Techniques for Increasing Employee Motivation

Managing employees is not a subject that is cut and dry. There are so many variables involved in management, ranging from the type of work, to the location of the workplace, geographic and demographic considerations, and the particular employees you are managing. This can leave a manager or business owner feeling confused and wondering what methods are best for motivating the employees within his or her realm of control.

When I worked as a manager in the hotel business, I always tried to bear in mind that while management techniques and employees may vary, almost all people are motivated by one of three things or a combination thereof: money, kindness or prestige/power.

Knowing Your Employees

A large part of motivating employees is actually understanding what motivates them. This might sound obvious, but I've been through situations in which, what I think would motivate me, is definitely not what motivates my team members.

At a management level, a word of congratulations from the boss, the possibility of a promotion, or that satisfaction that comes with a job well done might be all it takes to light the fire under you. However, while this might work for you, for your employees, it could take a monetary reward, a free meal or an employee outing or party to do the trick.

I used to have an employee when I worked in the hotel business that would take on extra duties if I'd buy him a burger from the hotel kitchen. The motivation from the extra pay involved in the extra work was nice, but he was ruled by his stomach. It was one of those motivational points that you tuck away in the back of your mind for crunch time when you really need to squeeze out a little extra productivity.

The Golden Rule of Motivation

Another key to motivating employees is remembering the golden rule of management and motivation: "Treat your employees the way you would want to be treated."

You may have great motivational techniques and programs in place, but if you treat employees with continued disrespect, don't listen to their wants and needs, and ignore their input upon company issues, your efforts at motivation may largely go unreturned.

Incentives

Incentives or an incentive program can play a huge part of successful workplace motivation. Most any type of incentive program will likely have to be tailored to your specific business and employees. However, to ensure that your incentives work to actually motivate employees, it can be critical that an incentive program is well-structured, includes desirable incentives, includes all pertinent employees, and maybe most importantly, is well-communicated and consistent.

Advancement Opportunities

Depending upon the size and scope of an operation, advancement opportunities may play a significant role in the motivation of employees. There are several things you might be able to do to utilize such opportunities to your advantage.

By promoting from within, employees of your organization know that you are willing to provide them with chances to succeed and better themselves as well as that loyalty from them breeds loyalty from you, and vice versa. It is important that when you promote from within, however, that applicants are fully aware of the standards to be met, and that they are given a fair opportunity for the role. Playing favorites with employees can be a good way to destroy motivation to succeed in the workplace.

And finally, when it comes to advancement opportunities, it is important to follow through.