How To Motivate Employees with Rewards
Good managers want to know what motivates their employees-presumedly besides the company bottom line-and often work hard to provide bonuses and incentives that may or may not light the working fire under cubicle-seated-behinds.
So how do managers bridge the gap between company expenses and employee expectations? For the managers who planned a backfired rewards program that got mediocre responses or the senior worker who was given an office party instead of a raise—these 3 tips are for you.
1) Talk to each other and listen to what each side is asking for. Whether you are the manager or the employee, both sides have to communicate clearly with one another to accomplish the goal of greater company productivity. Tell your employees what you expect from them and then ask them what they would like as a reward for work done well.
Remember that self-interest is the biggest motivator for most human beings so tapping into what benefits employees view as being valuable is key. Rewards can go beyond the typical raise or bonus check, an example of an effective reward that I’ve seen at my company are work-from-home days.
2) Set a good example as a manager and create a positive respectful work environment for your staff. Employees will respond to the pace and culture that you set as the leader, so ask yourself if your actions and words at the office are leading your team towards or away your goals for the company. Utilize the Golden Rule as much as possible and ask yourself this tough question: would you want to serve under someone like you? Also remember that employees will work harder for people that they respect and like.
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3) Make sure your company is offering opportunities for advancement. This might seem like a no-brainer but sometimes the tunnel-vision of running an organisation can blind you to flaws in your operations. Examine whether your organisation offers employees upward mobility and if you’ve offered them the training and opportunities to advance in the company.
As an employee, I appreciate that my manager has worked with me to find the most fitting role where I can be the most productive and successful. Fitting employees to different jobs in your company is always going to be a part of the managing role, so try to view it more as an intriguing puzzle and less of a headache.
Hopefully, these three tips will help you in your journey towards building up engaged productive employees that will move your company to profitability and success.