Even the most talented employees can underperform if they lose motivation, and demotivated employees may eventually look for other opportunities – leaving your company in a tough spot! Unfair pay, unpleasant office environment, disorganization, and lack of flexibility are the most common causes of employee demotivation. Here are some strategies and ideas of how to overcome them through communication, honesty, and expectation management.
Avoid Low of Unfair Pay
We live in the age of transparency, and that means that more so than ever before – people like to talk about how much they make and discuss the value of their time and work. What happens if some of your employees begin to grow frustrated with the unfairness of their salaries and start comparing how much they would gain working for a competitor? The best way to avoid such situations is to run a pay audit and keep an eye on your salary market rates even if you’re not in need of new talent.
Keep in mind, though, that you could be paying all of your employees above market rate, but they will still be demotivated if your pay structures aren’t fair. For example, if two employees are doing similar jobs but compensated differently, you should be able to clearly articulate why there may be differences in their salaries (experience, performance, certifications, etc).
Focus on a Pleasant Working Environment
According to Forbes, “close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50% and people with a best friend at work are seven times more likely to engage fully in their work.” Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your employees are comfortable and have opportunities to form real friendships with each other by initiating social activities such as team building events, weekend retreats, social events, hanging out after work, and celebrating birthdays. Rather than having an “individualistic” culture in the office, ensure that your organizational culture is based on teamwork, respect, and meaningful connection. People will be more happy to come to work, collaborate, and share projects and challenges. Keep the office a joyful place where everyone feels valued and appreciated.
Ensure Balanced, Equitable Workloads
We’ve all been there. John is working extra hours to finish the project, while Daniel is taking a few “networking” coffee breaks, and Shane is listening to “business” podcasts “for research.” The key to solving disorganization as an employee demotivation issue is spotting disorganization as the problem and working to fix it. Remember to ask the people directly affected by the problem as they may have the best insights into how to find personal solutions. Make sure that the tasks are delegated equally and that your teammates/ colleagues have a profound understanding of their role and how their work affects the rest of the office/company. In solving disorganization, communication is key!
Consider More Flexibility Opportunities
If Maria would like to go home 30 minutes earlier on a Tuesday evening, when she worked 45 hours the week before, and her manager is giving her negative pushback, her motivation levels will sink, and she will lose her drive and passion for the job. Try to find a balance between company rules and some opportunities for more flexible hours, work from home days, being able to come to work later and so on. Your employees are aware that they might get more flexible schedules at other companies, so you must find strategies to retain your best talent.
Everyone wants to like going to work. And you want your employees to like their jobs. For that to happen you have to ensure that your staff members are treated with respect and that their expectations are met every step of the way. Keep communicating honestly and work together to turn business to pleasure!
