Employee Motivation Techniques: The Game Plan For The New Workforce
To win the game, you need a plan. Here are some employee motivation techniques to help address the challenges of the emerging workforce:
Know the playing field — Is your company ready to respond to the needs posed by the reality of your competitive environment? What changes do you need to make to attract and retain top talent? What is your competition doing?
Have a strategy and let ‘em see it — Get employees involved in the big picture. When they see the overall direction, they can assist in navigating. Does everyone understand how their job contributes to moving the organization forward?
Make everyone a talent scout — Keep recruiting at the top of everyone’s mind. An effective way to maximize your hiring pool is to have your employees keep the pipeline full. Besides, they know what it takes to succeed in the organization, and will likely be able to identify those qualities in others.
Employ peak conditioning — Training is essential for individual, team and organizational success. Remember that learning happens in many ways — not just in a classroom. Paying special attention to the development and mentoring of your people allows them to constantly improve their skills and knowledge.
Coach, coach, coach — Coaching can boost the success of your high potential employees, and add a critical element to your succession planning efforts. On the flip side, personal attention can often lead to dramatic improvements in poor performance.
Let THEM call the plays — Autonomy ranks high on the list of job satisfiers for top talent. Involve staff in determining the best method to achieve the goal. Remember, they are closest to the work, and often can see things most clearly.
Good teams don’t let their players fail — Leaving behind (or worse, ignoring) those who struggle is a sure-fire way to create devalued workers and chronic performance issues. Intervene early with training or improvement coaching.
There’s more than one way to win the game — Be open to employee ideas. Before rejecting untraditional methods, ask yourself — why not? Accommodating an exceptional situation can create better relationships and loyalty.
Every once in a while, let them surprise you — Facilitate radical ideas. Encourage your devil’s advocates. Create a climate where your risk takers are prized. Real change thrives in an environment that is open to unique approaches.
Treat them like champs when they win AND when they lose — Choose meaningful employee recognition to perpetuate good performance. And keep things in perspective when people get off-track. Remember, it’s impossible to hit the ball if you aren’t swinging the bat — what do your managers do when employees miss? The answer to this question can reveal a lot about your organization.
Using these proven employee motivation techniques can help your organization rise above the rest, and overcome the challenges of the New Workforce.
Content Editors or Webmasters: You may reprint this article providing you include the following “About the Author” information in its entirety. (Including a hyperlink to www.LeadingforLoyalty.com):
Wendy Phaneuf is a professional speaker and author and a global expert in employee motivation and retention. Wendy is also the Founder of The Training Source and www.LeadingforLoyalty.com — a one-stop information source that helps leaders and their organizations enhance employee motivation and retention.
