How to Increase Employee Motivation

How to increase employee motivation? It's simpler than you might think. The trick is identifying the right employee motivation strategies for your company and being willing to tailor it to individual group needs.

What Motivates Employees?
Theories about what motivates us human beings vary from psychologist to psychologist, however one commonly referenced theory-Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs-can be applied to several situations, include employee motivation.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs defines five basic need levels: physiological, safety, social, ego and self-actualization. His theory is based on the idea that the lower level needs, starting with physiological needs, must be fulfilled before higher need levels can be addressed.

While the theory may seem simplistic, it can provide insights for managers looking to motivate staff. When put into layman's terms, the Hierarchy of Needs lends itself easily to the business world.

• Physiological. Food, water, sleep.
• Safety. Salary, job security, insurance, other benefits.
• Social. Human interaction and friendships.
• Esteem. The employee's feelings about their individual reputation and achievements driven by a desire to experience higher self worth.
• Self-actualization. Purpose and meaning.

What does this mean for businesses? That in order to motivate employees, all five need levels must be addressed within the organization. Obviously, these needs will vary by individual and that individual needs may change over time. Managers should strive to focus in on the key needs for each employee and emphasize what the company offers that addresses those needs.

Managers as Motivators
As a manager, it's essential that you have a solid understanding of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to motivating your staff. A few points to keep in mind include:

• Fear can be a good motivator, but it's only effective for a short period of time. Over the long run, fear stifles creativity and fosters a more negative working environment.
• You can't really motivate your employees, but you can create an atmosphere that reward employees for taking the initiative to meet or exceed the department's or company's goals.
• What motivates you won't necessarily those who work for you. Each individual will have slightly different needs and motivational (or de-motivational) triggers.

Developing an Effective Employee Motivation Program
It's not uncommon to think that developing an employee motivation program is going to cost money and a lot of it. But some of the most basic-and effective-employee motivation tools are free. Simply acknowledging an employee's contribution to the overall success of a project or the company goes a long way toward boosting morale and improving attitudes.

Exposing employees to opportunities to learn new skills or abilities is another effective motivator. And cross training employees benefits the company as well as makes employees feel valued. The more skills an employee has, the more far-reaching their impact is within the company. Additionally, sending staff members to seminars or other events related to their position or function is a win/win: the employee feels valued and returns a better-informed, more capable member of your staff.

Filling open positions in your company from within is also an effective motivator. By giving employees first opportunity to apply for the job or jobs, you send the message that you value the talent that's already on board and want to nurture it. The added bonus for the company is that employees who are promoted have a shorter learning curve and ramp-up time than outside candidates-the higher the position is, the more training time the company saves.

Employee Motivation Rewards
If you're considering instituting employee motivation rewards, you have several options that keep expectations realistic and still get staff members excited. Depending on your company's structure and budget, you might consider:

• Launching an Employee of the Month, Quarter or Year program. The reward itself need not be a huge investment and may be in the form of widespread recognition and/or additional paid time off.
• Organizing special events when goals or milestones are achieved or exceeded or for no formal reason at all. Make it as big as an off-site gathering or as small as a surprise, catered lunch.
• Handing out movie theater ticket or rental vouchers, gift cards or other prizes for random jobs well done.

Some companies choose to use their bonus structure as their primary employee motivation reward program. Placing too much importance on the bonus structure however, can backfire when bonuses are expected.

For example, if your company issues bonuses near the holidays, its impending arrival-or failure to arrive-can function as a de-motivator, especially during difficult economic times. Why work harder to turn things around when the reward isn't immediate or is far less than expected? If you have other programs in place and keep employees informed of business conditions, you stand a better shot at reducing the fallout from any bad news you may deliver and still provide them with other motivational rewards.