One of the only things employees like less than being demeaned is being taken for granted. It is crucial that employers have a solid recognition system. Of course, hard work should be acknowledged, but they are never more important than results.
Furthermore, recognition shouldn’t just include throwing money at the employee. End-of-year bonuses are a common practice that is generally well accepted. However, they tend to be too general and not tied to specific achievements. It is key that recognitions are given in a timely manner.
Even a public handshake, or mentioning a specific achievement during a meeting, can go a long way to convincing employees that their work is valued.
The best part of publicly valuing an employee’s work is that all the rest of the staff will acknowledge that they are been seen. This situation will increase their motivation as they want to be recognized as well.
Feedback is another important part of motivating employees. When giving feedback, employers must emphasize what employees can do better, instead of just simply pointing out the failure.
It should also be a two-way process, where employees should be able to tell managers, without fear of reprisal, how managers can help employees fulfill the company’s goals. A manager should be constantly asking: “What can I do to make sure you have the support you need?”.
In addition to managers recognizing employees’ excellence, coworkers should do it too. And encouraging a friendly and supporting environment is the manager’s task.
Employee motivation is also tied to growth and the possibility of advancement. No one likes a dead-end job. The current workforce, especially millennials, have a high necessity to be constantly evolving and learning new things.
Often, companies set up competitive environments that end up leading to an unhealthy workplace environment. However, encouraging teamwork and collaboration is much more fruitful than these crazy competitions.
For this reason, employers must always give a growth perspective to every employee. Additionally, employee training must be meaningful and lead employees to an accomplishment. Employers should always encourage critical thinking.
