Motivation In the Workplace - Things that Inspire Employees to Achieve.

The biggest challenge to the managers today is to foster motivation in the workplace which is one of the most valuable tools to create a work environment that will ultimately encourage the employees' desire to achieve. The greatest quality of a successful manager is to build a strong and productive workforce and in order to achieve this his first and foremost task is to inspire employee motivation which requires much more than monetary compensations only. By helping employees to achieve their goals, desires and aspirations and focusing on their strengths and not on weaknesses a manager can foster employee motivation which eventually increases their loyalty. This in turn also helps to drive customer loyalty, critical for sustained business success and enduring profits of a company.

The investors have lately realized that in today’s world where companies are cutting back at unprecedented rates to achieve business success it is vital to get the most out of the workforce of their companies. According to a recent survey, the loyalty level of younger American workers toward their employers has been found to be quite low and it has become crucial to find out unique ways to motivate employees at work.The business owners have, therefore, realized the significance of encouraging the companies they invest in, to always look for managers who have the abilities to bring motivation in the workplace in order to create a work environment where employees feel valued and engaged and give their best. This eventually helps to increase productivity and in turn business success. Therefore, no matter what your business is, sooner your managers and supervisors take a broader look at attraction and retention of the workforce and recognize the importance of improving employee motivation for building loyalty, there is a good chance of your company to achieve lasting growth and success.

Today's managers need to understand the reason why the employees work and the main factors that affect their motivation. Motivation in the workplace needs more than the old fashioned carrot and stick approach. From my experience of working in various industries I discovered that there are four main factors that need understanding to inspire employee motivation at work, which are,

1. Employees' expectation from work other than just money;

2. The role of manager's vision and values in motivating employees;

3. The role of communication in sustaining motivation;

4. The significance of building a supportive workplace;

To help you get the most from your employees here are 8 most essential things which the workers expect from their work place that ultimately motivate them to achieve. Measuring the strength of a workplace in fostering motivation can be simplified to eight questions given below. I strongly believe that if you can create the kind of environment where employees answer positively to all the eight questions then you will have built a great workplace to inspire the employees that would attract and retain the most loyal and talented workers and turn their talents into performance at the best.

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have all the materials and equipment I need to do my work smoothly?
3. At work, do I have the freedom to make decision within areas of my expertise or do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the recent past have I received recognition or praise for my good work, efforts and contribution?
5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person and make me feel valued?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. At work, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?

Many believe that company's business success in terms of profit is a function of factors that lie far beyond the control of individual employees (factors like pricing, competitive positioning, or variable-cost management etc) and their loyalty to the company. But the more we think about it, the link of importance of improving employee motivation in the workplace with business success becomes more understandable. There are so many things one loyal employee can do to affect profit – everything from turning off more lights, to negotiating harder on price, to pushing for higher turnover. Simply put, these will happen more often only when each employee feels truly engaged with his company which is only possible when the company has an exclusive policy for encouraging managers to apply innovative motivational techniques for employees at work.

Readers may also like this article on similar subject