How to Motivate Your Staff

Having motivated staff is essential to your business’s success because the work your employees’ do plays such an important part in the output and results.

Staff who don’t feel motivated may do the basic job they are assigned, but without the care and enthusiasm that comes with motivation. Staff who are motivated will be productive, reliable, feel invested in you and your business, and will bring the best of themselves to work every day. Understanding how to provide motivation is a key skill that you as a business owner need to understand and develop if you want to maximize the positive effect your staff can have.

What motivates people

There are a number of factors which can affect motivation, and different people may be influenced more or less by a particular intervention depending on their values. Money is thought of as being a major motivating factor, but it is often overestimated how important financial rewards are. Once their income enables a person to afford to live comfortably and pay their bills, other factors become more important, like fulfillment, a sense of worth and being appreciated, and the opportunity for career advancement. Understanding what is most effective for each member of staff means knowing more about them than the basics, and digging deeper to see what kinds of rewards they will respond to favorably. By finding out what is likely to motivate individuals most effectively, you will find it easier to find appropriate methods of motivating your whole team.

Ideas for motivating staff

Bonuses and incentives are frequently used and can have a positive effect on some employees. However, relying too heavily on financial rewards will give rise to two particular problems. One is that those who are motivated most strongly by money will feel little loyalty towards you, and will leave to work for better pay somewhere else if they get the opportunity. The other is that staff who don’t feel motivated by money will feel disgruntled and excluded, which isn’t what you want to achieve. You need to look at some other ways of getting people invested in their work. One way is to create an environment at work where they feel comfortable, and appreciated for what they do. If people feel they matter, and are recognized for their input, this gives them an emotional reward that feels far better than a financial incentive. Try getting everyone involved in some fun activities, for example, have a look at the Unibet blog to find out what kinds of events you could all have a flutter on, and have a friendly inter-office competition to see who makes the best bets. You could arrange staff days out, or get involved in a local sports league; anything that builds a sense of team spirit and shows your employees they are valued for their efforts.
Remember to treat people as individuals whose contribution is recognized and appreciated. Always talk to your employees, find out how they are feeling and coping, and take on board what they are saying. By knowing your staff, you will know how best to motivate them.