Money is not always the number one motivator, sometimes recognition and a thoughtful gift or extra time off is appreciated.
Money is not always the number one motivator, for your employees. Sure it’s nice to get cash bonuses, but a quick survey will reveal that money rarely gets used as a reward. Most bonus money gets used to pay expenses and bills, to try and get ahead.As I mentioned before, money is not always the number one motivator, find out how to reward your employees without paying them more or giving bonuses in this article from HRmadeEasy e-Newsletter.
Money is Not Always the Number One Motivator
Recognition/Attention. When your employees accomplish something they have achieved something. Your recognition is appreciation for that achievement. I believe that most managers don’t give enough recognition because they don’t get enough. Therefore, it doesn’t come natural to do it. If this applies to you, you need to drop this excuse like a bad habit! Become a giver! Look at the price. Recognition is free!
2. Applause. A form of recognition yes, but a very specific form. Physically applaud your people by giving them a round of applause for specific achievements. Where? When? The answer is wherever and whenever. At meetings or company-sponsored social gatherings, a luncheon, or in the office. At the end of a shift, before a shift, and whenever possible in the middle of a shift.
Using plaques or trophies is another effective way of applauding your people. Although “wooden applause” is often successfully used in the form of Employee of the Month plaques, more creative ideas are sorely underutilized. Take the time to be creative, matching special accomplishments with unique awards.
3. One-on-One Coaching. Coaching is employee development. Your only cost is time. Time means you care. And remember your people don’t care how much you know… until they know how much you care.
Whenever the emphasis is on positive feedback, I make sure to do this coaching in “public.” Whenever you recognize and encourage people in “public,” it acts as a natural stimulant for others who are close enough to see or hear what’s taking place.
4. Training. Is training ever finished? Can you possibly overtrain? NO and NO. For whatever reasons, too many people feel “My people have already been trained” or “I’ve got good people…they only need a little training.” But training never ends. Schedule “tune- up” training sessions. These should be led by you or by a supervisor with help from specific employees who show a particular strength in the skills taught. I know this takes time, but these types of training sessions will continually enhance the performance of your people and the productivity of your business.
5. Career Path. Your employees need to know what is potentially ahead for them, what opportunities there are for growth. This issue is a sometimes forgotten ingredient as to the importance it plays in the overall motivation of people. Set career paths within your organization. Do you promote from within? I hope you can answer yes to that.
I really liked this article by Dave Worman who goes by the name of “Dr.Motivator”. He has so many super ideas for any leader who wants to motivate people to work harder and take more responsibility. As you can see money is not always the number one motivator, extra time off and of course plain and simple recognition go a long way too.
