Keeping your staff motivated and engaged over the longer-term is one of the biggest challenges of running any growing business. In the early days, if you make the right hiring decisions then your employees should be motivated and keen to impress. But over time, it’s inevitable that not everything will go their way. Even the most well-intentioned CEO will have to make tough decisions and that could impact the motivation of key employees.
For real-world tips about keeping staff motivated over the longer-term, we spoke to Vasco de Castro, co-founder of office fruit supplier Fruitful Office, to see what techniques he uses with his team.
- Keep them healthy!
You might think that’s a self-serving remark from the CEO of an office fruit supplier, but there’s a lot more to keeping your workforce healthy than simply giving them access to a regular supply fruit. Giving staff the freedom to express themselves, really listening to their suggestions and playing an active role in creating a healthy work-life balance are all essential. Here are a few other strategies you can use to keep your staff happy and healthy.
- Empower employees to take responsibility
Having ownership of a business function, no matter how small, can be extremely motivating for employees. Not only does this show trust, which 99% of employees will respond well too, but it also gives them a sense of responsibility and satisfaction which can be very empowering.
- Give them the freedom to make decisions and take action
Micromanagement is one of the universal gripes of modern employees. A consistent pattern of micromanagement sucks the life out of employees and shows them that you don’t trust their judgement. Vasco de Castro takes the opposite approach. He explains: “The company’s culture is very entrepreneurial, which means people are empowered to make suggestions and take action. Making a difference is incredibly motivating and rewarding”.
What do you find motivating as an employee? Do you agree with de Castro and like to take on more responsibility, or is money your primary motivator? Please share your thoughts with our readers in the comments below.
