It’s easy to spot a motivated employee.  The energy, focus and commitment of a motivated employee is unmistakable. 

Unsurprisingly, a motivated employee is significantly more productive and effective than those who are not.  This is why most business owners (and HR Consultants) want to achieve motivated workforce.  However, wanting it is one thing.  Achieving and maintaining a motivated workforce, is the challenging bit.

So, how can you achieve a motivated workforce for your business?  Ramshaw HR has devised a simple ‘3 step plan’ to increase employee motivation at work. Step 1 is all about understanding what factors drive your employee’s motivation at work.

Step 1

Understanding what drives employee motivation

This is key.  Do you know; what inspires your employees to go the extra mile? Do you know what frustrates them at work?  Do you know what energises your team to give of their best? Do you know what discourages or aggravates them?

Do you know why they were motivated to join your organisation in the first place?  And do you know if they are motivated to stay?

Asking these types of questions is a key starting point and there are a number of ways to gather this information. For example;

Informal discussions

Developing an open dialogue with your team through regular and informal meetings and catch ups will provide you with a constant stream of information about what is motivating or demotivating your team.  

For example, you might say; ’your monthly report took you a while to complete – am I right in saying that this is not your favourite activity?’ or; ‘you handled that client issue really well – what aspects of that did you particularly enjoy?’.

Employee engagement surveys

Employee engagement surveys are commonly designed and used by HR Consultants to gauge employee’s views on what areas are working well and where improvements are required.  This can cover a broad range of areas such as working conditions, management, communications, salary and benefits and training and development. 

Asking staff to score factors such as having challenging work and working autonomously will typically provide an insight into what is motivating your team.

Arranging focus groups to discuss the results of the survey with a cross section of employees is an effective way to discuss a range of ideas on how to address any development areas.  Often these meetings are facilitated by a third party, such as an HR Consultant, to ensure that employees can speak freely and openly without the risk of any reprisal.

Performance review meetings

Performance reviews or appraisals provide you with an excellent opportunity to discuss and learn more about what factors motivate your staff. 

You can ask them what aspects of their role they particularly enjoy and what aspects of their role they find frustrating or repetitive.  This provides you with a valuable insight from your employee’s perspective and enables you to address issues raised.

Step 2 of 3 steps to increase your employee’s motivation looks at what actions you will need to take once you have gathered this information.

If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail or would like more information on employee engagement surveys, contact Ramshaw HR today.