surprisingly it's not just money that motivates people to perform at work
this video looks at the top 10 methods of non-financial motivation that are used in
the workplace to motivate employees let's see which one you think is the
best
job rotation is when changes are made to an employee's role on a regular basis with a team
of employees rotating from one function of the business to the next the aim of this is to make
their job less repetitive and increase motivation as employees are continually developing new skills
knowledge and experience however job rotation also has the potential to demotivate employees
if it is not managed correctly especially since employees may always feel like they are
starting again when they are rotated onto a new department or role which may lead to them being
less productive alongside a decrease in quality due to the employees being unskilled initially
however over the long term job rotation has a vast array of potential added benefits to the business
such as the team of employees becoming multi-skilled and flexible across a wide
range of roles which can then lead to increased quality standards and levels of productivity
job enrichment is when employees are given additional responsibilities and authority within their role
the logic behind this approach is that employees will feel more motivated as they have been given
more additional responsibility and authority as a reward for their performance which in turn
can increase productivity and the employee's loyalty to the business over the long term
therefore decreasing the staff turnover however it is important to be aware that job enrichment can
have the exact opposite effect if applied to the wrong employee this is because they may not want
the extra responsibility or find it overwhelming which can then lead to the employee becoming
demotivated therefore productivity decreases and ultimately they may leave the business
empowerment is centered around providing employees with more autonomy and freedom in the workplace
and it can be a very effective motivator for employees it is typically achieved through
providing employees with greater responsibility and the authorisation to make certain decisions
empowerment effectively provides employees with more control over their working lives
which increases their sense of worth and leads them to feeling valued
this can then lead employees to be more productive focused and loyal to the business
usually empowerment is not used as a tool to motivate new or unskilled employees initially
and generally happens over time this is as the employees experience and knowledge of the business
and its processes develop so does the level of empowerment they are given however when recruiting
empowerment is sometimes utilised to attract top talent with the promise of autonomy freedom and
key responsibilities in their role if they join the business consultation is when employees are
involved in the decision making process and are urged to provide their opinion on a wide range of
business matters this typically leads to employees feeling more valued by the business and more open
to change when it happens as they feel part of the process which naturally increases the motivation
levels of employees and their commitment to the business however if over time employees start
to doubt the consultation process for example they keep providing their views when asked but
they never see their viewpoints put into action this could have the reverse effect leading to
employees disengaging in the consultation process and their motivation is then likely to decrease
job enlargement is a very simple method which managers use to motivate employees by delegating
more complex tasks to them often above or beyond their usual role it's seen as a reward for their
performance and recognition of their skills knowledge and experience this is typically used
when employees appear bored and unchallenged in their roles or not stimulated by the task in hand
the logic behind this is that the employee will be stimulated and challenged by the increase in
their workload and the range of tasks which then increases their levels of productivity and job
satisfaction however job enlargement is typically seen as a short-term solution to increasing
employees motivation as over time employees will naturally start to be delegated similar tasks
and the challenge and stimulation will decrease also employees may react negatively to job
enlargement as they don't want the extra work and can find the workload overwhelming which
then leads to the employee being demotivated their productivity decreasing and ultimately they may
leave the business placing employees into teams can be an effective method of motivating employees
by setting the team specific targets challenges and even the chance to compete against co-workers
in opposing teams can really stimulate and engage employees on the task it is important
that these teams of employees have some level of control over the way they work by being given
autonomy and authority to achieve the target set solve problems and make decisions along the way
the logic behind team working as a non-financial motivator linked closer to elton mayo and the
hawthorn experiment which found that employees levels of motivation increase
when they feel part of a community and work alongside others who are striving to achieve
shared goals rather than working in isolation this not only increases the motivation levels
of employees but also the productivity quality and job satisfaction of all of the team members
however it is crucial these teams are managed effectively as there is an increased risk of
conflict due to factors such as members battling one another for dominant roles within the team
and placing blame on each other should they fail to achieve their targets if conflict is
not managed effectively it can have a detrimental impact on motivation and the additional factors
mentioned above of all team members not just the ones who are directly involved in the conflict
flexible working is becoming more of a prominent factor and expectation from employees as the years
pass by but it can have great benefits for a business in terms of the increased levels
of motivation commitment and productivity they receive from their employees in return
flexible working is common in situations such as the business employing working parents
who they may allow to work around their child's school timetable or part-time
students being able to work around their studies and given time off around their exams
typically employees feel very valued and appreciated when working for a business
which offers flexible working also flexible working is not just limited to shift patterns
but can also be linked to allowing employees to choose where they work such as from their
home rather than the office a major drawback for businesses is that they can't manage employees or
monitor their performances closely especially when they work from home which has led to some
businesses going to extreme lengths to monitor and micromanage employees who work from home
this can unfortunately break the relationship and trust between the business and employee
which naturally decreases the employees motivation and job satisfaction
therefore for flexible working to be an effective method of motivation
it is crucial that there are high levels of trust between the business and the employee
training is typically provided to employees either on the job or off the job it can be a
very effective method of motivating employees as they feel valued because the business is investing
time and money into their personal development this also has a variety of benefits to the
business as the employees skills knowledge and qualifications are improving which then leads to
a higher quality of work increased productivity due to the fact that the employee is more competent
and feels more confident in their role however there is a risk that employees may become too
qualified and skilled for their role which can lead to them becoming demotivated over time
due to the lack of challenge which can then lead to the employee leaving for a promotion elsewhere
such as a competitor on the back of the business's investment in their development
the style of manager that the employee works for will usually have a huge influence on their levels
of motivation in the workplace however there are lots of management styles to choose from
and which style would be effective is all dependent on the situation and the employees
if we use the examples of autocratic and democratic approaches to management we can
see where these two common styles will be most effective for motivating employees the autocratic
style is very direct with the manager making all the key decisions telling employees what to do
and expecting them to comply this style tends to be effective on new and unskilled employees
who need clear direction and guidance however whilst this can be effective for productivity
in the short term it can be very detrimental to the employee's motivation over the long term
due to employees not feeling valued or that they have any influence in the business
whereas the democratic style encourages employees to get involved in the decision-making process
by asking for their opinion and taking their viewpoints on board before making the actual
decision this style tends to be effective on experienced and skilled workers and can
have a positive impact on employee motivation over the long term as they tend to feel more
valued and involved which in turn increases their commitment and levels of productivity
providing employees with additional benefits such as free food access to an on-site gym
and recreational areas during downtime can have a real positive impact on their levels of motivation
when provided with perks such as ones mentioned above employees often feel valued by the business
which usually decreases workplace stress and increases employee morale
ultimately this can result in a happier workforce which is more productive and loyal to the business
however offering employee benefits and perks is not always feasible for many businesses and
the types of employee benefits and perks that a business can offer typically depend on the size
of the business itself due to the cost and logistical implications of implementing them
so there you have it that's our top 10 non-financial methods of motivating employees
let us know which one you think is the best and the most effective just comment
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