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Take a Quick TourYour star employee can always be relied on, self-starting, creative, and hard-working, she practically manages herself. However, lately, you’ve noticed a dip in employee performance. Signs of complacency, sloppiness, and a lack of motivation are creeping in, and you’re not sure what to do. Sound familiar? Most managers encounter this at some point. The big question is: how do you motivate employees consistently? As the team’s primary motivator, the responsibility for reigniting that passion rests squarely with you.
Every leader worth their salt wants to get the best out of their team. After all, motivated employees are critical to business success. Just check out these data-driven benefits of employee motivation:
- Highly engaged teams increase profitability by 21%
- Motivated workers are 87% less likely to quit
- Stronger engagement reduces absenteeism by 41%
However, according to recent Gallup research, only 32% of U.S. employees feel engaged at work. So, how do you turn things around and re-engage underperforming staff?
In this post, we dive deep into employee motivation strategies, including the psychological drivers and 12 proven methods to keep your people inspired.
How Do You Inspire And Motivate Employees?
Sure, a paycheck matters, but it’s rarely the sole motivator. Employee engagement is complex and rooted in multiple emotional, social, and professional factors.
Every employee is unique. Some are introverts, others extroverts. Some are fresh graduates; others are seasoned professionals. Each brings different life experiences and expectations to the table.
It’s no surprise, then, that a one-size-fits-all solution to motivation won’t cut it. Dale in Accounts may be driven by recognition, while Janelle in Sales thrives on achievement and competition.
Fortunately, there are universal drivers that keep teams energized. Back in 1959, behavioral psychologist Frederick Herzberg identified five key motivators that still hold true today:
Achievement
Employees need to feel accomplished in their roles. Their work should be meaningful, and contribute to a larger purpose.
Recognition
Positive feedback and peer-to-peer employee recognition create a healthy workplace culture. Employees feel valued when their efforts are acknowledged, which boosts morale and motivation.
The Work Itself
Job satisfaction hinges on doing work that’s interesting, varied, and intellectually challenging.
Responsibility
Give workers autonomy and trust. Micromanagement crushes motivation. Empower your team with ownership over their tasks and decisions.
Advancement
Career progression is a powerful motivator. Employees want to see a future in the company, with real opportunities to grow.
Growth
Professional development, whether through training, mentorship, or new challenges, shows you’re investing in their long-term success. That, in turn, fuels loyalty and drive.
Another helpful framework is the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators:
- Intrinsic motivation: Internal drivers like purpose, creativity, mastery, or making a difference.
- Extrinsic rewards: Salary, perks, bonuses, and tangible recognition.
Watch our video guide on motivation strategies:
What Promotes Employee Motivation? Find Out What Makes Workers Tick
Effective leaders understand that personalized motivation starts with knowing your people. During one-on-ones, go beyond tasks, ask about their interests, ambitions, and life outside work.
You may uncover critical information, like a high-performer feeling overlooked for promotion, or someone struggling with caregiving responsibilities who needs flexible working options.
If you’re unsure what’s going on, consider a quick employee survey. Keep it short and non-intrusive, like a poll on the company intranet, to uncover what’s affecting morale and engagement levels.
Once you understand the motivational levers, you can craft practical, tailored strategies to address issues head-on.
How Do Leaders Motivate Employees?
Leaders have a massive influence on how people feel about their work. Effective leadership promotes employee engagement and long-term motivation. Essential skills include:
- Setting clear goals and performance expectations
- Creating psychological safety by listening and showing empathy
- Offering both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators
- Encouraging a culture of trust, respect, and transparency
- Modeling the behaviors you want your team to adopt
And when challenges arise? Here are 12 practical strategies to revive motivation and strengthen team spirit.
12 Ways To Motivate Employees And Keep Them Engaged
1. Company Shout-Outs
Public recognition works wonders. Set up a #shoutouts channel in your intranet’s team chat. Celebrate achievements like new ideas, sales wins, or small moments of kindness. A few kind words can supercharge morale.
2. Introduce Gamification And Incentives
Gamify goals with care. One MyHub customer, Kenect Recruitment, uses Google Sheets embedded in their intranet to track branch performance in real-time leaderboards. The friendly competition has helped improve results, and fostered team spirit.
Keep it collaborative (team-based vs individual), tie it to a clear business goal, and offer meaningful (but modest) rewards like trophies or treats.
3. Trust In Your Team Members
Let go of the reins. Remote or not, employees do better when they’re trusted. Autonomy increases wellbeing and productivity. Use the intranet’s self-service features to give people easy access to the information they need, without constant oversight.
Plus, team retreats, informal social events, or shared lunches build trust and team bonding in organic ways.
4. Involve Employees In Goal-Setting
Don’t just assign goals, co-create them. When employees help shape their targets, they’re more invested. It enhances ownership, purpose, and accountability.
