How to Tap Into Increased Employee Motivation

Why is employee motivation important? Employees who are motivated produce the best possible results. While they contribute as individuals, they also benefit wider teams and the organisation as a whole. It’s a snowball effect that compounds to a point where every individual contribution can lead the business to success.

In this guide, we'll discuss the importance of employee motivation. We’ll also discuss the benefits of motivated employees, the common challenges that may arise, and the ways to maximise motivation amongst your workforce.

• Why is employee motivation important?
• The benefits of motivated employees
• Common challenges in motivating employees
• 5 ways to improve employee motivation
• How to address demotivation among employees
• How to measure employee motivation in your organisation

Why is employee motivation important?

Employee motivation fuels the success of an organisation. Motivated workers are driven, enthusiastic and proud of what they have accomplished, as well as excited about what they are yet to achieve. They also know their abilities well without needing to constantly doubt or question them.

Unmotivated employees may be the exact opposite. They may doubt themselves and their ability to make accurate and efficient decisions. At the same time, they may feel that their contributions go unnoticed. Unmotivated employees may work slower than others and divert their attention away from the tasks at hand. This leads to more employees becoming less efficient and, over time, will very likely lead to a lower-performing business in terms of revenue, growth and organisational accomplishments.

A productive workplace culture hinges on the careful balancing of motivational levels among employees. The presence of motivated employees tends to generate and disseminate motivation throughout the workforce. Conversely, demotivation can also spread, making it crucial to persistently work towards maintaining a balance in your favour.

With this in mind, all staff members must understand why employee motivation is important to the organisation. You’re all working together towards a shared objective, and when one employee is dragging behind, you and your team must come together to motivate and uplift them. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reach the team and departmental goals set by the leadership team.

Motivating employees will take time and is a constantly evolving task. There will be setbacks, of course. If an employee leaves an organisation, for example, it may take time to replace them with a suitable candidate. Despite this, motivating your employees regularly will be a welcome and enjoyable task that can come in many different forms.

The benefits of motivated employees

Now that you have an understanding of why employee motivation is important, we’ll look at the benefits so that your organisation can work like a well-oiled machine.

Increased engagement

The benefits of improved employee engagement are huge. In all businesses, there will be employees who will be more than enthusiastic about their role. However, it is important to make sure that the efforts of all employees, not just the high-performing ones, are recognised and appreciated.

You should aim to foster a safe environment where your employees can give you feedback. This way, all employees will be more willing to open up about what they’re struggling with, and what's going well, giving you a clear idea of how the best ways to support and motivate them. Deliberately engaging employees in this way will show them that they are valued members of your team.

Increased productivity

Simply put, motivated employees are far more likely get the job done. This means that they will contribute to moving towards achieving team, departmental and organisational goals. Our research shows that employees who feel recognised and appreciated are 2.4 times more likely to feel inspired in their work, 2.3 times more likely to feel committed to the business they work for, and 2.2 times more likely to put in greater amounts of effort at work.

Not only does this motivation help them to prioritise and complete urgent tasks, but it also helps them understand that productivity results in good business growth.

Higher levels of customer satisfaction

When your employees feel good at work, it will show in the tone of their voice, body language and overall attitude. This positive attitude will radiate to the point where customers will experience the best possible service.

Satisfied customers also become recurring customers, potentially leading to more business through referrals and reviews.

Reduced turnover rate

Happy, motivated employees stay at an organisation longer, while dissatisfied employees quit. This may seem obvious, but by improving the motivation of your employees, you will keep turnover rates low.

Lower turnover and higher employee retention will save various costs. These are costs that pertain to marketing a job opening, finding the right candidate, and the time it takes to train them. Data shows that organisations with lower engagement will experience turnover rates from 18% to 43% higher than those that are highly engaged.

Of course, employees may leave the organisation due to relocation, pursue other opportunities, or even retire. Nonetheless, your employees will still feel like they belong in your business.

Improved employee morale

When your employees are motivated, they are in a better mood. From our research, it’s clear that improved morale means that employees dubbed the 'day brightener' (the employee who has relentless good energy) will bring happiness to their team members. Imagine having employees giving maximum effort knowing that they are appreciated for their efforts.

Enhanced team dynamics

When everyone in the team is motivated to work towards a common goal, they work together better. This has multiple benefits, including better team morale and communication between teams. Because of this, goals are often reached faster, and any challenges that arise are met with enthusiasm, rather than despair.

Common challenges in motivating employees

While motivating employees is the goal, there can be several challenges that stand in the way. Understanding and appreciating these challenges gives you the best chance of effectively motivating your team.

Lack of clear and meaningful goals

This can be a make or break for both individuals and the organisation as a whole. Employees need something to work towards, and tracking progress against particular goals can generate higher achievement. It's also a good idea to get your employees' input on what their goals should be. If they had a hand in their creation, they are more likely to work harder to achieve them.

A simple sales incentive game is a good example of a motivational goal for employees.

Lack of feedback and recognition

When an employee doesn’t get regular feedback, it can be worrying and cause them to constantly question and second-guess their skills and abilities. We've found that employees who feel recognised, for instance through a reward and recognition platform, and listened to, are 87% less likely to leave their organisation.

Unhealthy work environment

This can include people displaying poor attitudes towards themselves and others. Here, a lack of communication and collaboration dominates the workspace and causes genuine concerns about employee behaviour and performance to go unnoticed by management.

