The following offers a guide to some of the easier ways employers can keep their employees happy, involved and motivated.
Incentive Programs Based On Performance
People like rewards. Whether it's points for using a credit card or frequent-flyer miles, people appreciate being rewarded for their efforts. The same applies in business. Employees want to know that their efforts are valued and that they're working for a common goal.
Employers can encourage employee engagement by implementing incentive programs for performance. For example, a points system could be introduced that allows employees to earn rewards based on performance. If an employee goes above and beyond customer expectations, then she would earn X amount of points towards a gift card, or extra time off. This not only motivates the employee to succeed but also rewards her for the extra effort.
Designing incentive programs encourages employees to engage in friendly competition, which further motivates them to succeed. The key is to make the program fun rather than strictly competitive, and reward the points often when deserved.
Incentive Ideas To Consider
- Paid time off (extra vacation, increased lunch breaks, etc.)
- Gift cards to restaurants, movie theaters and popular stores.
- Cash incentives based on sales performances and increased profits.
Employee Appreciation Day And Recognition
Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions call for a celebration, not only in personal life but at work.
One positive way to promote employee engagement is to celebrate personal and professional milestones. If Jim has been with the company for three years, then why not get a cake and say a few words? People like to be appreciated, and they'll in turn appreciate a company that treats them like humans instead of worker bees.
The idea of celebrating every occasion might seem inefficient. If a company has hundreds of employees, then logistically speaking, celebrating every milestone might be out of the question. But collective celebrations work just as well. For instance, a company might throw a collective "March Birthdays" celebration, honoring everyone in the office with a March birthday. For employee recognition of events like work anniversaries, the company might host an evening out at a restaurant to award certain people for their accomplishments. People will delight in the chance to celebrate small and big events alike.
For those that do not know, Employee Appreciation Day is a thing.
Special Occassions
- "Employee Awards Night" Banquet
- Group birthday celebrations in the conference room
- Taking employees out to holiday lunches
No "I" In Team
Despite celebrations and incentives, employees need extra motivation. In this case, pairing them with coworkers who can challenge them in a positive way will not only stimulate the employees but the company as well.
Employee motivation and involvement comes in a variety of colors. By pairing two employees together into a team, it creates an extra level of accountability, particularly when pairing opposites.
If Sharon works best under pressure, and her coworker has trouble meeting deadlines, pairing them together on projects will release their maximum potential. One thing to note, however, is that pairing opposites does not mean pairing personality opposites. If Sharon has control issues and she's paired with someone who's meek and mild, then the project will fail because Sharon will take over. Instead, pairing complementary work personalities will yield the best results.
This type of employee motivation leads to better teamwork and better productivity.
Good Pairing Solutions
- Creative types & people who adhere strictly to rules.
- Deadline-driven individuals & procrastinators.
- Highly-motivated sales people & un-ambitious admins.
The importance of employee recognition remains the best way to encourage people in the workplace. Whether through incentives, awards nights and different teamwork challenges, employee engagement, motivation and involvement should be the top priority for a company that wants to succeed. Customer service, profitability and other aspects of business center on the people doing the work.
By motivating people to succeed, a company can only expect to retain the best employees, which in turn will yield the best results.
http://www.omgatwork.com/articles/employee-engagement