09/26/2012 (press release: NETtime) // NETtime Solutions
With the economy in a slump, personal challenges at home, and a myriad of other things that could go wrong, employees are in desperate need of some workplace motivation to keep their sprits soaring and productivity levels high. Setting out to see what employers were doing to spur motivation within their teams, backed by the knowledge of what employees say is actually working to inspire them, NETtime Solutions launched an online survey covering workplace motivation.
Throughout the month of August, data was collected from both business owners and management staff in addition to employees without management responsibilities. These are the results.
When asking business owners and managers, “In what ways do you try to motivate employees?” NETtime found:
• 88.5% Encourage open communication
• 53.8% Host corporate outings
• 50.0% Give training or education reimbursements
• 46.2% Set-up employee recognition programs
• 30.8% Provide a bonus program
When asking employees, “What motivates you in the workplace?” NETtime found:
• 83.3% Feeling appreciated
• 58.3% Having open communication with management
• 50.0% Incentive programs
• 0.0% Company hosted events
Several conclusions can be drawn from comparing what companies are doing to motivate staff with real insight from the employees they are trying to inspire. First, taking the time to make workers feel appreciated is essential to having great productivity. This requires a management style that is more personal and less totalitarian. This management style uses the same philosophies as management who encourages open communication with their workers – the second biggest component to creating a motivated workforce. Thankfully for employers, many seem to already be on the right track and are placing a priority on communication.
There are all forms of acts that can help employees feel appreciated. Giving examples of a time they felt valued, one employee from the survey shared a story of when they were included in an important meeting and acknowledged for their skills.
Managers also shared a glimpse into how they motivate employees. While some took the hard road and tried to brow beat employees with tactics like cutting wages, the majority of business owners and managers are on the right track and try well thought out, compassionate modes of motivation.
Some of the best responses came from the healthcare field where one respondent shared about a time she successfully motivated an employee, saying, “I gave a problem employee more responsibility and praised her when she did the tasks well. It is working! Her problematic behavior is really improving and she is more compliant.” A second healthcare manager reported, “I had an employee that had a melt down and was going to resign, so I had her take a week off, reassigned her to another position that gave her an opportunity in her mind to make a difference. Now she is a highly motivated individual and a key leader in the organization.”
Another parallel drawn from data collected in NETtime’s survey on workplace motivation is that while over half of employers are using company-hosted events to try and motivate employees, zero employees felt motivated by these events. While company-hosted events are an important aspect of team building they may not be the right tool for motivation. Corporate events and outings can be time consuming to plan and costly to implement. Educating business owners and management on the fact that events do not motivate employees can help them channel valuable company resources to more effective motivational and morale building tools.
Overall, NETtime’s survey on workplace motivation shows that employers who are in tune with their staff, and invest the time to truly appreciate their staff’s contributions to the company, can have a positive effect on the motivation levels of employees. When constructive motivation is high, a business’ environment is ripe for growth and the right combination of leadership and hard work can make a company unstoppable. So the next time employee morale is low, lend an ear, talk through relevant issues, or simply tell someone you appreciate them. Motivating a workforce truly comes down to personal touch.
To access the full results of NETtime’s workplace motivation survey, or to see past surveys, please visit the company’s Facebook page at http://www.Facebook.com/NETtime.
About NETtime Solutions
NETtime Solutions (www.NETtimeSolutions.com) is a service company exclusively delivering time and attendance in the cloud. Available anywhere, anytime, NETtime helps companies manage their workforce with real-time time and attendance data while maintaining compliance with local, state and federal labor laws.
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