How to Keep Your Employees Motivated 

Employee motivation is about the enthusiasm, commitment, and creativity that employees bring to their jobs. A team driven to accomplish tasks results in high productivity and helps the organisation attain its goals.  

Types of motivation 

Employees can be driven by intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.  

Individuals who are intrinsically motivated are internally driven and possess a desire to perform well at the workplace and achieve success. Extrinsic motivation refers to tangible factors such as promotions, incentives or rewards that motivate employees.  

High motivation among employees can be achieved by pairing intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, which in return enhance employee engagement and performance.  

Why is motivation important in the workplace?  

Employees are the organisation’s key stakeholders. Motivated employees find their jobs meaningful and feel that their contributions are valuable to the organisation. Thus, they are an asset and the driving force behind an organisation’s success. Organisations with highly motivated staff are more resilient and able to weather uncertainties. Unmotivated employees are often distracted and procrastinate instead of completing their tasks.  

Employee motivation also has a significant impact on employee retention. Low motivation often leads to absenteeism and high turnover, which are costly for any organisation. A contented, motivated, and engaged employee will feel personally and emotionally invested in the organisation’s success and looks forward to helping achieve its goals.  

Other benefits of a motivated workforce include:  

• Increased employee engagement 

• Higher productivity and performance 

• Increased levels of creativity and innovation  

• Improved workplace relationships 

• Excellent corporate culture and a positive atmosphere within the organisation  

• Contributes to a positive company reputation 

What causes the lack of motivation?  

The lack of motivation can be attributed to four factors: 

• Values mismatch

  Employees cannot connect to the tasks or find value in performing them 

• Lack of self-efficacy  

  Employees lack the capacity or ability to accomplish the tasks 

• Disruptive emotions  

  Employees are consumed with negative emotions such as anxiety, anger or depression 

• Attribution errors  

  Employees can not accurately identify why a task is difficult or attribute difficulties to reasons beyond their control 

How to drive motivation? 

Here are some tips to effectively motivate employees: 

• Make work meaningful 

  Share the organisation’s mission and vision. Outline the purpose and value of their tasks and show how their efforts support and contribute to the organisation’s overall goals.  

• Empowerment 

  Empower employees by giving them authority along with responsibility. Let them play to their strengths and take ownership and control over their work. 

• Promote creativity and innovation 

  Allow employees to share their creative and innovative ideas and support the exchange of ideas and information among employees and departments across the organisation. Openness to such ideas allows the organisation to respond to market changes quickly. 

• Engage and communicate openly and regularly  

  Discuss goals and expectations and ensure they are manageable and achievable. Address concerns and encourage employees to ask questions when needed. Share important information to make staff feel connected and align themselves with the organisation. Timely, honest, and sincere communication is an excellent way to motivate employees.  

• Support a healthy work-life balance 

  Encourage employees to take time for themselves to prevent burnout and overwork and maintain high productivity levels. 

• Provide learning, training, and development opportunities 

  Provide learning, training, and development opportunities to support your employees’ personal and professional growth and make them feel valued and important. With new and enhanced knowledge and skills, employees can take on new challenges and accomplish more. 

• Offer appropriate recognition, rewards, and incentives 

  Recognition, rewards, and incentives make employees feel valued and appreciated. They acknowledge and validate employees’ hard work and effort and motivate them to achieve more.  

• Create a pleasant and positive workplace environment 

  Ensure employees have a safe and comfortable workplace and provide them with all the necessary equipment required to perform their tasks. Build a positive and supportive workplace culture.  

References 

Clark, Richard E., and Saxberg, Bror. “4 Reasons Good Employees Lose Their Motivation.” Harvard Business Review. Published 13 March 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/03/4-reasons-good-employees-lose-their-motivation 

Inamdar, Anand. “Motivating Employees to be Future-Ready.” Forbes. Published 23 February 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2022/02/23/motivating-employees-to-be-future-ready/  

Inc. “Employee Motivation.” Updated 6 February 2020, https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/employee-motivation.html  

Ryba, Kristin. “How to Use Employee Engagement to Increase Motivation.” Quantum Workplace. Published 18 November 2021, https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/how-to-use-employee-engagement-to-increase-motivation 

Schooley, Skye. “Beyond the Clock: The Benefits of Highly Motivated Employees”. Business.com. Updated 29 June 2022, https://www.business.com/articles/the-benefits-of-highly-motivated-employees/  

Indeed Editorial Team. “How to Motivate Employees: 12 Effective Ways to Boost Morale.” Indeed. Published 21 April 2022, https://sg.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-motivate-employees