5 Great Ways to Motivate Your Staff and Increase Productivity

Successful businesses know it isn’t just the clients you need to please. Your employees are crucial players in your success, and happy staff is productive staff. It may not take a 20 thousand dollar bonus to increase productivity among your workers. In fact, 78 percent say that just simple recognition of their performance motivates them. Here are five ways to motivate your staff and increase productivity.

Hand Out Rewards

Yes, end-of-year bonuses are nice but regular, smaller rewards could mean a lot too. Think gift cards or corporate promotional products. Something as simple as a $10 Starbucks reward can keep your employees feeling boosted and recognized for their hard work. Although small, these minor gifts can go a long way in your worker morale and keep them motivated, especially if offered regularly for a job well done.

Set Goals

We all know the term “dead-end job.” Don’t let it feel that way. With active goals between you and your staff, you’ll both know what to work towards and how to get there. By showing them the bigger picture, they can see how their work fits into the overall business strategy and feel a part of something bigger. Don’t limit it just to business goals: you should also make opportunity for advancement. If your employees feel like their hard work pays off in the form of a promotion, they are more likely to give back to you in higher productivity. Without attainable career goals, why should workers slave away with no return?

Encourage Breaks

Work burnout among yourself and employees could be costing you big time. Encourage a workplace that hosts friendly recesses. Taking small, regular breaks during the day reduces eye strain, improves creativity, and allows for refocusing so you can get back to the task at hand. A short, five-minute break every hour will be sufficient to give them a moment to step back and stretch. Pauses throughout the workday aren’t the only way employees can increase productivity. It has been shown that vacation time is crucial for health and wellbeing. Large amounts of time off can seem costly at first to you as an employer, but the savings are found in preventing poor attendance and promoting better work engagement. By having the chance to get away and recharge, you have healthier, happier employees who are ready to come back and get things done!

Take an Interest in Their Wellness

If employees feel their company takes an interest in their wellbeing, they grow more engaged and ready to go the extra mile. It also helps decrease employee turnover. When workers feel their employers care, 17 percent are more likely to remain working for you for a year. This not only increases the productivity of your workers now but saves you money in the long run by not having to repeatedly train new recruits who may leave unhappily after a short period.

Create a Work-Family

When you have groups of people working constantly side-by-side, it is important to encourage healthy relationships. Team building isn’t just something to be groaned at. These activities and events build trust, encourage collaboration, and expand communication. You don’t have to stop with team building activities. Celebrate birthdays among all employees, throw parties for a job well done, treat your staff to a weekly breakfast to create a better sense of community. If your employees know each other and feel recognized, they will work better together and achieve great results.

Your employees’ well-being and happiness are crucial to your company’s success. Take the time to notice and recognize their achievements, goals, and health. This, in turn, will increase the productivity and trajectory of your business.