9 Keys to Motivating Your Employees

My Internet Marketing and SEO Blog

29 December 2008 457 views No Comment

If you’re a business owner, you know that one of the most difficult aspects of your job is finding and retaining good employees. After all, your business is only going to be successful if you have high-quality people working for you. Here are 9 keys to motivating your employees.

Make the Job Meaningful. Your employees won’t be satisfied unless they feel that the work they’re doing is meaningful. They need to feel like they add value to the company. Not only does the employee need to feel that his skills and abilities match the requirements of the job, but also that he has the opportunity to use his creativity and put his own stamp on the projects he completes. He needs to feel that his employer recognizes his contributions to the company’s success and that his contributions actually make a difference in the company’s bottom line.
Make the Pay Fair. While pay is not the sole motivating factor for an employee, it is essential to job satisfaction. And it is by far the most difficult factor for an employer to monitor. Your employees must find their pay competitive and fair, and yet you must be able to pay your employees and still make a profit. This will be one of the most difficult motivating factors to control.
Keep the Job Secure. Let’s face it, given the fast-paced environment of today’s business world, many, if not most, employees are insecure about whether or not they will be able to keep their jobs. This is another sticking point for their employers as they determine how to ensure a positive market share that will allow them to maintain existing staffing levels.
Make the Coworkers Positive. When you spend 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, with your colleagues, you want to have a good relationship with them. Make sure that you plan orientation programs around allowing people to get to know one another, and facilitate positive socialization experiences through recreation and times of rest. Using work teams is also a great way to allow for positive interactions.
Give Credit Where It’s Due. Praise your employees when they go above and beyond what you expect of them. Use monetary rewards when appropriate, and offer public recognition via bulletin boards and company newsletters. You will find that your employees are more loyal and more productive when they’re recognized for their contributions.
Provide Advancement Opportunities. Not all of your employees will want to advance, but they will feel more secure if they know the opportunity is there. So make sure that your employees know that advancement is possible without pressuring them to take advantage of it.
Make the Workplace Comfortable. You have employees who are going to spend a lot more of their waking hours at work than at home, so make sure the workplace is attractive and comfortable. When there is a high quality of life at work, people take fewer sick days, they experience fewer injuries, and they are willing to tolerate more pressure from the workplace.
Make the Leadership High-Quality. Nothing is more depressing to an employee than having a boss who has no idea what he’s doing and who refuses to get guidance from elsewhere. Competent leadership results in energetic, creative, transparent employees and assures employees that their job security is protected.
Make the Organization Relevant. Given the global nature and interconnectedness of today’s workplace, a high priority for employees is social relevance. Community involvement and development is a high priority for today’s workers, and few employees are willing to prioritize “making money” over making a positive difference in the community.

You’re going to spend a lot of time and money in the process of recruiting and hiring your employees, so make sure you know how to motivate them once you’ve found them. These 9 keys are a great way to start ensuring loyal, productive, motivated workers.