5 Ways to Encourage Employees to Stay on the Right Track

By guest blogger Cloe Matheson 

[June 30, 2018]  Every business leader knows the challenge of keeping employees motivated at work. No single strategy is guaranteed to be immediately successful – each employee is inspired by different factors, so implementing company-wide motivation usually requires a combination of approaches. Here are 5 practices that can help your employees stay on the right track.

Get to Know Your Employees

 Especially in diverse workplaces with varying personalities and backgrounds, it’s crucial for you, as the leader, to know the needs of each individual. Do this by setting aside time to befriend employees and check on them regularly. To increase trust, talk to them about what motivates them both inside and outside the workplace and help them align their personal and professional goals. Your employees will appreciate that you genuinely care about them and their goals.

Recognize Hard Work & Success

 A great way to motivate employees is to actively voice your appreciation and recognition of their contributions. Employees need validation that they are doing the right things, and that their skills are adding value to the organisation. Recognition can be as simple as sending out a handwritten thank you note or a thoughtful email, expressing your gratitude for their hard work. To honour bigger accomplishments or successes, you could host company recognition events like banquets or luncheons. This recognition encourages employees to keep working hard, and also helps establish a stronger connection between you and your employees.

Provide Opportunities for Professional Growth

 A stagnant job will make nearly anybody feel stifled and uninspired. With no hope for advancement or learning new skills, people eventually lose motivation for their work or start looking for jobs elsewhere. By providing more opportunities for development and professional advancement, your employees will feel more motivated to work hard. Dedicate quality time to mentoring and guiding your employees. Trust them to take on new responsibilities if they are eager to do so.

Remember, job advancement doesn’t always mean a raise or promotion – you can foster the development of your employees by offering education or training opportunities. These opportunities could be as simple as providing new training materials at work to improve their skills.

Host a Conference

 Hosting a conference can have a valuable impact on your entire organisation. Conferences can expand the reach of your organisation and give your employees a unique chance to learn skills and get inspired by new ideas. Networking at conferences is also a great opportunity for employees to meet professionals in their field. Excite and motivative your employees by choosing qualified speakers, engaging, informative workshops, and a venue that is attractive and suited to the theme of your event.

Communicate a Clear Vision

 A leader’s job is to empower employees to feel inspired during work. You can inspire your employees by expressing a clear company vision, beyond the obvious goal of profit. Many employees feel more connected to their job when they know they are making an impact that goes beyond simply making money.

Employees will feed off your positive energy! When they clearly understand your vision, employees will appreciate how their individual purposes fit into the bigger picture – and will more easily capitalise on their strengths and be motivated to work hard at their job.