but its importance shouldn’t be overlooked. Most people value a good balance between their personal and professional lives more than they do a higher paycheck, so it’s important to give employees the opportunity to set a work schedule that allows them to feel fulfilled both at work and at home. One popular policy is to allow employees to telework from home. This gives people the space to handle personal responsibilities and leads to fewer distractions at work. An employee that works from home doesn’t need to worry about whether or not their kids were dropped off on time or whether an important package is sitting outside in the rain. They can devote their full attention and energy to work right up until the moment they need to focus on their personal responsibilities. Something as simple as working outside the office once in a while can have a profound effect on keeping employees motivated since it indicates the organization values their personal time in addition to the hours they spend on the job.

What helps you stay motivated at work?

Brittany Boudens is an associate consultant with Corner Alliance.

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