Lack of autonomy and empowerment

A lack of autonomy and empowerment can hurt employee motivation. Employees will feel like they’re limited in what they can achieve within the organisation’s goals. At the same time, employees can feel discouraged from utilising their creativity or expressing their ideas, both of which are cornerstones of a successful business.

Limited career advancement opportunities

Many employees will want to go far in their careers. However, those who experience limited opportunities within the organisation will be more likely to leave to go to a rival organisation that will give them the opportunities to succeed and move forward in their career.

Poor work-life balance

Employees' work-life balance should be managed properly. A poor balance means more time working and less time focusing on life, including being at home. In 2021, 60% of US employees experienced chronic stress at work, an illness that can lead to unhealthy mental and physical situations later down the line.

The research organisation Gallup found that only 20% of employees feel that their performance is managed in a motivational way at work. This leaves the majority of employees feeling unmotivated and lacking engagement. Deploying the necessary employee engagement strategy is a good way to get motivation back on track.

Five ways to improve employee motivation

Focus on employee engagement

Employee engagement and motivation are key to increasing productivity. Knowing how to use employee engagement to increase motivation will set your organisation ahead of the competition. Our research has identified 12 drivers of employee engagement and our employee experience snapshot tool can be a great way to reveal where you can focus your strategies for maximum motivational impact.

Build an impactful employee recognition programme

When your employees have achieved something, they should be recognised accordingly. This practice helps attract and retain talented and hard-working employees.

To do so, you should consider implementing an employee recognition programme to ensure that workers receive rewards and appreciation for their achievements. Not only does this appreciation decrease turnover rates, but also studies show that organisations that engage with and appreciate their employees are 21% more profitable than organisations that fail to do so.

Likewise, employees who are part of the recognition programme are three times more likely to say that their company has an excellent culture and seven times more likely to feel a sense of belonging and value in their workplace.

Offer great incentives

Rewarding your employees for a job well done can be a great motivator. So, what can you offer those who deserve it? It could be bonus pay or it could be something else like a team shout-out – that decision rests in your hands.

Not all people are motivated in the same way though. For some employees, a sense of belonging somewhere is more important than incentives. Research shows that 45% of UK businesses have created a reward and recognition programme to boost morale, a culture that is ideal for productivity and engagement regardless of the business level.

Create a culture of belonging for all employees

It’s important to create a culture that employees love being part of. According to the 12 rules of engagement, the first steps of engagement are meaningful work, recognised efforts and regular one-to-one catch-ups to create open communication. According to our data, employees who don't have access to regular one-to-one meetings are more likely to feel disengaged from their team, their goals and their organisation.

Empower employees to succeed

Another idea from the same 12 rules is to provide employees with a platform. Give them a chance to express their ideas. Allow them to be creative when it comes to accomplishing their goals and those of the organisation.

Always support them, especially when those employees feel like they have failed. There are plenty of ways to motivate employees. Don’t forget that you also have rewards for employees to motivate them to try again.

How to address demotivation among employees

Now let’s focus on 5 ways to motivate employees who are feeling demotivated. It’s important to address their concerns promptly and effectively. Here’s how it’s done.

Listen actively

Listen to their concerns and frustrations. Do this without any judgement on your part. Remember that communication is a two-way street. Listening is part of that process.

Validate their feelings

Make sure that their emotions are acknowledged. It’s also a good idea to show empathy. You want to be genuine in making sure that they are understood and respected.

Identify the root causes

It's crucial for your business's longevity to identify the root causes of demotivation. It could be the workload, lack of recognition, or something else. Practising open communication, transparent goal-setting and sympathetic listening will help you to find the root cause of demotivation.

Give your employees the chance to be honest, and let them know that their right to confidentiality will be respected.

Offer support

Provide support and resources to help the employee overcome their challenges while regaining motivation. It can be via additional training, adjusting their workloads, and other means. This should be an ongoing process.

Collaborate on solutions

This involves brainstorming and implementing solutions to address the employee's demotivation. It will empower them to take ownership of their engagement and set realistic targets that they are excited and enthusiastic about. After all, empowering your employees is one of the key ways to motivate them even more.

How to measure employee motivation in your organisation

Measuring employee motivation is vital for understanding the dynamics of your workforce. Here are a few ideas to to do this.

Use surveys

Regularly survey your employees to gauge their motivation level and gather feedback. Dive into topics such as attitudes on current recognition and incentive programmes, perceptions of personal development and training opportunities, impact of awards and rewards and correlate feedback with demographics to understand trends and identify potential focus areas for enhanced strategies. Do the new hires plan on staying long-term? Or could they be among the 35% who may leave within the next 12 months? If they plan on leaving, ask them why.

Analyse performance metrics

Look at productivity data for any insights and motivations. What are the strengths? What could also be improved? It goes without saying that employees will intend to stay in your organisation for longer, be happier and have a stronger work ethic if they receive regular recognition and feedback from colleagues and managers.

Conduct interviews

Schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss how likely your employees are to recommend your organisation to other potential employees. By focusing on an employee net promoter score (eNPS) you can better understand individual motivations and open a safe, long-term conversation about employee and organisational engagement.

Monitor engagement

Track participation in company activities and recognition programmes. It may take time for all employees to engage with company programmes. A 40% participation rate within the first 90 days of a strategic recognition programme for example is a solid metric to aim for whereas with a short term tactical incentive you should be looking for participation rates of 80%+ as an indicator of success.