Article by Lucy Evans, Executive Recruitment Consultant at Heat Recruitment
Through challenging periods of the year, you may begin to notice your workforce not always performing to the same high standard.
It’s completely normal for motivation levels to dip and peak at different times of the year, however, there are ways for business leaders to continuously help inspire motivation and productivity within their employees.
We’ve listed a few ways in which you could take steps to do so all year around, despite any difficulties that may cross your path.
1. Express gratitude
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a finished report that’s landed on your desk two weeks early, a new business deal secured, or a basic task completed to an exceedingly high standard – regularly thank your team members for their hard work. Appraisals can be given in any format you see fit; you don’t have to wait until a diarised slot to say thank you. It could be that you announce the achievement at the next company meeting, or even a simple email with suffice. Doing this just shows that you are aware and thankful for the hard work your team does.
2. Think outside the box
Company culture and a pleasant work environment are incredibly important for your employees’ happiness and productivity levels. It’s easy to get caught up in daily duties, but 87 per cent of employees would like a healthier office environment. With this in mind, take some time to highlight where you could perhaps implement some positive change. Even if it’s opening asking your employees for their suggestions for your employees, creating an environment that promotes great mental and physical wellbeing is essential to the long-term retainment of staff.
3. Emphasise their impact, not their job
Employees shouldn’t feel like they’re completing tasks to meet their job description – they should be genuinely making an impact on the people and environment surrounding them. So, instead of just measuring your staff against their day-to-day tasks, give them the opportunity to push themselves and be creative within the workplace. Their ideas may even be the start of huge positive change within the company, if given the chance.
4. Agree on goals
It’s been proven that employees whose managers involve them in goal setting are three and a half times more likely to be engaged, yet just 21 per cent of employees would say that they are being measured against performance metrics which they can control. So, before you set goals and then share them with your employees, ask for their feedback first and identify the barriers that may stop them from achieving these goals.
5. Be a coach, not a boss
Schedule one-to-one meetings regularly, ask your team plenty of questions and allocate straightforward action points. Act like a supportive team member, not a boss, and your employees will be more willing to follow your lead when you fully integrate yourself with them instead of being a separate entity within the workplace.
6. Give purpose
For Millennials in particular, this one is vital. The figures on their payslip aren’t the be-all-and-end-all of how they measure their enjoyment of the job – they also want to be making a difference to the world. When briefing for more menial but essential tasks, explain how these contribute to the work of the wider team and the growth of the business as a whole.
About the author
Lucy Evans is an Executive Recruitment Consultant specialising within the Wealth Management industry. She works for Heat Recruitment, a specialist recruitment agency based in Bristol operating across the UK that specialise in Engineering, Information Technology, Insurance, Financial Services and the Legal sector. They place candidates in both permanent and contract roles.
