10 tips to increase employee motivation and satisfaction

11 de April, 2022

Employee motivation is a key element in the success of any organization. Employees who are satisfied and motivated by their work are more productive, more committed and dedicated to the company’s objectives, more creative and proactive, more assiduous and less likely to look for another job.

But motivating employees isn’t always easy, which is why it should be a priority for all company leaders and managers. Discover with us 10 practical tips for increasing the motivation and satisfaction of your company’s employees!

1 – Set clear objectives

Make sure your employees know the company’s goals and, above all, that they know what their individual objectives are. Having specific goals makes employees focus on achieving them and feel satisfied when they do. And this feeling of satisfaction will motivate them to continue doing their job.

2 – Leadership based on trust and respect

Trust and respect must be at the basis of any human relationship, and therefore also in the relationship between employees and their managers. Trust in their management of their time and tasks, give them responsibilities and involve them in your decision-making. In this way, employees will feel more involved and valued.

3 – Give teams autonomy

Micromanagement is incompatible with team motivation. A good leader allows employees to be autonomous in their work, while always being available to guide them and help them with whatever they need. This balance between autonomy and support is fundamental to employee satisfaction.

4 – Recognize good work and performance

In order to feel more motivated, employees need to know that their superiors recognize their work. This recognition can be done verbally with a simple “excellent job” (just to the employee or to the whole team/company) or by awarding prizes/bonuses when the effort has made it possible to reach certain targets.

5 – Promote a good working environment

Nobody likes waking up in the morning to go to a job where there is no good atmosphere. Work takes up a large part of our day, which is why having a pleasant and welcoming working environment is essential for our motivation. This good environment is made up of physical elements (lounges, spaces with good natural light, coffee machines, plants, etc.) but also the attitude of the people themselves (informality, sense of humor, empathy, cooperation and collaboration, etc.).

6 – Ask for feedback

Try to listen to your employees’ opinions and show that they are considered and valued when decisions need to be made. This feedback can be asked in relation to the company’s products or services, internal procedures, opportunities for improvement or any topic that involves the company and the employees themselves. This will make employees feel that they are an important and valued part of the organization.

7 – Make room for career progression

People feel more motivated when they have a career plan and know how they can progress in the company. Having a specific promotion or progression objective encourages employees to give their best and, in this context, their motivation is greater.

8 – Offer training opportunities

Many organizations don’t invest in training their employees for fear that they will then leave the company (and that the investment will have been “in vain”). However, the cost of not investing in training is much greater, as the company is not exploiting the full potential of its employees. The possibility of attending specialized training and workshops, conferences and webinars on topics in your industry makes employees more experienced, more creative and more disruptive, which brings great value to your company. What’s more, these opportunities to develop their skills also increase their motivation.

9 – Give priority to people’s well-being

It’s obvious that the physical and mental health of employees has a huge impact on their motivation. Burnout is an increasingly worrying reality and companies have a key role to play in preventing their employees from reaching extreme levels of stress and anxiety. Promote moments of leisure and rest, frequent breaks, try to ensure that people don’t skip meals, encourage physical activity and watch out for any signs that someone is unwell.

10 – Have a benefits policy

Having an attractive extra salary benefits policy is also an important variable in the equation when it comes to employee motivation. Having a set of benefits offered by the company that improve their life outside of work makes them feel more satisfied and motivated within it. These benefits can range from health insurance, to benefits that cover education costs or transport and mobility costs, to the payment of bonuses. There are many possibilities and they must be adapted to the real needs of each employee.

Do you already apply one or more of these tips? If not, today is a good day to start thinking about how you can adopt them in your company. Because motivating and satisfying your employees is not something you should put off until tomorrow.