For employers and employees alike, there is one aim when it comes to making a workplace better. The end goal is always to create a better working environment that motivates staff, encourages productivity and produces great results.
So, how do we stay motivated? Employees need to enjoy their work and have the resources in order to complete it. Based on the results of a recent 2000 person-wide study, Hire Intelligence have put together some statistically backed motivation hacks that actually work!
Keep on improving
Doing the same job day after day can not only become boring, but it can stifle creativity. We found that employees are not only willing to improve, but they actively want to upskill. 47% of males and 41% of females say they would like to see money put towards training. After giving their employees 20% of their hours to explore and do creative side projects,Google discovered that they became more productive, motivated, and creatively inspired at work.
This ‘passion work’ could be training in a new area, practising a new skill or working towards a qualification or personal goal. By offering employees the opportunity to pick their project, regardless of their current skillset, you’ll end up with a multi-disciplined and highly motivated team.
Get the right kit
Our survey found that just under half of office workers (48%) thought their company should spend extra revenue on improving office technology. As only 43% of office workers think that their computers are fit for purpose, better kit could be an easy fix when it comes to boosting motivation. Laptops are the preferred option, over desktops, and up to date ones are not as expensive as you might think. Instead of piling funds into costly equipment that quickly goes out of date, many companies are looking into hiring the kit they need.
Employees feel valued when they are given top quality equipment and, naturally, the quality of their work also improves as a result.
Build team ethics
We discovered that people aged 18-44 find AV displays/TV monitors more important than those aged 45 and over – suggesting that for younger people collaborative working, visual aids and aesthetic working experiences are of high importance. Teamwork fosters collaboration and communication that make it easier for employees to handle their work– employers shouldutilise technology that helps them to do this. Alongside big screens for collaboration and sharing of ideas, look into off-the-wall ways of working together; such as, Virtual Reality experiences. Gamifying work and incorporating team targets helps employees to enjoy their work, whilst feeling accountable to the rest of their team.
Think of the bigger picture
In order to motivate staff, their values and interests should be taken into consideration. The results of our study showed that people aged 18-34 are more interested in environmental and sustainability issues than older age groups, which suggests the new working generation are keen to keep their emissions low and encourage ways to be sustainable in the office. Motivate staff by sharing in their values and offering them opportunities to fulfill their personal goals.
If reducing carbon footprint is a unanimous concern, encourage staff to turn off unused equipment or cycle to work – then, reward those who actively take part.
Look after number one
32% of those surveyed wish there were better healthcare schemes in their place of work. Employees, millennials in particular, search for perks, wellbeing activities and advantage schemes that offer an overall lifestyle package. If they feel that these needs are being met, they’ll be motivated to continue giving back through hard work. Of course, the other upside is that well employees are rarely off sick and don’t suffer with workplace related illness – such as headaches, stress or poor mental health.
By far, one of the most important things an employer can do to look after their staff is to make their well-being a number one priority.
Let’s recap. Workers are motivated by opportunities to upskill, being provided with fit-for-purpose equipment, collaboration, a shared sense of values and universal care for their wellbeing. By implementing these simple changes across the workplace, employers are likely to see a fiscal return as well as higher staff retention rates and an incredibly desirable company culture.
About the Author
Irma Hunkeler works for Re:signal, a digital marketing agency. Her experience includes working for clients in different industries such as travel, retail, recruitment, technology and charitable institutions. Extensive networking and meeting professionals across different industries, allow her to collaborate with industry experts for her writing.
Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay
