How to Motivate Employees And Keep Employees Happy

How to Motivate Employees And Keep Employees HappyHow to Motivate Employees And Keep Employees HappyHow to Motivate Employees And Keep Employees Happy Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource CenterIts a variation of the chicken and egg question. Which came first disgruntled employees or the recession?Worker dissatisfaction likely goes back a while. Imagine the Medieval grunt assigned to sharpen the kings quills.Fast forward a millennium and were still trying to figure out how to cultivate employee engagement.The current recession certainly hasnt helped. Ongoing layoffs, long hours (often for less pay) and stressful work environments have all taken a deep and significant toll on the American workers psyche.The question then becomes, what can be done to repair the damaged relationship between employees and employers?The answers are found in both the latest research and some plain old common sense.How to Keep Race Horses RunningSalespeople those race horses of the business world are alwa ys racing to the finish line, while their employers are always looking for the big win. Central to this equation is keeping top sales performers satisfied and motivated. Yet it turns out that money isnt the sole component of sales motivation.A recent study conducted by Tower Watson and Staffing Industry Analysts revealed the best practices followed by successful high-growth staffing firms that effectively retain top performers.Sponsored by Monster, the 2012 Staffing Industry Sales Force Effectiveness Surveypoints out the importance of a clearly-defined employee value proposition at high-growth staffing firms that extends beyond pay and benefits to career pathing for sales employees.This verstndigung im strafverfahren between employer and employee includes non-management career paths for top sales performers.Additionally, survey respondents from all segments gave high ranks to the visibility of their internal talent pool. The importance of creating a talent pipeline and understanding the talent inside their organizations and teams was clear, says Matthew OConnor, Sr. Vice President, Monster.Managing Entrepreneurial-Minded MillenialsSpeaking of horses, what happens when your newly-hired Philly (a Gen Y employee who you really like) decides after three months on the job that theyre ready for a promotion now.Author Emily Bennington recounts this real-life scenario in her recent article, How to Manage Entrepreneurial-Minded Employees.She recalls the exact words of her new employee, who was hired on a two-year promotion track Two years is like a decade to me.Ah, youth.Benningtons advice for managers is to carefully listen to the employees argument. Then formulate a list of ten or so meaningful tasks for them to complete that will prove their worth. Check in as tasks on the list are completed.Once the list is tackled (assuming that the employee completes them all) the manager will come away with a much clearer sense of the employees problem-solving capabilities and o verall attitude as well as their overall worth.Workplace Motivation Nurture, Praise, RepeatEmployers often ask, How do I get employees to do more than Im asking?In response, author Roberta Matuson notes in her article on motivation in the workplace, Its no secret that people are more apt to go the extra mile when they feel motivated.While that may seem obvious, the devil is always in the details.Matuson offers suggestions that keep employees motivated and productive, even in flat organizations that are unable to provide new job titles and upward mobility.Recognize that achievement is defined differently for everyone. For example, in your world as business owner, being a global player in your marketplace may be your definition of achievement in your employees world, being trusted to develop a marketing campaign is a sign that theyve arrived.At least once a year, as part of your employee performance reviews,take the time to ask your employees what theyd like to achieve in the coming y ear. Dont forget to review all theyve accomplished while in your employ.Involving employees in business decisions early on is a motivation technique that works in any situation. When people are involved in decisions, they feel a sense of ownership, which is something that is highly valued by those who run small businesses. They will do whatever it takes to see a project through successful completion.Finally, Matuson recommends employees with workplace flexibility. This will nearly guarantee that most employees will rise to the occasion when you are in a pinch.These techniques are proof that a bit of motivation, whether through career planning, recognition or engagement, can go a long way toward energizing workers. And thats a win-win for everyone.Copyright 2012 Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. You may not copy, reproduce or distribute this article without the prior written permission of Worldwide.