Human resource managers have a lot on their plate, from handling the recruitment of new workers and all the paperwork and time that comes with that, to find ways to settle potential employee issues, conducting training and more.
However, one thing that HR leaders must continually focus on (that many don’t actually put enough effort into) is managing workers so that they are as motivated, inspired, and productive as possible. If you’re keen to find ways to get team members working at their best, read on for some tips you can follow today, no matter the specific industry your company is in.
Give Workers the Chance to Grow
One of the key parts of managing a group of people well is providing plenty of opportunities for workers to learn new things, grow into roles, and develop additional skills. If you want to keep people motivated continually, they must feel like they are not stagnating in a role, but rather are continuing to be challenged to the right degree.
Keep in mind that if your staff members become unsatisfied in their jobs because they’re bored from doing the same things for too long, or because their roles are just too easy for them and don’t challenge them at all, they will quickly look at moving to a new company. In the meantime, they’ll end up being much less productive in their current job, and can negatively affect other employees too.
As such, human resources managers must always think about finding ways to provide people with training and other development opportunities. You can conduct regular workshops and talks throughout the year, and run online courses for staff members to learn new things. It is worthwhile bringing in some experienced, professional motivational speakers and experts in their field too, to present information and ideas to workers. Outside speakers can be a fantastic boost to the motivation levels of employees, and help teams to work together better, too.
Other ways to give people the chance to grow include promoting them, giving them new responsibilities within their current role, and paying for them to attend networking meetings, key events, and outside educational experiences such as university courses and industry training.
To stay on track with team development, it is wise to conduct employee reviews on a regular basis (at least quarterly or annually) so that you can sit down with workers to set goals and discuss their progress, achievements, and specific plans and wishes for advancement and growth over the coming period. If you ensure that each member of the workforce has something to strive towards, this will dramatically increase morale within the company, and productivity levels and loyalty as a result.
Acknowledge and Reward Team Members Often
Next, don’t forget that your workers won’t stay happy within their roles if they’re never actually acknowledged or rewarded for their efforts. It is not enough to simply pay people their salary and expect them to continually work hard and give their best; instead, people need to feel like they are noticed and appreciated in order to really be inspired to work hard, stay upbeat, and be as productive as possible.
To be a successful HR manager then, you must find ways to thank team members for going above and beyond in their jobs, for getting work done quickly (and better than before), and for being innovative and coming up with great new ideas or ways to solve problems.
For starters, remember that a simple, heartfelt thank you can go a long way. You can say thanks in person, either alone or in front of a group; or write down your appreciation and send it via a handwritten letter or email, or give a shout out to someone in a company newsletter. A phone or Skype conversation also works well if an employee is in a different location.
For something a little bigger, you might want to consider holding a ceremony once a month or so whereby you congratulate top workers, present them with a special award, and just generally make a big deal of their contributions to the company in recent times. You can turn this occasion into a celebration by getting all employees together, and having fun with drinks, cake, balloons, and the like.
If there are more funds you can make available to acknowledge and reward employees, you can also present them with a cash bonus or a gift to honor their work. For example, you can give them flowers, wine, chocolates, gift cards, vouchers for pampering sessions or other fun experiences, a trip away, or anything else that you think might be appreciated.
An employee must definitely be appreciated for the work as it motivates them to do even more better the next time. And yes employees don’t always expect a salary hike sometimes a sweet thank you is just fine.