Keeping Employee Motivation High in a Company

The topic of employee motivation deals with why a person goes to work and keeps working. It is closely linked to job satisfaction although some people may not like their job yet will continue to be highly motivated and do it well. Employee motivation has more to do with fulfilling needs that can be met from gainful work.

Factors Influencing Employee Motivation

Probably the most influential motivator when it comes to work is money. There will always be those who say that their job satisfaction is not about the money but most will tell you differently. This is because the compensation a person gets from employment allows the purchase of goods to meet personal needs such as food, clothing, transportation, and shelter. Money also makes for a better quality of life because the employee can buy luxuries that make living more comfortable.

Recognition is a strong influence on employee motivation. Recognition fulfills a person’s need to be respected and valued. Companies with incentive programs that provide recognition and bonuses typically have employees with high levels of motivation.

People are social beings by nature so wherever a person goes that person has a need to fit in. Employee motivation is much higher when the employee interacts well with coworkers and management.

A person also has a need to maintain control of external events. Job stress is increased when employees believe that no matter what they do, the outcome will be negative. Motivation is much higher in companies where employees work closely with management in the decision making process. Doing this gives employees a sense of having an effect on the direction of the company and some control of the outcome.

Indicators of Poor Employee Motivation

There are a couple of indicators that oftentimes reflect poor employee motivation and they are high absenteeism and turnover rates. High absenteeism rates can result in the inability of a business to service its customers and turnover is expensive as employers incur costs in trying to replace employees. When these indicators are seen in a company, it is important that management find out what the problem areas are and implement measures to correct them.

Improving Employee Motivation

Effective communication is one way to maintain a high level of employee motivation. Communication is a complex topic however it comes down to how management delivers its message. For example, when management delivers its message in a style that is abrasive and uses fear tactics it may motivate for a short time but that motivation will quickly fade away when the threat is absent. However when managers are also good listeners they involve employees in the decision making process. In the latter scenario, employee motivation improves because personnel have their needs of respect and belonging to group met.

If there is a problem in a business that is causing poor employee motivation then the challenge is to identify it and take measures to alleviate it. This is oftentimes done through the use of surveys or by management having open discussion with its employees. Open discussion can only be successful if there is an environment where the employees trust that their opinions will not be used negatively against them. If this is not the case, by using anonymous surveys management can identify problem areas that need to be improved on.