There’s no question the pandemic has dramatically changed workplace cultures. As employers adapt to hybrid work environments and evolving employee expectations, they’re also looking for better ways to engage and motivate their staff.
Given the uncertainties and upheavals during COVID-19, keeping employees motivated is no longer an easy task. These days, it takes more than free snacks, motivational speeches, and standard incentives to get teams excited. Now is the ideal time for companies to rethink their strategies for motivating employees beyond rewards and paychecks. Here are a few suggestions from SureCo to get you started.
Trust Your People
Research shows that employees tend to be more motivated when they aren’t feeling micromanaged. Keep your employees feeling motivated by letting them take the initiative regarding the work they do. Every employee's work processes vary, and it's important to keep that in mind.
Conversely, motivation tends to go up when managers and team leaders show trust in their employees’ problem-solving capabilities. Try guiding employees by asking questions and empowering them to come up with solutions independently.
Let Them Learn
Humans are curious by nature. We like to learn, grow, and maintain constant progress. Give your employees more opportunities to expand their knowledge and advance their expertise. You can offer things like:
- Training courses
- Pay for certifications
- Bring in guest subject-matter experts and lecturers
- Send employees to conferences
- Help offset the cost of a degree
Show Appreciation
Studies suggest that lack of recognition and appreciation are among the top reasons people feel unmotivated and unsupported. Taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate your employees’ accomplishments — even the small ones — can improve motivation and morale.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t provide constructive feedback to help employees improve. But when you do, be sure to point out the things they are doing well too. The more recognized and competent your people feel, the more motivated they’ll be to do even better.
Making a Difference
People are often more motivated to act when they know that their actions are having a positive impact. This applies to employees as well. Make sure your team members understand how their work is helping their colleagues, customers, and the organization. If they know their work is making a difference, chances are they will be more motivated to get it done.
Be Accessible
Employees become disengaged, discouraged, and disconnected when they feel like their managers and leaders aren’t available to them. Make sure your leadership team has an open-door policy and remains accessible to employees who have questions, concerns, and ideas.
At the same time, make sure you’re providing regular and transparent communications with your employees. By ensuring your staff is informed and involved with what is happening in the company, you’re helping them feel engaged and valued. This, in turn, provides powerful motivation.
Connect People
Teams who are close-knit and supportive tend to be more motivated to do their best work. As remote and hybrid work continues to keep employees isolated, these social connections are more important than ever.
The pandemic gave businesses the opportunity to produce creative ways to keep their employees engaged with one another. This also helps team members build trust and have fun. Host virtual happy hours and outdoor activities for effective ways to bring people together safely.
Equip Them
Today’s workforce is becoming more digitally savvy than ever. Leverage digital tools and resources to keep employees feeling engaged, personalized, and empowered.
SureCo's Enrollment Platform makes it easy for employees to shop for and purchase health plans that better fit their needs and budgets. It also connects employees to information about their healthcare costs and benefits, so they feel more in control of their own healthcare experience.
And because the plans they purchase on SureCo's Enrollment Platform are portable, your employees can take their health coverage with them should they leave or change jobs — giving them even more control. By making their healthcare experience less frustrating and complex, you’ll see an improvement in employee satisfaction, engagement, and motivation.
See how our Enrollment Platform gives employees more flexibility, control, and choice in their healthcare coverage.
