10 Tips for Improving Employee Motivation

Here is it, the end of the semester, the last Motivation Blog. Its been fun to learn about different companies, see the different ways they work, and how it is always changing. No doubt, we are having some hard economic times and right now it seems like people are being motivated just by the fact that they cannot get another job if they do not like the one they have. As the employer, you know that might put you in a good place if you know that they'd like to stay. Here are some tips on how to improve your employees though. We all know that it is important that the employees enjoy their work as much as, if not more than, the incentives they receive. It is important to have employees who want to be at work, and
Here are 1o Tips to Improve Employee Motivation:
1. Build a Foundation. Give the employee background on the company, let them know your plans for the future, and let them give their imput on the company and where they would like to see themselves go with in the company.
2. Create a Positive Environment. Set an environment where all employees feel important and appreciated. Let them know that you are there to help them as much as they are there for you.
3. Put people on the right path. Employees are looking for advancement. If you can help them get on the right path, help them set goals and help them find ways to achieve them, the employees will get excited about what is to come. This will make them more invested in what they are doing now.
4. Educate the Masses. Give employees the opportunity to improve their professional skills, learn new trades that can benefit themselves and the company. Provide workshops, training, classes paid for by the company. This will make them feel like you have taken a sincere interest in them and will boost their interest in the company.
5. Don't forget the Fun! Once in a while you need to put work aside and treat your employees to pizza, ice cream, birthday parties, or shut down shop an hour early or so, to encourage fun and give people a break.
6. Acknowledge Contributions. It is so important to take the time to recognize employees for a job well done, a task completed, or any accomplishments. Be generous with praise.
7. Provide Incentives. These can be small such as a gift card to big things like a raise or bonus. Also Employee of the Month recognition is a good start. If employee know they are working towards something, it will encourage more motivation.
8. Honor your promises. If you are willing to promise a raise or incentive, and they follow through, you have to follow through as well. If you are not willing to follow through later, do not make the promise to start with. Breaking promises will hurt trust and harbor bad feelings.
9. Provide Career Coaching. Bringing someone in from the outside to help employees reach the next level will really help them along. I also think that having an outsider for this will allow for honest comments and what their true goals are.
10. Match tasks to talents. You can improve employees self confidence by giving them tasks that you know they will enjoy or be good at. Once they have accomplished that task and their self confidence has had a boost, they will be more confident with other tasks.

I feel like these are great tips to boosting employee motivation and not all require funds to go forward with. Companies have been hit hard in the last few months from the economy and may not know what to do to continue to motivate since funding or benefits may have been cut. These are some way that motivation can still be improved with out throwing a lot of money at the issue. These were also very helpful to me for my own motivation factors. I hope you have learned something that you can take and use in your life. This has been so fun and so educational.
Enjoy and Have a great day!