How to Motivate Employees: 3 tips to Retain Your Staff

Richard Branson has a famous quote that reads “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t have to.”

1. Money is not everything

As the title goes, financial rewards are not the only reason that determines whether employees want to stay on at your company. Take time to find out what your employees need. Older employees may prefer time off from work to take care of their parents while employees with young kids may prefer to work from home. Technology has enabled most employees to work from any location and it should not deter managers from thinking that employees can work well only when they are under direct supervision. Companies that employ flexible work options and promote a healthy work-life balance will attract and retain the best talent.

2. Create a conducive work environment

We all want to work in an environment where we feel respected, treated fairly and our voices to be heard. Managers should strive not to criticise their employees in front of their co-workers and not to attack anyone personally. When feedback is required, be professional and deliver negative feedback in a private setting and focus on the person’s behaviour and not his or her personality. Maintaining a positive work environment that breeds happy workers for the long run.

3. Help them see the big picture

Most employees have a myopic view of their specific job scopes. In order to develop smarter and highly motivated workers, your job as a manager is to help them see the big picture. When your employees gain insights into how their contributions fit into the success of the organisation, they will be more involved and be motivated to succeed. This in turn has some impact on employee retention