Sure, it’s easy to attract top talent when the money’s flowing—who’s going to pass up a 20% raise or a yearly bonus—but what about when it’s not? When employees know that no big fat paycheck or shiny expense account is coming around the pike, how are you supposed to keep them motivated? Can you?
The answer is yes. While money may be the oldest motivator, it’s not the only one. In fact, plenty of non-monetary staff incentives motivate employees to meet new goals, be passionate about projects, stay inspired, etc. Use these incentives to motivate your staff, boost productivity, and improve office morale.
Recognition
No surprise here: people like to be praised. Getting recognized for a job well done is more than encouraging—it’s motivating. When your employees know that their hard work is actually appreciated, they are much more likely to keep at it. Here are a few specific ways to recognize your staff’s good work:
Warning: Forget Empty Praise. Recognition works only if it’s genuine, so keep in mind that employees can smell false praise a mile away. Don’t waste their time with token awards or empty flattery. Rather, invest the time to know who actually deserves an award, and then call their achievement out.
Attention
You want your employees to get more involved? Listen to them. According to one business study, “The No. 1 reason employees don’t take more initiative at work… is that their leaders fail to get their input before making decisions.”
Ask your team for ideas and feedback, and listen to their concerns. This means more than simply nodding your head—consider complaints and work to find solutions. When employees feel like they have a voice, they are glad to stay around and use it.
Work/Life Balance
Just ask Claire Danes, the Hollywood starlet turning down a raise to stay home with her child: There’s more to life than money. Being able to help your employees pursue other goals and dreams is an invaluable job perk—when you can help them find a better work/life balance, you can bet they’ll stick around.
Morale Boosting
Happy employees are motivated employees—so beyond day-to-day responsibilities, are your employees enjoying their jobs? Here are a few ideas for boosting morale:
So, as you can see, there are many ways to motivate staff that do not necessarily involve cold hard cash. Improving little things can generate some big payoffs by decreasing staff turnover and improving employee job satisfaction.
What do you think? Could implementing some of the above ideas make a difference in your workforce? What other motivators have you seen that work well? Please share your experience or ideas in the comments below.