Your employees' motivation is very important for your organisation's performance. Demotivated employees perform below their level. As a manager, you have a lot of influence on that motivation: according to Gallup, 70% of the differences in engagement between teams are down to the manager (Gallup). But how do you keep your employees motivated and engaged? Here are five tips!
1. Create a pleasant working environment
A pleasant working environment is a relatively easy way to increase your employees' engagement. When it is well arranged, people come to work with more pleasure. Make sure the workplace isn't cold and bare, but warm and inviting. A few plants and a fresh colour on the wall already make a big difference.
Also provide a place where people can relax for a moment and take their mind off things, so they can get back to work with fresh energy. That could be a corner with a comfortable sofa, or a table tennis table if you have the space. Do make sure colleagues who want to concentrate aren't disturbed by it. Do you work hybrid? Then make the office days above all a place for meeting and working together.
2. Encourage a healthy lifestyle and exercise
Eating healthily and moving enough are good for people's energy and vitality. Everyone is responsible for their own health, but as an organisation you can make it easier. And that is badly needed. Dutch employees sit for an average of 8.7 hours per working day, and the Netherlands has even been called the European sitting champion (CBS). Only 48% of adults aged 18 to 64 meet the physical activity guidelines (Sport en bewegen in cijfers).
What can you do?
- Put out free fruit and water and provide a healthy lunch.
- Offer standing desks and encourage people to take the stairs instead of the lift.
- Encourage a short walk during the break or a walking meeting.
- Organise a sporty activity with the team now and then.
You will find more ideas in tips for more vitality at work.
3. Know that motivation can't be bought
A big misconception is that money is the most important motivator. Of course people need money for their basic needs, such as food, drink and a roof over their heads. But a higher salary doesn't automatically make people enjoy their work more. A meta-analysis by Timothy Judge and colleagues, which combined the results of dozens of earlier studies, showed that the level of pay is only weakly related to how satisfied people are with their job. Judge et al. So do make sure pay is fair, because that is the foundation. But don't expect money to solve the rest.
Money is a form of extrinsic motivation: you do something because you are rewarded for it, or because you are afraid of not being rewarded otherwise. Its counterpart is intrinsic motivation: the motivation that comes from within, because you find the work itself enjoyable, meaningful or challenging. If you stimulate that intrinsic motivation, you motivate people for the long term.
4. Give trust and room to grow
How do you stimulate that intrinsic motivation? According to Edward Deci and Richard Ryan's self-determination theory, every person has three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. An environment that meets them produces the best motivation, with more perseverance and better performance. Self-Determination Theory
In practice, that means:
- Give trust. Let people figure things out and solve problems themselves, and let them make their own planning.
- Set realistic goals. Challenging, but achievable.
- Offer room to grow. Give new challenges, offer training and discuss where someone wants to go.
5. Show appreciation and involve your people
It makes an enormous difference when people notice that their efforts are seen. According to Gallup, employees who feel sufficiently recognised for their work are four times as likely to be engaged. Gallup A compliment, a thank-you or giving credit in the team meeting costs little and delivers a lot.
Also involve your employees in important decisions and plans. That gives them the feeling that they matter, and they will put more effort into reaching the shared goals.
You will find more ideas in how do I increase employee engagement? And do you want to know how motivated and engaged your people really are? You can measure it with the Employee Engagement Survey.
