Figuring out how to motivate employees isn’t just a nice-to-have skill—it’s a business necessity. In today’s fast-paced contemporary workplace, unmotivated workers lose their employers a lot of money.
Indeed, based on an estimate by Gallup, disengagement costs the world economy about $8.8 trillion every year. Take two employees with identical job responsibilities. One is engaged, showing up motivated. The other one is disengaged, just showing up.
When you scale that over an entire team, there is a 50/50 chance that you are going to lose your company. It’s not an issue of if you need to learn to engage employees, but when you need to learn.
If you need to maximize performance and retain your stars, it is time to go beyond ping-pong tables and free lunches. What follows are seven scientifically based and tested methods of employee motivation that you, as a supervisor or leader, can use.
1. Recognize Effort and Commend Success
Recognition is not only shown as praise. It is rewarding good behavior and making your people know that their work matters.
In truth, according to a Great Places to Work research program survey of 700,000 respondents, 37% of workers state that additional personal recognition will encourage them to perform better. That should count.
“As a leader, your job is to help people succeed,” according to David Novak, co-founder of oGoLead and former CEO of Yum! Brands.
Ideas you can implement in your work environment:
- Give a quick holler in a team meeting
- Give small rewards or gift cards
- Mark birthdays and work anniversaries
- Leverage tools to automate peer recognition
Some organizations have constructed entire company cultures based on consistent individual employee praise, and their retention rates are proof of this effort.
2. Offer Opportunities for Development
Investing in staff development is among the best employee motivation strategies in any workplace. Employees must perceive that they are developing instead of going anywhere.
LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report discovered that 94% of employees report that if a company invested in learning and development in their workplace, they would remain with that company longer.
To implement these opportunities, provide access to:
- Online courses or certificates from institutions like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning
- Mentorship programs or in-house coaching
- Stretch assignments or additional responsibilities
Helping does not always mean promoting. At times, just reminding people that you have faith in their ability is sufficient.
3. Empower Employees with Autonomy
Micromanaging kills motivation. Workers will be more apt to claim their work if they feel trusted enough to make their own judgments.
“Autonomy is one of three driving forces of motivation, together with mastery and purpose”, said writer Daniel Pink in the podcast with Harvard Bussiness Review and his book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”
There are ways to try to understand how to motivate employees:
- Provide team members with autonomy in project management decision-making.
- Have well-defined expectations, but offer flexibility in application.
- Don’t hover; offer help if asked.
Autonomy does not mean that all structure is lost—it means giving employees space to use their strength.
4. Foster a Culture of Communication and Feedback
Curious about getting your employees to perform better? Start by finding out from them what they need. Open communication helps employees feel heard and supported. It also enables leaders to anticipate issues before they arise.
A survey by Salesforce found employees who felt heard were 4.6 times more likely to perform their best.
How to promote open communication:
- Conduct individual meetings
- Use anonymous surveys
- Encourage two-way feedback
Developing psychological safety as a leader sets the stage for trust, collaboration, and improved performance.
Experts like Larry Dunivan, a Human Capital Management strategy expert and a member of the Forbes Business Council, advocate for leaders to seek out opportunities actively to celebrate small but valuable accomplishments.
He explained in his words: “If you want to up your game and be massively more effective in recognizing employees, you need to be constantly on the lookout for small moments where you can proactively have an outsized impact”.
“It’s fine to have the people team support your efforts here, but by taking on more direct personal responsibility, it will most certainly be noticed. And your people team will be delighted, too.”
Through this, leaders will make an outsized impact on morale and performance. Dunivan urged CEOs to put a personal touch when they reward their exceptional employees and never overlook small accomplishments.
5. Define Clear Goals and Align with Purpose
Unclear expectations breed unclear results. People work harder if they know what they’re working for and why. Setting particular, measurable goals works to motivate employees as a supervisor because it provides direction and purpose.
“When individuals realize that their own contributions are part of a larger purpose, motivation skyrockets,” according to leadership expert and author Simon Sinek.
Make sure your company goals are:
- Detailed and numerical
- Aligning with company values
- Repeatedly brought up in one-on-ones or team meetings
Even better! Connect personal goals with company milestones. Purpose drives performance and that will be the answer to how to motivate employees for better performance.
6. Emphasize Work-Life Balance
Burnout exists, and it is one of the most significant motivation killers. 77% of professionals reported seeing burnout in their own workplaces, according to Deloitte. Working your staff too hard may reap short-term rewards but ultimately will prove unsustainable.
Incentivizing balance demonstrates that you care about your staff’s health. Some ideas for work-life balance include:
- Offer flexible hours or blended schedules
- Encourage employees to use their PTO.
- Do not message outside of work if not work-related
- Leaders who practice work-life balance encourage others to do so, too.
7. Lead By Example
First, if you aspire to learn about employee motivation, begin with yourself. Your employees will take cues from management. Your staff will be enthusiastic if you are enthusiastic, honest, and committed.
“And the most effective leaders model what it is that they wish to see,” Brené Brown, author of Dare to Lead.
As a leader, you should express gratitude often and be honest regarding difficulties and achievements of running a successful business. All this has to be done while continuing to develop and educate yourself.
“Your energy as a leader is contagious. If you’re disengaged, expect the same from your team,” Adam Grant, Wharton professor and organizational psychologist.
Your actions dictate your culture’s tone in the workplace, so lead by example.
Motivation Mistakes to Avoid
Knowing what not to do is sometimes just as valuable. Following are four motivation errors that are widespread:
- Micromanaging: This conveys suspicion and hinders imagination.
- Overlooking feedback: Disengagement follows from feedback that isn’t heard.
- Over-reliance on benefits: Free lunches never substitute important work or understandable goals.
- One-size-fits-all rewards: People are not all motivated by the same.
Avoiding these traps can improve performance considerably, as well as morale.
Final Thoughts On Employee Motivation
It is vital to understand how to motivate employees as a manager to establish an effective, productive workforce.
Whether one is attempting to inspire employees as a supervisor, to guide them as a leader, or simply to improve morale on an employee-employee basis, these strategies prove effective.
Motivation is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but if you intentionally implement these concepts, your employees and your business will soar.
Just to conclude, here are a few additional tips on how to motivate employees. Use one tip for one week. Praise an individual. Listen up. Model good behavior. Your team’s next level of performance could be one change away. Good luck, boss!
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