How to Increase Employee Motivation

Looking for strategies that will keep your staff engaged and inspired?

Ok, you’ve probably seen the Richard Branson quote everywhere on my website, and realize that your company is a reflection of the well-being of your staff.

The nuts and bolts of a successful corporate wellness program is the motivation of employees to get engaged and participate.

With the many challenges facing Human Resource professionals today, such as a changing workforce demographic and economic dips and turns, keeping employees engaged and motivated needs to be a top priority.

Many businesses don’t realize how much employee turnover impacts their bottom line, and that it takes $7,000 – $14,000 to replace a typical employee.[1]  Taken from this perspective alone, what it takes to foster an enthusiastic and inspired team of employees should be carefully considered.

Why Employee Motivation Matters

Beyond the financial consideration of salary and benefits, when a company shows a genuine interest in their employees’ health, work-life balance and job satisfaction, this by default, increases the motivation of an individual to give their dedication and top performance to their employer.

It’s a two-way street. In other words, a company that cares about their employees will create an employee that cares about the company they work for.

Employee Motivation solved.

Keeping employees inspired and enthusiastic to engage in company wellness initiative and activities will not only improve the health of the individual, but contribute to the positive energy of the corporate culture as a whole functioning unit.

Get Creative with Motivating Employees (Even if you’re on a Budget)

There are complex and varying factors that determine what motivates an employee, as engagement is a behavior that is intrinsic to each person.

The good news is there are many low-cost, innovative ways to create an environment where employees feel completely empowered and supported. High productivity, morale and job satisfaction are a natural result.

Here’s a list of ideas you and your company can start with:

1. Clearly define the organization’s vision, mission and positive commitment to employee wellness. You want your staff to have an understanding of what they’re getting behind, and also how they’re perceived by the company.
2. Kick things off by sending out a company-wide survey to gauge the current level of employee satisfaction and what motivates them. Questions could include their interest for weekly onsite chair massage services, ergonomic improvements such as the option for standing desks, or sitting on exercise balls, work schedules, air or lighting quality, and open-ended questions for their suggestions.
3. Send monthly staff newsletters that keep employees informed and current with what’s going on behind the scenes, so they feel involved and included in the company they’re working for. Lack of communication is a number-one cause of dwindling motivation to stay involved and care. Have the newsletter include interesting developments, challenges, triumphs, or industry-specific trends. Other various sections could include staff news, birthdays, work anniversaries, special acknowledgements and thanks, a humor section, wellness tips, or staff pet photos. Make it fun, engaging and heartfelt. You could even have do this in video format instead of a standard email. Either way, I beg you to SHOW SOME PERSONALITY otherwise it will just be deleted.
4. Create a “Wellness” section on the company intranet site, for employees to share health tips, recipes, info on lunch-hour walking groups, a book and DVD exchange, etc.
5. Partner with community organizations to offer health-related products and services to employees, and raise awareness of the prevention of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
6. Allow the flexibility to log on and work from home, rather than feel pressured and obligated to come in to work sick or when their children are home sick.
7. Have a certain number of employees certified in standard first aid.
8. Hold regular fire drills and disaster response exercises for the entire company to be involved in.
9. Create a company sports team and participate in kickball, soccer, volleyball or various other adult leagues in your local area.
10. Have managers allow for the option of “standing” or “walking” meetings, rather than sitting in a room.

When you’re ready. Here are some next steps:

1. Grab a copy of Fatal Flaws of Employee Wellness Programs. Create a wellness strategy that will actually get results. Available on Amazon here. 
2. Let’s skip theory and talk about your company. Set up your call here at www.speakwithalison.com
3. Getting inspired yet? There’s plenty more ideas to increase employee motivation in Part 2 of this series!

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