The changing world of work requires keeping your people motivated and engaged in unique and inventive ways. We need to be innovative in not just our products and services, but with how we approach our employees and increase their productivity. 

At this moment, there isn’t one company that’s immune to the people disengagement epidemic, shown to affect 85% of employees and account for $7 trillion in lost productivity. Motivation is indeed the catalyst that manifests professional fulfillment and builds engagement, ultimately benefitting both an employee and the employer. To build motivation and sustain it long term, people leaders need to focus on intangible elements such as recognition, transparent communication, and accessible management.

#1: Focus on culture 

Culture still reigns and cash is the court jester of the modern workforce kingdom. The people have spoken, and to engage and motivate them, you need to blend separate office generations effectively, instate one-to-one management, and fuel transparency and information sharing. 

Although, the #1 culture component keeping people productive is work-life balance, which means making your people feel comfortable prioritizing life outside the office. Research by Deloitte revealed that 33% of people are uncomfortable with taking off personal time and 32% admit to consistently putting work duties ahead of family or personal commitments. Just half (48%) said they felt their company values their life outside work. To boost work-life balance, advocate for PTO and lead by example by taking vacation days yourself!

#2: Create an inspirational space 

The three pillars of inspiration are creativity & innovation, learning & development, and valid recruiting. Of these three pillars, employees are the keenest of learning & development. Almost half of surveyed employees (45%) say they want an exciting challenge, project, or new role to tackle and want to learn new skills. 

Advanced learning and professional growth enable your people to take not only take their careers a step further, but branch out into other departments of areas of expertise. This combats the quitting economy’s impact by keeping employees engaged long term and helping them avoid a role rut that can be difficult to dig themselves out of. 

#3: Incentivize with perks 

Both monetary and non-cash rewards can be spontaneous, shared, or scheduled. More business leaders have recently acknowledged this with as many as 80% of companies implementing Employee Recognition Programs at work. Some favorite perks you’ll people will love include:

• Positive feedback during one-on-one’s or Kudos in a staff meeting
• Written thank-you notes or positive feedback on employee files
• Bonuses such as cash or gift cards 
• Vacation or time-off packages for outstanding performance

Keeping your people motivated can be fun for you, too! Seeing them grow, thrive, and feel a greater sense of purpose in what they do, can also lead to intrinsic motivation. Remember to lead by example and remain flexible, especially when implementing culture components, perks, and inspirational initiatives. Keep the motivational ball rolling by avoiding micromanaging and stepping out of your comfort zone with more trust. Trust us, the more autonomy you promote in the workplace, the more well-earned recognition you’ll be handing out. 

From Stephanie Stevens

Stephanie is Content Marketer at Hibob. She has a background in Clinical Psychology and Crisis Management, and enjoys abstract painting and watching horror films in her spare time. She believes that people can connect with themselves, their peers, and the world around them through creative writing, helping them foster a deeper sense of self and their life goals in the process.