Motivating employees is hardly an easy task. If it were simple, every company would have high morale, impressive productivity levels and low turnover rates. However, that simply isn’t the case. Many companies struggle with motivating employees, and once a work culture is established in which workers feel unappreciated or have lost their drive, it can be tough to get back on track.
However, not all hope is lost. If a company can develop a balanced incentive compensation plan in addition to encouraging workers through other means, a company may soon see a refreshed and motivated staff.
Set goals
If a business wants to motivate employees to strive for better performance, the first step is to set goals. Everyone in a company needs to have goals to improve a company from top to bottom. That means everyone from CEOs to VPs of sales, supervisors, administrators and salespeople need to be guided toward new goals. If a company is trying to revamp its motivational tactics, a smart way to start is with a company wide meeting where leaders can show staff they are serious about making changes at a company. Goals can include improved sales numbers, increased efficiency, smarter decision-making and a host of other issues. Everyone, including managers and staff, work better and more efficiently when they have a solid set of objectives to tackle, Insurance Journal reported. Specific goals also establish a sense of individual accountability in staff members, which can act as a strong motivating factor.
Establish an effective incentive compensation plan
Incentive compensation plans are a tried and true method that has been proven to motivate workers. Incentive compensation management is not as easy as throwing money at workers, so it is important to carefully plan out an incentive compensation plan before launching it. Incentive compensation software is a powerful tool that can help companies plan out ICM initiatives that will effectively motivate and rejuvenate staff. Using ICM software, company leaders can develop well-rounded compensation plans that reward top performers while bringing midrange workers toward the top. Vice Presidents of sales can track performance and tweak a plan as often as they see fit. This grants company leaders the freedom to responsibly make decisions to change plans when they see one type of reward is working more effectively than another. Leaders can tailor plans specifically to individual employees or departments, making it easy to customize motivation every step of the way.
Take an interest in their careers
Want to show employees a company actually cares? Career development programs are the way to go. By simply holding a meeting with each employee in a department and asking them about their desired career path, supervisors can gain great insights into their staff and help motivate workers. Employers may be surprised to learn a novice administrator is interested in pursuing a managerial role, or that a salesperson wants to head back to school one day to get their MBA. Supervisors can then use this information to help motivate workers or give them work that interests them more directly. When employees are thoroughly interested in their work, they are much more likely to stay motivated.
Respect work/life balance
Yes, revenues and sales numbers are important, but pushing staff too hard often has adverse results. Instead of overworking staff, smart companies respect and promote a healthy work/life balance. If supervisors see staff members are working 70 hours per week, for example, rather than encouraging this, they should tell employees to head home for the day to enjoy their lives outside of work. This will make employees happier and
