Marketing Blog

What does it take to keep employees happy and motivated?  Surprisingly, not as much as you might think.  Outlined below are several low-cost or no-cost ways to motivate and retain employees.  Whether you’re managing staff yourself or advising your company’s Managers on how to keep employees engaged and satisfied, these effortless techniques can really make a difference. 

• Make the time to tell employees how much you appreciate them:  A simple thank you, public recognition of an employees efforts or a notice in the employee newsletter.  Employees will be the first to tell you that, when it comes to acknowledgement, it’s the little things that count. 
• Provide ongoing feedback: It should be ongoing, not just a once a year annual review requirement.  Make sure employees know what’s expected of them and that they have frequent feedback to let them know how their performance compares with expectations.
• Give employees the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect the company and particularly their jobs:  Being asked for their opinions on issues large and small can be very motivating.
• Remind employees of the value that your company offers:  Perhaps your organization is one for which employees feel proud to work.  Perhaps your benefit package is particularly generous.  If that value already exists, take the time or thought about reminding employees that it’s there.  Think about it.  What unique extras does your company offer to employees?
• When you make a decision, implement a new policy or change an existing one, tell employees why:  Many companies complain that employees don’t like dealing with change.  That’s not necessarily true.  What employees don’t like is change they don’t understand.  Communicating the “why” behind the decisions you make is a simple way to keep employees engaged.
• Have fun at work:  That’s okay.  In fact, it’s better than okay.  When employees enjoy their jobs they enjoy coming to work.  Consider ways that your company can create a dynamic environment that keeps employees coming back and doing their best day after day and year after year.

Looking for a Cleveland Akron business advisory firm? Contact Skoda Minotti at 440-449-6800.