Why Is Motivating Employees Important?

Motivating employees effectively is the key to a successful business. The why is straightforward -  If we break it down, “motivation” is an amalgamation of an employee’s commitment to their workplace, how they choose to spend their energy, and whether they innovate ideas to find solutions to problems. More efficient, energetic, and innovative employees make for better businesses. The hard part is figuring out how to consistently promote this atmosphere and motivate different employees within your business.

Let’s take an example. The employees working with you who are cheerful and love what they do will grow your business. However, there may be some workers who are low on energy and don’t like their job. They view their job as a means to an end and a necessary paycheck, or they come to the workplace because they have the responsibility of their family on their shoulders. They're most probably working at a slower pace, avoiding tasks, and might be spending time on their cell phones. 

This kind of employee not only slows the work but also demotivates other employees that are performing well. As it is said - “A single rotten apple can ruin the rest of the batch”. Ultimately, the entire company is held back from producing work to the highest standard or meeting important targets which result in dissatisfied customers.

Maintaining motivated staff is crucial for the success of any company, whether it is already thriving, or on the rise. If employee motivation begins to wane, it can lead to a decline in revenue and productivity.

Everyone believes that we need to have great talent in the workplace, but that talent should be rewarded. However, it’s also true that even when employees are paid well for their work, they are not always motivated. As an organisation, it’s important to know what makes an Employee really tick, rather than just their payday.

Importance Of Motivation In Work

We all believe that a genius without motivation is nothing.

Employees may sometimes work in fear rather than gratitude for the job they do, as they are scared to lose their jobs because they don’t share ideas or values with their supervisors. They may even fear they will make their superiors angry if they act out of their metaphorical lane. According to the film Office Space, "motivating" someone with the threat of being fired will only lead to the person putting the absolute minimum effort to reach the bar set - they won’t try to rise above it. 

Managers need to be realistic that all roles in a company don’t require highly skilled and hyper-efficient people - sometimes they only require people who can get work done. But what about a highly skilled job where a highly motivated person is required to get the work done to the standard needed? 

In this case, an employee being talented and being paid correctly might not be enough - we have to find a way to keep them motivated to strive above and beyond. How can we increase the motivation of employees who have talent but are not motivated enough?

In our opinion, that’s the wrong question.

Consultant Kerry Goyette in her TEDx talk titled “Stop Trying to Motivate Your Employees”  posits that humans are naturally motivated by feelings. 

We don’t need to increase motivation, we need to learn how to harness it.

Again, this begs the question “How can you effectively harness your employees”? The answer is simple: we need to know what our employees require and why they will work for us.

It's not just about money - any company a prospective employee applies to will pay them, and employees in many cases actively choose a job offer that pays less than another. So why did they choose your company?

Understanding this “why” and how to harness that why? It’s more likely that you will get answers to your question on how to harness them.

Their enjoyment at work and the security of their role will increase, and with that, the quality and efficiency of their work will increase.

Everyone is different so you can’t treat everyone the same. There can’t be just one type of need that your employees will have. You need to personally watch what your employees need and how it can be achieved. You just need to tailor the solutions to their motivation.

You may get lucky and end up with employees who are naturally self-motivated, but this isn’t a winning strategy long term. Employees who motivate themselves without any external encouragement are unicorns. You can’t expect that from everyone. 

The key to getting work done effectively and efficiently is the motivation of your staff. The major one is how you harness it. 

You need to recognise and reward the work of your employees if they’re performing well and encourage teamwork. Other factors that are involved in the process of harnessing motivation are one needs to also set timely targets and create a work environment that is friendly, energetic, and focused. 

It’s time to start thinking about our employees individually and how to harness each of their potentials.