Every business needs stellar employees to grow and succeed. The process doesn’t end when they get hired, either. It’s more important to make them stay and earn their loyalty. After all, when good employees stick around, it will be easier for you to keep track of your goals and objectives and maintain the momentum.
High turnover rates can hurt your business. To put it into perspective: if you have spent considerable time, money, and effort into hiring competent employees only to lose them months down the road. You’ll have to start all over again, wasting precious resources in the process. This will not happen if your reliable employees stick around.
Taking care of your employees goes beyond providing attractive benefits and compensations. More often than not, it comes down to one crucial factor—keeping them motivated. Here are some of the best ways you can do just that:
Provide a Safe and Pleasant Working Environment
Employees generally spend more than seven hours a day in the office. Thus, employers should create a safe, secure workplace that’s pleasing to the senses. This means that the workspace should be functional, well-lit, and pleasant. For example, offices that allow abundant natural light can enhance employees’ mood and disposition.
Apart from employees’ workstations, pantries and lounge areas are essential to provide them with a place to rest and relax. These places are where employees can spend their time away from work during their designated break times, allowing them to free their minds and unwind. However, a good working environment does not end with a pleasant physical environment.
Maintaining a harmonious working relationship between employees is also essential. You can do this by cultivating cooperation, teamwork, and collaboration. If issues or conflicts crop up, it’s crucial to address them right away to avoid a toxic work atmosphere from developing. The last thing you need is personal issues between employees and other work grievances that can heavily affect their performance and productivity and disrupt the entire workplace environment.
Choose an Honest and Supportive Manager
Many employees quit not because they don’t like their work or the company but because of bad management. Managers should not only aim to increase productivity and drive profits. They should also keep in mind that their effectiveness relies on their ability to nurture their employees by giving the latter the respect, trust, and honesty they need to perform their tasks well.
Great managers know how to get the best out of their employees. It often starts with communication. Managers should clarify their expectations and how they can work with employees to reach their goals.
Employees appreciate feeling connected to their managers, allowing them the freedom to share their thoughts and give honest feedback for the team’s betterment. More often than not, employees prefer not to be micromanaged. They may need guidance about a few tasks, but they can work and learn better if they can perform their responsibilities with little intervention.
It’s even better if they try to be hands-on managers where they walk the talk. Employees appreciate it more if their leaders know what they’re doing and are able to use their knowledge to guide employees more effectively.
Give Them the Recognition They Deserve
Many employees feel uninspired because they don’t get the recognition they deserve, no matter how hard they work and reach their goals. Employers must make proactive efforts to recognize and reward employees’ hard work and accomplishments. Acknowledging their efforts and contribution to the company can go a long way to motivate them.
Recognizing and rewarding good performance can be done in various ways. You may do so by organizing official contests and giveaways. Make the prizes exciting and personalized. You can get something for men that they can use for work, such as designer clothing for professionals, accessories for suits, and high-quality briefcases or leather satchels. You can treat them to lunch when they receive kudos from clients. You can also recognize their excellent work through promotions, often tied up with raises and bonuses.
Let them know that you are aware of their hard work by giving them feedback on their excellent performance. You can commend outstanding employees or notable achievements during staff meetings or simply send them a card of appreciation. Thank them for their valuable contribution during their work anniversaries by giving them thoughtful or special gift baskets.
Allow Employees to Give Honest Feedback
Feedback and constructive criticism go both ways. You can encourage your employees to give honest feedback about things that need improvement. This is the best way to gain insight, listen to their sentiments, and learn how to improve employee relations.
Allow your employees to be part of the process. Asking for their insights and ideas can make them feel important and valued. They will feel a sense of ownership toward important projects and company goals, motivating them to work harder. When you get their responses, ensure that you implement the changes from relevant feedback.
Offer Them Flexibility at Work
At the height of the pandemic, many employees were thankful for opportunities to work from home, where it was safer and more convenient. It has fast become a norm for many companies that can operate remotely. Now that the restrictions have gradually lifted and most employees are back in the office, flexible schedules can be a good motivator for those who want to have the freedom of working at a time and place of their choice.
Flexible schedules would mean employees don’t have time constraints that add pressure to their everyday tasks. They don’t have to time everything, from logging in and logging out to their multiple breaks during the day. They can manage their time wisely. It’s also possible to provide them with different scheduling options so they can choose the one that works best for them. Doing this will give your employees a better work-life balance, letting them spend more time with their families, fulfill their personal responsibilities, and pursue their other interests and passions.
Wrapping It Up
The success of a company often relies on the strength of its workforce. Without the employees, it will be hard for any business to achieve its goals. Employees can only ever be effective and consistent if they feel motivated. As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure they are inspired to perform their tasks well and work toward your common goal.
About the Author
David Kennedy specializes in providing HR advice and guidance to companies that want to improve their human resource management. He is also a contributing writer to several business blogs and websites, where he shares his expertise on HR policies and best practices, planning and implementing HR programs, and identifying and providing solutions to employee management-related problems. David enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors, and experiencing new cultures and cuisines in his personal time.
