Motivation is the number one way of keeping employees happy, but the question so many employers ask is how can we see an increase in motivation without going broke?
According to Inc.com, motivating employees boils down to being as varied as the many employees you may have in your division. What works for one may not work for the other. Each employee may require a different method (other than money, of course) to keep them motivated and performing at their best. So, motivation can be as diverse as the people you have in your employment thus you need to find ways to motivate those numerous individuals under your supervision to perform at their best, daily.
Years ago, when I first became a supervisor, I was under the impression that employees were motivated by the ‘Paycheck’ they received every two weeks. Heck, if there was no paycheck, there would be no employees. So, my method of supervision was based on getting the work done and every other week passing out a check. Today, some years later, I have discovered that some employees are motivated simply by placing a post it note on their desk with the words “Great Job” written.
Sometimes motivation is as simple as saying Thank you, patting an employee on the back. Saying take care of yourself when they call in sick. The simple things have been removed from companies to a degree whereby employees feel they are sometimes not appreciated.
Just as we often say we never hear from a customer unless the customer wants to complain, our employees are saying these same type things. They are saying that the only time we really say anything to them is when we want to tell them what they are doing wrong. How about telling them when they have done something right and have pleased a customer or done something else exceptional. I am not one of those employees who need to hear, ‘you’re doing a great job, or you did well on this one.’ If I never see my supervisor or department manager, I am extremely pleased. I know as long as they are not around, I am performing and doing the job I am paid to do.
Since there is the need to provide motivation other than a weekly check to our employees, then what are some of the ways we can as supervisors, manager, owners of businesses motivate our employees without going broke? Well, I have discovered quite a few very simple yet inexpensive and very effective ways of keeping employees motivated. Below are some of the ways I have found to keep my employees happy and working diligently without costing me anything other than a little time:
Impromptu Potluck Luncheon – Randomly announce an office luncheon where everyone will just bring what they like. Send around a sign up form to each person. Everyone will indicate what they will bring and they luncheon is scheduled for a Friday.
Recognize Birthdays – Provide everyone with a calendar of all employees’ birthdays. A week before the birthday, have employees chip in an established amount to provide for a birthday cake, ice cream and balloons. This way everyone is recognized on their birthday and they receive balloons and a cake to boot.
Supervisor Sponsored Meals – As supervisors or managers, we all must get the job done through our employees/team. When this is accomplished, make sure you reward your team.
Pizza Day – once a month, buy pizza for everyone, provide homemade soup and sandwiches once a month or anything you can afford and remember, homemade might please your employees more than store-bought as it shows a genuine effort. If you’re not a cook, a couple of dollars a month is well worth the recognition and keeping your employees happy.
Recognize Special Days – Customer Service Week, Ambulance Service Worker Week, National Nurses Day, Secretary Day, and Bosses Day. Provide some form of recognition on these days for your employees.
Rap Sessions – Before Hurricane IVAN, I managed a small office in a small city. We had walk in customers and sometimes the customer activity would be minimal. During these times, I would gather all of my employees together in one office, where we could still see customers entering, and we would just sit and talk for the majority of the morning. These sessions would be wonderful and the employees would always ask when were we going to have another ‘Rap Session?’ There was never a production problem at this office. In fact we had the highest production numbers in the company.
So, you see you can come up with hundreds of different ways to motivate employees without having to spend in some cases any money and in others very minimal amounts.
If you have the time and the money, invest in ‘365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Your Employees Every Day: With Little or No Money.’ You can purchase this book at Amazon.com or other book retails for just a tick above $16.00 and it’s an excellent way to find tips for motivating employees as the author has provided roughly 322 practical and very interesting ways to motivate without breaking the bank.
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