by Suzanne Rose

Created on: August 17, 2010

There are many factors that affect motivation in the workplace.  Knowing these can help a business motivate their employees better.  Consider the following issues.

The employees are paid fairly

Employees want to feel like they are being paid in a way that matches others with similar positions at other companies.  They do not want to feel like their company is cheating them.  If the company offers less than others do, then they may not get employees who are as motivated.  The employees may feel jipped and wonder why they should work as hard as others when the company is not willing to pay a fair amount.  This might also go for the benefits that are offered.

The company acts like it cares about the employees

Employees will be more motivated if they feel like they are valuable to the company.  You might want to do a good job for someone who you think is favorable to you.  There are different ways to show this to an employee.  Simple praise is one easy way.  You can also have an employee of the month award.  The company should have a policy to address employee concerns and issues.  If the company fires people at whim and shows absolutely no loyalty, then many of the employees might not feel loyalty either.

Extra features and amenities the company offers

Sometimes companies can do little extra things that can go a long way in employees being happy and thus motivated in the workplace.  They can have company picnics and barbeques for instance.  Some companies will have a drawing once a month for something special for the employees.  Some companies will be very family friendly or offer a free gym membership.  Many employees appreciate these little measures and might feel more motivated.

The jobs are well-structured

Not every job is going to be the most interesting in the world, however there are different things that the employers can do to increase the employee's interest and thus their motivation.  For instance, in some jobs like those at a theme park, they rotate employees in the different positions so that people feel like they have more variety and they might be more motivated.

The pay is tied into their work

Employees are often more motivated when they work on some sort of commission basis.  They will be rewarded for doing better so they might try harder.

It is important to maximize employee motivation.  The above factors play a part in this.

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