The ability to motivate employees is one of the most important competencies that a good leader must possess and that must be taken into account by any business organization that wants to be successful.
Money is, undoubtedly, one of the great sources of motivation par excellence when we decide to accept a job offer. However, there are other motivating sources (both extrinsic and intrinsic) that make workers feel comfortable in their workplace and, therefore, perform at a high level.
Although no one wants to work in a poorly paid job, the vast majority of human resources and occupational health departments know that money is not everything when it comes to motivating their work team.
This is exactly what Daniel Pink, author of the book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” thinks. explains the factors that motivate us both in our personal and work lives and analyzes through research and examples that remuneration acts as a motivating factor only when the tasks are simple and clear, but when the tasks are more complicated and require more conceptual and creative thinking “the money (or money)” stops paying. be a motivational source. Additionally, he argues about the importance of personal development, self-realization, and personal satisfaction when it comes to performing efficiently at work.
But, How can we motivate employees without using money as an incentive? Below you can find 6 ways to motivate your employees without financial remuneration.
1. Give them autonomy
It is good that you direct your employees and use some control in some aspects of work, but, according to various research, democratic or participatory leadership, which encourages worker participation by letting employees decide more about their functions and have enough decision-making skills, increases performance and motivation.
With this form of leadership, Soon you will see that employees work more cheerfully and use all their energy to solve problems that may arise. In contrast, authoritarian leadership, a leadership style in which superiors have absolute power over their workers, has the opposite effect on employee motivation.
2. Make your ideas yours
In recent years the concept of transformational leadership has become very popular. AND…What makes transformational leaders different? Well, they use high levels of communication to transmit the objectives and provide a vision of change that they manage to convey to employees.
Thus, they motivate and increase the productivity and efficiency of the group, because they are capable of changing the expectations, perceptions and motivations of the team with which they work. In short, they make their subordinates feel that the company’s goals are also their goals, and this is highly motivating.
3. Worry about them and do things as a group
In addition to making your employees feel like leaders, make their ideas count and make your ideas reach them dedicate time to make them feel comfortable in the workplace and with their colleagues, because this increases the level of belonging to the company and at the same time their motivation.
Take them out to eat from time to time, have group dynamics during their work hours, have barbecues on Fridays or hold contests in which they can receive prizes and trophies for their good professional work. The important thing is that employees are comfortable with the company and with their colleagues, because social support and a good relationship with coworkers is a key variable to reduce stress and increase motivation in the work environment.
4. Involve them in the company’s successes and give them feedback
Many superiors have the bad habit of looking for employees if things are going wrong, but they forget to involve employees in the company’s successes or recognize them for their good professional work. It is good that you conduct periodic interviews to find out their opinion about their work and give them feedback on how they do their professional work and how they can improve it.
5. Make sure they are in the job that fits their skills
It is important that employees are motivated with the tasks they perform , because work becomes a big part of our lives. If employees are not happy with the job or the function they perform in the company, it is impossible for them to be motivated.
In reality, this is a process that should begin in the selection process itself, since selecting suitable candidates for a job is the best way to keep them motivated. There are people who do a great job in monotonous jobs, while others have a series of skills that are key to more creative work. The idea is that workers fit the job and the organization not only in terms of their skills, but also their expectations or motivations.
The possibility of growth of a worker within the company is, without a doubt, a motivating ingredient And to cultivate motivation you have to take care of the way employees feel about the company and how they see themselves within it. Employees must feel valued, competent, and able to grow within the organization, otherwise they may stagnate.
Constant training and education and the possibility of professional and career development and growth within the company is key on the way to achieving more motivated workers.
