Four Ways to Inspire & Motivate Your Staff

Is your team happy, productive, and motivated? Do they care about what they do and what the company stands for? Unengaged employees are a common problem for any type of business in any industry.

In fact, according to Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” Report, over half of the U.S. workforce is not engaged. In other words, over 50 percent of current employees are unhappy with their current job and are actively looking for a new one.

If this doesn’t seem like a big deal, then consider these statistics: organizations with higher than average employee engagement realize 27 percent higher profits, 50 percent higher sales, and 50 percent higher customer loyalty levels.

So, as a manager, what can you do?

When it comes down to it, you can’t make people care. You can, however, inspire them to think differently about your business and the work that they do.

Here are four ways you can effectively inspire and motivate your team:

1. Evangelize company goals and values.
Make sure your employees understand what your vision is and what you’re trying to accomplish. If you communicate to them why you do what you do, they are more likely to treat the company as if it is their own. Show them their purpose and how it affects the business. Also, include your employees in your decision-making. Asking for a person’s input or opinion can give him/her a greater sense of belonging and help foster a culture of collaboration.

2. Incentivize and encourage them.
Show appreciation for employees that work hard and reward them for a job well done. Employees want to know that their work is acknowledged and valued. Offer constructive criticism to staff members when needed along with support to make changes so that you continue to boost their confidence. Consider putting a reward plan in place so that your employees have clear goals and something to work towards. Statistics show that this could increase employee performance by as much as 44 percent! Organizations that offer some sort of recognition program also have a lower turnover rate.

3. Invest in their professional growth.
Discover what’s important to your employees. This sends a clear message that you care about their future, not only with the company but in their professional career. More importantly, offer your staff periodic training opportunities that will strengthen the skills needed to thrive in their current roles or to advance within the company, such as CQ’s weekly teletrainings and Employee Development Program (EDP) classes. Some of our practices will also offer tuition reimbursement to employees who want to continue their education. All of this helps to create “promotable” employees and, in turn, helps you save money in the long run.

4. Trust them.
Micromanaging is counterproductive. Have faith in your team’s abilities (that’s why you hired them in the first place!). It sounds so simple, but your trust has the potential to boost engagement, increase productivity, improve communication, build team spirit, and encourage employee advocacy. Cross-train your staff so that they have the opportunity to take on greater responsibilities in the future. Allow for mistakes, correct them, then step back and see how your employees manage without direct supervision.

Finally, don’t forget that CQ Partners offers industry-leading employee development and recruiting services that can help you build an engaged and high-performing team.

Ask your Account Manager for more information or contact our Recruiting Department today at recruiting@cq-partners.com.

About the Author

Jason DiOttavio

Jason DiOttavio joined CQ Partners as a Corporate Recruiter in 2011. Previously, he worked as an agency recruiter for a staffing firm specializing in IT/Administrative roles including such large companies as Dietz & Watson. When not working, Jason enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters. He’s also obsessed with cooking shows and finding new ice cream and donut shops.