What are staff members motivated by? All businesses aim to have a happy and motivated workforce, as it can help to improve productivity, sales and customer service, as well as reduce staff churn. However, it is not easy to achieve, particularly at a time when the wider economic situation means many people are worried about job security. One subject always comes to the fore when discussing staff motivation - money. It certainly influences the thinking of employees, but it is a mistake to assume it is the only factor to consider. If your company's wage structure is low for the industry or region, it is likely to have a negative effect on the happiness of your workers and lead to a higher than average turnover of staff. However, well remunerated employees are not necessarily happy and focused. The prospect of a pay rise can be an effective incentive, but if your organisation relies solely on money to motivate people, there is no reason for key personnel to stay if they are offered a better salary package by a competitor. You also need to think about the little things that help people to achieve job satisfaction. One thing well worth considering is some kind of staff rewards scheme. There are lots of different formats you could use for this, including achievement of personal or team goals, an employee of the month award, or just impromptu prizes for people who have done a good job. This need not be expensive to implement, as the important thing is to ensure workers know you have noticed their efforts. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and that their employer values them, so the act of recognition is much more important than the reward itself. Personal gifts such as vouchers for their favourite high street store or money off holidays are certain to be well received. Such rewards schemes can play a central role in building team spirit within the workplace, particularly if they are designed to recognise departmental achievements or encourage friendly competition. Developing a genuine team ethos in a business is a great way to improve motivation, as it means individuals are keen to see their colleagues do well and more likely to help out when things go wrong. One other key factor to look at is opportunities for career progression within your company, as you are sure to have a number of ambitious employees. Having a clear structure in place and providing training for staff who want to achieve promotion is an effective way to keep them happy and motivated. For ideas about staff motivation schemes, get in touch with Love2reward, the specialists in employee incentives.
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