7 practical tips to boost employee motivation and raise productivity

We could all agree that the success of any company is often tied to having committed employees. This is a fact that any business owner or company manager knows, and if they don’t, well, they need to read this article.

Having a team of people who are committed to the goals, values and philosophy of your company does not happen overnight, this is something that has to be nurtured and instilled through various practical approaches.

1. Team Building Events and Activities

This is an age-old tried, tested and trusted employee method of boosting motivation and encouraging employee cooperation that produces streamlined and efficient processes. Team building events, conferences, and getaways etc. are often the backbone of employee performance at the workplace.

You want to ensure that your employees feel like they are part of the team and committed to a common goal. You want your employees to know that they will be treated fairly and recognized equally, same as the next person. This feeling of being a valued member of the company and feeling comfortable in the environment where they work with others requires the fostering of a team spirit and a mindset that favours collaboration and relationship building.

2. Rewards and Gift Giving

For every goal, milestone or client deal closed, reward your employees. Gift them shopping vouchers or an allowance to buy gifts of their choice from the Lidl weekly ad or buy them some lunch. The hanging flower basket for $6.99 would be a great gift to an employee of the week.

By making it a company policy to reward employee accomplishments, employees will work from a place of setting and smashing goals that will reflect positively on the company. When this sort of system exists, employees are better motivated to bring their all, rather than passively contributing to a company with no tangible reward system in place.

3. Extensive Benefits Package

A benefits package should include the perks of working at your particular company over another, and such perks can include anything from free coffee at the office to access to gym facilities. An employee benefits package is a great opportunity for companies to include fun, non-work related and exciting perks as part of an effort to show employees that work-life balance is something that is taken seriously.

Take Google, for example, employee perks include food at the office, access to bicycles, electric cars and free shuttle services to get to work and/or meetings, travel insurance, on-site physicians, zen rooms, game centres and more.

4. Continuous Education Opportunities

Investing in and supporting employees through paid study leave to take a certification exam or having a program in place to contribute towards the payment of a graduate degree is ranked as a highly effective way to keep employees motivated.

In joining your company employees should feel assured that they are either going to leave the company more experienced and qualified or that with the right professional development courses and training, they can contribute to elevating and expanding the company.

Companies need to commission organizations that provide online training, short courses and comprehensive professional development training for employees, and get good deals on the packages they offer for groups.

5. Bonuses

Similar to team-building activities, several types of performance bonuses are known to be attractive employee benefits. For example, a performance bonus might reward employee leadership, behaviour or the achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Typically they exist to commend employees for a job well done, and the prospect of earning a performance bonus is usually clearly stipulated in an employee’s contract, which helps to motivate the  employee from the get-go.

Another type of bonus worth mentioning is the profit-sharing bonus. This is usually reserved for the end of the business year and often reserved for top-level employees such as partners – another incentive to stick with the company and produce good results. 

There are several creative ways that companies can use to take advantage of bonuses to incentivize and empower employees that you will find here.

6. Access to Professional Counseling Services

In the past decade or more, the seriousness attributed to mental healthcare has peaked, and more companies, no matter how big or small, have a team of professional counsellors available to their employees at all times. Sometimes, employees find themselves in need of affirmation about their path in a particular role or they require coaching to help them feel more confident about the value they bring to the company.

If you have ever watched the show ‘Billions’ you would agree with me that everyone needs access to what Wendy Rhoades provides for her people over at Axe Capital.

7. Medical Aid Including Family

Nothing says ‘we got you and we value your contribution to this company’ better than a comprehensive medical aid package that is highly subsidized by the company and includes a great deal of coverage for spouses and/or dependants. Access to good health might very well feature at the top of the list of perks and benefits that employees look for when companies provide an offer of employment.

The absence of any medical aid package, either through company contribution, or other significant healthcare subsidies in a prospective work contract could be the difference between an acceptance or a rejection.

The importance of having perks and benefits to boost employee motivation and increase productivity cannot be overstated, skimping on these practices is the difference between having employees that grow in the company or having to find replacements every other month.