Employee Motivation: 9 Ways to Motivate Employees

Employee motivation is a concept that describes a worker’s intrinsic motivation to adapt to work culture, pursue their company’s goals, collaborate with other team members, and remain with the company. Team leaders and human resource departments study the motivational factors that drive employee productivity and teamwork. They isolate important factors as a way to boost employee motivation and, consequently, improve the overall health of their company.

A company is only as productive and effective as its unique set of employees. Content, engaged employees are likely to buy in to company culture, embrace goal-setting, and put in the hard work needed to achieve those goals. Disengaged employees may present an opposite phenomenon; they struggle to emotionally invest in their companies, bond with their coworkers, or go the extra mile to meet company goals.

Employee motivation directly affects employee retention. Happy employees may look forward to work and feel personally invested in a company’s success. This increases their odds of remaining with the company. But when employees struggle with low motivation, they fail to emotionally invest in their organization. They experience burnout at higher rates, their mental health may suffer, and they may eventually leave the company altogether.

Several factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to an organization, may impact its ability to motivate employees.

1. 1. Employee recognition: Employees like to see their good work acknowledged and even rewarded. Employee recognition programs can increase employee motivation.
2. 2. Matching workers to their skill sets: Workers tend to be happiest and most engaged when their job makes use of their core competencies.
3. 3. Work-life balance: Successful companies get a lot of hard work out of their employees, but they also give those employees space to have personal lives and pursue their own initiatives.
4. 4. Employee empowerment: When employees are afforded a degree of trust and autonomy, it can improve feelings about themselves and about the overall company.
5. 5. Mental health: When managing employee needs, managers should prioritize wellness. A person dealing with mental or emotional problems may not be able to fully immerse themselves in company business.
6. 6. Communication: Strong, steady communication from team leaders can boost employee engagement and employee motivation.
7. 7. Mentoring and professional development: Strong managers motivate employees by showing interest in their professional growth and mentoring them as appropriate. Sometimes a team member’s career path will lead them away from the company. But if you support them during the time they work for you, you might receive more heartfelt efforts in return.
8. 8. Tone of a work environment: The employee experience is greatly shaped by a company’s day-to-day work environment. Companies that encourage team bonding and collaboration may find themselves with more fulfilled, more motivated employees.

As you seek to improve the culture in your workforce, consider these simple ways to boost employee motivation:

1. 1. Establish company values. People want to know what their company stands for and what to expect within the workplace. That’s why all companies, from startups to corporate giants, must establish a set of company values that sets the tone for all workplace interactions and company objectives.
2. 2. Set achievable goals. It feels great to meet your goals. By setting attainable targets, you help employees enjoy tangible successes, which can lead to greater morale and motivation.
3. 3. Provide regular positive feedback. Never miss a chance to acknowledge a job well done. Positive feedback boosts a worker’s self-confidence and inspires them to give their best efforts on future initiatives.
4. 4. Make communication a habit. Make sure you keep your employees informed about company initiatives, no matter how big or how small. Make them feel like stakeholders and not just a person drawing a paycheck.
5. 5. Conduct engagement surveys. Conduct internal surveys to find out what is working for your team members and what needs improvement.
6. 6. Provide incentives for great work. Reward hard work with a bonus or time off. Or, if resources are tight, you can also incentivize your team by simply acknowledging their successes during a public meeting or in a company-wide email. You can even reward employee performance by naming an employee of the month.
7. 7. Monitor your team’s work-life balance. As a team leader, part of your responsibility is ensuring that the basic needs of your employees are met. That starts with a healthy work-life balance that gives them space to pursue their own personal lives. Allow your team members to comfortably go home without bringing their job along with them.
8. 8. Provide perks when possible. Employee perks—like free team lunches or a company-wide bowling night—can do a lot to boost employee morale. They can also promote informal team building.
9. 9. Emphasize empowerment. Few things boost employee motivation quite like the feeling of trust and empowerment. Reward good work with more decision-making authority and show your direct reports that you trust their instincts to do great work that serves the company’s goals.

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