As an employer or any team leader attempting to increase staff motivation, you will find that there is no sure-fire way to reach each of your employees on an individual level. You may have to enact multiple strategies to bolster the motivation of your team as a whole because each individual member will have different factors and influences that cause him or her to feel motivated. One of the best ways to start thinking about how to increase employee motivation is to consider what needs they are trying to fulfill through working. Psychologists suggest that we all respond to different needs when trying to decide where we should place our effort. This article will suggest a few different tactics for reaching employees that will inevitably be motivated by different needs.
1) An employee motivated by achievement
One way to target and increase employee motivation for someone who is driven by the need for achievement is to express gratitude directly to this individual and recognize their efforts. Many times employees, especially in a corporate setting, will start to feel that their successes go unnoticed. An employ who is motivated by that desire to have his successes showcased and complimented might experience an extreme lack of motivation if he feels that no one is even seeing his efforts. A simple gesture such as thanking the employee directly for his work or even holding annual employee “awards” for various successes in their positions might be a good way to motivate employees to go above and beyond.
2) An employee motivated by a belonging or affiliation need
As a leader, you must remember that if you are not passionate and motivated your staff is not going to be passionate and motivated either. An employer sets the tone and example for the staff, so encouraging a communicative, positive work atmosphere might encourage an employee motivated by affiliation to perform well for the sake of “the team.” By fostering this sense of team work amongst the employees, they might feel compelled to perform well for fear that they are going to let down the team. Making your staff operate like a team instills them with a sense of responsibility, not only to you, but to their fellow employees. This feeling would be especially strong in individuals who are motivated by belongingness needs. They would relish the opportunity to be a member of a close, friendly, tight-knit organization.
3) An employee motivated by security needs
A simple yet potentially impactful way to increase employee motivation is to create an ideal work environment where employees can feel safe, comfortable – even at home. If an employee feels safe and comfortable at work, this may increase the chance that the employee actually wants to come to work each day. By providing employees with an environment where they can feel at ease, you may help fulfill the needs of an employee who is motivated by the desire to feel secure.
4) An employee who is motivation by the need for incentives
An employee that is motivated by what psychologists from various schools would term “rewards” will by motivated to increase their work performance on the contingency that their efforts to result in something beneficial. Most employees would probably agree that a cash bonus might increase their sales motivation, for example. The interesting thing to note about incentives is that they actually help fulfill some of our basic, physiological needs as well. Tangible rewards help us provide our families with food, clothing, shelter, and other comfort-related amenities. As an employer, you may certainly be able to use money or other financial benefits to increase employee motivation. Offering commission on sales, giving yearly bonuses and raises, providing company cars or phones, and even offering the option to purchase company stock might be some appealing rewards for employees driven by a need for incentives.
Increasing staff motivation is not a simple task and may require implementing a number of strategies to reach each person of your team on that individual level. Employers and management in all types of field face challenges involving their employees’ lack of motivation, and knowing some of these simple tips and trick might help you appeal to the varying needs of your team.