Just make sure personal goals are challenging, aligned with company objectives, and backed by meaningful feedback.
5. Celebrate Success As A Team
Never underestimate the power of celebration. Whether it’s a shared lunch, a Friday applause moment, or a casual get-together, make time to acknowledge wins and foster teamwide motivation.
6. Share Positive Reviews
Got a five-star Google Review? Or perhaps a happy customer has posted a glowing testimonial on your Facebook page. Sharing positive customer feedback is a surefire way to promote a positive company culture. Publish great testimonials on the intranet newsfeed or team chat so all employees can feel the love and stay connected to customer success.
7. Provide Opportunities For Learning and Development
Training budgets may have taken a hammering during the pandemic. However, there are plenty of low-cost learning options you can leverage to keep staff motivated. According to Harvard Business Review, 86 percent of employees would leave their jobs for better career development opportunities.
Tap into a range of affordable online courses, in-house expertise, and informal learning formats. Mentoring programs, work shadowing, and lunch-and-learn events are excellent ways to boost employee skills and morale, without breaking the bank.
8. Promote Collaboration
When it comes to motivation, collaborative work can be a game-changer. For employees feeling stuck in a rut, collaborating on new initiatives provides a fresh perspective and renewed purpose. Teamwork encourages innovation and generates ideas that support your broader company goals.
And for remote workers, collaboration helps reduce feelings of isolation while reinforcing a sense of belonging and camaraderie within the team.
9. Set Up A Volunteering Program
Encouraging staff to take part in community volunteering can reignite motivation and build deeper connections among colleagues. It offers a powerful sense of purpose, helps develop transferable skills, and boosts emotional resilience.
Volunteering opportunities outside the regular workplace environment can inspire employees to return with a fresh mindset and a stronger connection to your organization’s values.
10. Create A Feedback Loop
Creating a continuous feedback loop is essential to fostering a positive company culture. When employees feel heard, they’re more likely to contribute ideas, take ownership, and feel valued and engaged.
Make employee feedback part of your everyday operations using tools like pulse surveys, regular one-on-ones, and performance check-ins. Use your intranet’s integrated forms builder to easily collect and analyze feedback across the organization.
11. Prioritize Employee Engagement
Employee engagement and employee motivation go hand in hand. Engagement refers to a worker’s emotional commitment, while motivation drives their actions. Both are critical in maintaining a productive, happy, and high-performing workforce.
When you make engagement a company priority, through recognition, career growth, autonomy, and communication, you naturally strengthen employee motivation and overall performance.
12. Make Your Workplace A Great Work Environment
Creating a positive workplace environment is key to supporting morale and retention. Small touches like ergonomic furniture, inviting common areas, and even plants and artwork can make a huge difference in daily satisfaction.
Also, ensure employees have the right tools, from fast computers to well-integrated digital systems. Combine this with regular team-building events, both in-person and online, to foster a strong sense of community and workplace satisfaction.
The Cost Of Disengagement And Poor Motivation To Your Company
The bottom line? Employee disengagement is expensive. According to Gallup, disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy an estimated $350 billion annually in lost productivity.
Research cited in Forbes shows that these workers are more likely to have higher absenteeism, lower productivity, and poorer customer service. What’s worse, disengagement is contagious, dragging down team morale and performance.
Motivated employees are the driving force behind your company’s success. From efficiency and innovation to brand advocacy and retention, motivation is a key business differentiator.
How To Motivate Employees: Quick Summary
- Get to know your team members as individuals. Discover what motivates them personally.
- Recognize that everyone is different. One-size-fits-all motivation strategies won’t work.
- Use proven employee motivation techniques to re-energize your team and boost productivity.
- Enhance job satisfaction through career development and fresh challenges.
- Gather regular feedback to fine-tune your approach and keep employees engaged.
- Make employee check-ins a part of your routine using pulse surveys and one-on-one conversations.
- Foster employee engagement as a core element of your company culture.
About MyHub
MyHub is a leading provider of beautifully designed, user-friendly cloud intranet solutions. All the tools your workforce needs, available in one platform, for anytime, anywhere collaboration.
Our intranet software helps keep employees motivated, connected, and productive. See why teams love using MyHub with a free demo or a 14-day trial.
FAQ Section
What really motivates employees beyond salary?
Motivation stems from recognition, autonomy, opportunities to grow, and meaningful rewards—not just pay—and these factors consistently outperform monetary incentives in long-term engagement.
How can small organizations motivate employees without a big budget?
Simple gestures like public praise, empowering staff with decision-making freedom, and offering learning opportunities (hosted via an intranet or team site) can be highly effective—and low-cost
Why is recognition considered a powerful motivator?
Data shows that strong manager recognition motivates 67% of employees more than a base pay rise, highlighting how acknowledgment and gratitude encourage engagement and loyalty.
