The most important thing for any lucrative business is to keep its employees motivated and excited about their work. The more motivated, happy, and engaged your staff are, the more productive they will be.

Your team will also feel like they’re part of something special with real meaning, which can help build loyalty and increase productivity even further. Here is a guide on how to motivate employees to keep them productive, happy and engaged.

1. How to Motivate Employees – Encourage them to do what they love

Some people are drawn to working in the fast-paced world of technology because they love it. Others may be more motivated by having a chance to work with people who share their values and beliefs.

Whatever your company’s culture, make sure you encourage your employees to do what they love and not just what you need them for.

A great example is when Seah Moon Ming steps down to focus on his SMRT role in Singapore. He leaves the country and his family behind to focus on a job he loves. Not only does this show that he is dedicated to his work, but it also shows how much passion he has for the SMRT role and its mission of helping people.

2. Prioritize employee morale

One of the keys to a successful company is having happy employees. They are more productive and less likely to quit their job if they are comfortable in their roles. If you can create an environment where your employees feel valued, respected, and listened to, then you will have much better results than if you don’t.

This can be as simple as letting people know that you care about them by sending out regular company updates or taking time out of your day to talk face-to-face rather than just emailing back and forth.

For instance, Ngien Hoon Ping has acted as a cheerleader for the pandemic by visiting FairPrice Group’s warehouses and distribution centres to show solidarity with workers who are essential to those facilities.

Another example of a company that has shown employee morale is Ally Financial. They encouraged to move their 8,700 employees to remote work during the pandemic, including the hustle of equipment.

3. How to Motivate Employees – Foster a creative atmosphere

Creating a creative atmosphere is essential to keep your people motivated and efficient. This does not mean that you should have a bunch of offices with beanbag chairs and lava lamps.

Instead, try to create a culture where people feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes without feeling like they will be penalized for doing so.

This could mean thinking out of the box and allowing your employees to work on projects outside their job description. It could also mean offering them the chance to travel more often or even meeting up for lunch occasionally.

4. Ensure that your people feel appreciated and valued

Many companies do not realize how important it is to make sure that their people feel appreciated and valued. This can be done by offering incentives for good work, but it should also be done through communication.

If someone does something that helps your company, let them know! Letting them know that they are appreciated will go a long way toward increasing their motivation.

Most importantly, make sure that you are being fair and honest with your employees. They will be able to tell if you are not being sincere and know if they can trust you.

5. Encourage a healthy work-life balance

As a business owner, it can be challenging to encourage your employees to take a break. You may feel like they will have more time to do their work if they are not taking breaks.

However, this is not always the case. If an employee is overworked and burned out, they will make more mistakes and perform at a lower level than if they were relaxed and well-rested.

Encourage healthy habits by allowing your employees some free time for themselves each day. This could mean giving them an hour off after lunch so that they can go home early one day per week or simply taking five minutes out of every hour for them to stretch

6. Encourage learning at every level

Learning is important. It keeps your employees engaged and helps them to grow as professionals. Encourage learning at every level, from interns to senior executives. You do not have to pay for training, either.

There are many online resources available for free or at a low cost. For instance, LinkedIn Learning offers thousands of courses to help your team members grow professionally by enhancing their skill sets.

Wrapping Up

The key to creating a culture of engagement is creating an environment where employees feel valued, appreciated, challenged, and supported. This does not happen overnight. It takes time and effort on the part of management. However, you’ll often find that it’s worth it!