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Science of Improving Employee Motivation

TRAX Analytics

December 8, 2022

Employees who are willing to go above and beyond are ideal for plenty of managers and business owners. Yet, there’s a significant difference between wanting this type of employee and having this type of employee. The reason for this is that very few people are motivated to take on extra responsibilities without any benefit following these actions.

Improving employee motivation isn’t impossible, though. There are several psychologically developed ways to motivate employees.

Encourage Professional Development

Instead of simply expecting employees to improve their productivity and increase the amount of work they’re able to do, provide them with resources that make this possible. By illustrating ways that your team can enhance their skills, you’re showing that you are willing to support them through their efforts.

Further, supporting your team as they work to better themselves can inspire a greater sense of camaraderie, which can get staff members to care more about the success of the company. After all, people care more about endeavors that they feel involved with.

Improve Communication

To improve work motivation, it’s essential for managers and employers to improve communication efforts. Clear expectations as well as projected results need to be set across the board so that your teams understand what you want done, how to do it, and what benefits await them when they’ve met your expectations.

Respect and Acknowledgment

Nobody likes the idea of performing thankless work, so team motivation is going to require more than simply asking your staff to work with more vigor. If part of motivating employees includes asking more of them than what they currently do, they won’t be very receptive when they aren’t being appreciated for the extra work they perform.

To engage employees, treat them with respect, and acknowledge the work they do. When they follow your lead, meet your expectations, and improve operations, let them know that they’ve done well. Depending on the magnitude of the workload you’re expecting, you’ll want to ensure that the incentives you provide accurately reflect the work done.

Responsibility Should Match Authority

Finally, if job motivation is your goal, it’s essential to give equally to what you get from dedicated, motivated workers. Adding responsibilities to an employee’s workload should be equalized by increasing the authority they have at work. For example, if you want employees to work harder, faster, or with better quality in mind, you might want to provide bonuses, incentives, and flexibility when it comes to how they complete tasks.

It’s fair to assume that most employees can be motivated to perform their best work. The approach you take as a leader can heavily affect the outcome of your efforts, though. If you want your team to perform better for the business, take steps to ensure that the business performs better for them.