Have you ever heard the phrase “You can do anything you set your mind to”? It may sound like a motivational quote, but in fact it’s so accurate that it’s almost a fact.
We, humans, have managed to create the world we live in today. We managed to send a man to the moon and get him back. And every day, we are achieving significant milestones in areas such as medicine and technology. The main reason for all this success is motivation! We all know that, but why don’t we take motivation as a crucial factor when it comes to retaining employees or boosting productivity?
Benefits of motivated employees
Did you know that a motivated employee can be up to 21% more productive? That means 5 motivated employees do the same work as 6 unmotivated staff members. Yes, that obviously saves money, but it brings many more benefits.
Reducing employee turnover
Since our five employees are motivated at work, they are not looking for other job opportunities. This means that we can save a lot of time, energy and money on recruiting and training new employees. A company typically spends about seven percent of its entire budget on recruitment. Imagine saving that along with every sixth salary. And it’s not just about finances. Employees get better at their jobs the longer they stay with a company. Of course, that’s a valid statement only if they’re motivated.
Increased job satisfaction and its effects
Employees in companies with employee incentive programs report higher job satisfaction. That is obvious. What we need to consider is that employees that are happy at work share the information with the people around them. Some of them work in the same area. This leads to referrals. This is probably one of the best ways to find new employees in the 21st century.
How to motivate your employees effectively?
A person is motivated when their needs are met. Abraham Maslow, one of the most prolific psychologists of our time, divided and categorized human needs into a pyramid. At the foundation of it, we see ourphysiological and safety needs. This includes food, shelter, water and safety. Something that every employer should provide to their employees. Higher up we have social needs. People are social and need contact with other people to be mentally healthy and motivated. That is why we at Atena organize several teambuildings every year.
On top of the pyramid, there are esteem and self-actualization. It’s important to respect, not only to expect to be respected. Recognition is also tightly connected to motivation. Praise your employees or colleagues when a praise is due. It doesn’t cost you anything to do it, but it will cost you their motivation if you don’t.
Self-actualization is basically fulfillment. It’s becoming the best version of yourself and turning your dreams into reality. There is no way you can help a colleague or employee turn their dreams into reality if you don’t know what their dreams are. Try to talk about goals, dreams and the future. Make sure you know what employees expect or want from the time they spend with the company and do what you can to help them achieve it.
Financial and other benefits
Keep in mind that at the bottom of this pyramid are physiological needs. When you build a house, you don’t start with the roof. You need to lay the foundations first. In order to ensure that the physiological needs of the employee are met, you must provide them with a sufficient salary. The price of labour is rising just as inflation and prices of goods and services. At least twice a year, review all employees’ salaries to make sure you’re paying them what they deserve. It doesn’t matter how many times you praise an employee or how many teambuildings you do per year if they’re not getting the salary they deserve.
Bonuses are an outstanding way to motivate employees – and there are two reasons why. Firstly, it shows appreciation for a job well done, which means you take care of an employee’s physiological and esteem needs simultaneously. On the other hand, this way you only praise employees who deserve it!
We in Atena believe in leading by example and understand how important it is for our employees to be motivated. That is why we do everything in our power to meet all the needs our employees have and make sure our staff is as motivated as they can be. You can read about all the benefits we provide here.
