How do you motivate employees?

Every employer, manager, and HR professional will, at some point in their working career, ask the following question: How do you motivate employees?

It’s an essential question because highly motivated employees help businesses thrive.

Companies with high employee motivation report better productivity, higher employee engagement, fewer absences and better employee retention.

So, how do you motivate employees, and what can we learn from the Olympics?

Teamwork and Collaboration 

The 2024 Olympics gave us many heartwarming examples of team spirit and sportsmanship - those who missed out on the win celebrating the achievements of their teammates and competitors.

If athletes chasing gold and dreams can feel genuine joy for those they’re competing against, we should be doing the same in the workplace.

Even in a goal- and performance-driven organisation, managers should encourage team members to consider each other allies, not competitors. While you may individualise targets, everyone is working toward the same business goal, and this requires unity.

Celebrate each other’s wins and offer support when needed.

Discover more in our blog, ‘How to Build Trust in the Workplace to Boost Solidarity’.

Effective Leaders

A champion team needs a winning leader. How do you motivate employees without someone fighting their corner?

The most effective managers lead by example and with authenticity, understand the needs of each person within their team and what it takes to get the best from them.

While Maslow, Herzberg, and Pink’s employee motivation theories create a blueprint from which to work, it’s essential to remember that what motivates employees will differ from one to the next. 

Recognising each person's unique strengths and the value they bring to the team is also a sign of an effective leader. Diversity and different ways of thinking breed innovation and creative decisions.

Life-long Learning

Olympians don’t stop striving to be better at their chosen sport until the day they retire. Always pushing to be faster - better.

70% of employees consider what’s available when making career decisions.

You’re likely to have people in your team with ambitions to climb to the top of the ladder alongside colleagues who value security and consistency - content enjoying what they do, with high levels of job satisfaction. Regardless of their personal goals, continuous learning and development opportunities boost employee motivation. Career development opportunities are also crucial for employers seeking to improve employee retention. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

How do you motivate employees through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?

The Olympics brings together different people and nations. It’s a competition - a celebration of our differences - but it’s also about unity.

We’ve written several blogs on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, covering ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation and neurodiversity. Each will help you build understanding and allyship within your business.

Understand, embrace and support employees.

Aligning Values

The Paris 2024 Olympics’ organisers were “laser-focused” on reducing emissions, reducing the Game's footprint by 50% compared to the average emissions the London 2012 and Rio 2016 created (International Olympic Commission).  

How do you motivate your employees through values and CSR?

CSR has a significant role to play in employee motivation and engagement. Conscious quitting is increasing, with employees seeking employers committed to their social values. Discover the importance of being a socially conscious employer in our blog, ‘Sustainability at the heart of everything… eco-friendly employee benefits’.

Reward and Recognition

How do you motivate employees? Recognising and rewarding their achievements is one of the most impactful ways to boost employee motivation and encourage the repetition of desired behaviours.

Want high performers to maintain their momentum and continue going the extra mile? Reward their efforts. Celebrate their achievements.

What motivates employees varies from one person to the next. Monetary rewards, like our eVouchers, are impactful, inclusive, and cost-effective, but money isn’t the only motivator.

It’s important to consider what you’re trying to motivate employees to do. It’s not all about higher productivity, and what motivates employees to meet goals may be different to what motivates employees to stay with your business.

Align your reward and recognition strategy with your employees' preferences and business goals.

These blogs provide some further insights:

• Inclusive employee rewards for all generations
• Affordable and inclusive ways to harness the power of employee appreciation
• Boost Employee Motivation to Avoid Procrastination

Supporting Employee Wellbeing

How do you motivate your employees? Making employee wellbeing a priority will enhance employee motivation. 

Read Tom’s story about the pay rise that ended up being the wake-up call he needed to find a new job in our blog, The Evolution and Growing Importance of Employee Wellbeing.

When the balance between Tom’s life and work tipped too heavily towards the latter, his employer offered to increase his salary. It boosted Tom’s morale for a split second, but it didn’t take him long to realise that nothing would change besides the money he brought home.

Financially resilient employees are less stressed and more productive, but to sustainably achieve high levels of employee motivation, it’s also essential to support mental and physical wellbeing, too.

Discover more…

• Inspiring healthy lifestyles and the business benefits that follow
• Improving mental health in the workplace… affordable, impactful, essential!

Learning from the Olympics to discover the answer to the question: how do you motivate employees? It’s the Pluxee Effect!

We offer businesses like yours an award-winning range of employee benefits and employee rewards that boost employee motivation, engagement, and retention. Request a call to learn more.