As an employer it is down to you to inspire your employees – particularly if you want them to both grow and stay satisfied within their roles.
If you don’t inspire your employees, they will become caught up in the monotonous day-to-day routine that will demotivate them – productivity will drop and therefore employee turnover will be high. As a result your business will suffer as you keep losing the key cogs that keep the wheels of your business turning and waste precious time constantly training up new people.
On the other hand, inspire your workforce and they will be motivated, which will give them more drive and passion within their role – which can only benefit your company. Therefore investing in inspiring your employees is a win-win for both them and you.
The main way to inspire and motivate them is by showing that you care about them. So, how can you do this?
Make sure your employees are made to feel like a person and not a number
Ultimately this means you need to treat your employees as an individual – as a result they will feel appreciated and like they really matter. One way you can do this is by giving them a voice – allowing them to have an opinion and express how they are feeling – whether that is positive or negative.
Pay incentives will make a big difference
A key reason we go to work every single day is to earn money so we can keep a roof over our heads and put food on the table. Therefore what better way to inspire your employees than with pay incentives? This could be a yearly bonus if they reach targets, for example – they do an amount of work that you see as being sufficient to move the business forward and they get a little extra for doing it – win-win!
Provide them with training opportunities
Training will allow staff a chance to better themselves, both within their current roles and more generally. This will of course be great for the company as they learn new skills as well as perfecting current ones.
The work environment is key
Take Innocent Drinks, for example, ultimately their purpose is to sell smoothies – not necessarily a career aspiration for everyone. But, their culture and work environment makes it a place that many people would love to work in. As a result they have even won the Times 100 Best Companies to Work For award. They have also been included within the Coolest Offices in the World – because they are as fun, cheeky and quirky as their marketing.
How can you not be happy in your work environment when it is called Fruit Towers and includes a large area carpeted with fake grass complete with picnic table and bunting?
Not all offices will be as ‘cool’ as Innocent – but little changes can make a big difference to employee morale and are likely to attract new talent to your business as well.
But what you do outside of work matters too
You don’t just have to look after your staff between 9 and 5, it is important you allow staff to spend time together socially outside of the office – in a more relaxed and fun environment. This will allow them the opportunity to bond and therefore change the way they work together. You could take this opportunity to invite an extra guest, such as the ones you can find on Speakers Corner – who can come and speak to your staff – inspiring and motivating them with their own personal stories.
About the Author
Debbie Fletcher is an enthusiastic, experienced writer who has written for a range of different magazines and news publications over the years. Graduating from City University London specialising in English Literature, Debbie’s passion for writing has since grown. She loves anything and everything technology, and exploring different cultures across the world. She’s currently looking towards starting her Masters in Comparative Literature in the next few years.
