Motivating employees is not only an art, but also a big challenge, which carries key importance for the success of any organization. How to do it well?
Free access to this article is provided to you by MU Group.
In the dynamics of today's business world, rapidly developing competition, rushing technology and the trend of frequent employer changes, maintaining employee engagement becomes a strategic priority. Unfortunately, motivating employees is not an easy task and requires understanding individual needs, knowledge about offers available on the market, or understanding the complexity of human psychology.
Studies such as Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace (Lancaster & Stillman, 2002), for example, showed that generational differences affect expectations and behaviors towards work. Millennials pay more attention to values related to possible development and the mission of the organization, while Generation X values clear conditions and financial stability the most.
The key for organizations will therefore be to understand that one motivational strategy will not fit all, and in extreme cases, it may even turn out to be misguided towards the majority.
Organizational justice in many studies is defined as a fundamental element of effective employee motivation. This approach is based on fairness, equality and transparency in treating employees, which affects their perception of the organization, engagement in work and the desire to follow the goals set by the employer. The analysis Justice at the Millennium: A Meta-Analytic Review of 25 Years of Organizational Justice Research from 2001 distinguishes four basic dimensions of justice in managing the organization.
The research conducted in 2001 clearly confirmed that the sense of organizational justice has a direct impact on employee motivation. When they feel they are treated fairly, they are more likely to engage in work, make extra efforts and show loyalty to the organization. Even when they do not receive additional compensation for their work. Communication, free conversation and the opportunity to be heard influence the sense of justice in this case.
Dalia Sadowska
At the center of effective communication is the ability to actively listen. Leaders who practice this art show a higher level of employee engagement. However, it's not just about asking questions, but also fully focusing on the interlocutor, showing interest and giving constructive feedback. This builds an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding, as confirming emotions is also important in the process of motivating employees. Providing support makes the employee feel understood, which affects their engagement.
The next step worth implementing is also joint goal setting, which encourages action and informs about belonging to a particular community or organization. However, all this will not work without proper feedback. To be effective, it should be based on hard data. Research shows that feedback, which involves specifying behaviors and their consequences, makes the employee feel that they are not one of many employed, but someone who is paid attention to and worth investing their time in.
Effective conversations with employees are therefore not only communication techniques, but also a true art of building relationships.
Ewa Pawlik
In the era of rapid development of artificial intelligence, the need to adapt to frequent changes and new market needs, flexibility and autonomy are becoming increasingly important factors influencing employee satisfaction and their engagement in their duties.
Autonomy means the ability to make decisions and control your own work. A flexible approach to tasks allows them to be adapted to the diversity of work styles of employed people. Each employee has individual preferences regarding pace, organization method or the best time for effective task execution. Flexible working hours or the possibility of remote work allow employees to adjust their schedule to their own needs, which translates into higher comfort and satisfaction.
Managing flexibility and autonomy, however, requires a balance between freedom and responsibility. In this case, clear rules and guidelines regarding employer expectations are necessary, while maintaining the employee's space for decision-making. Flexibility and autonomy are key elements of effective employee motivation in this context. They provide the ability to control one's own time and place of work, which affects their satisfaction and engagement. Companies that understand and adapt to the individual needs of their employees in this area gain loyal, motivated employees, ready to achieve common goals.
Jakub Rusak
The Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment study from 2014 showed that employees performing assigned tasks from the comfort of their home increased their productivity by 13% on the first day of remote work.
A review of studies conducted by Harvard Business Review in 2020 also confirmed, that remote work has led to increased productivity in some sectors. Many people began to devote the time previously spent on commuting to the office to work, which resulted in faster completion of assigned tasks. The facilitation of maintaining work-life balance was also significant.
In the above studies, it was also emphasized that the conditions of remote work are crucial for efficiency. Employees who had access to appropriate tools, technology, and organizational support, had a greater chance of maintaining or increasing their productivity. At the same time, the review of studies identified some challenges related to productivity in remote work. The lack of physical presence in the office, difficulties in communication, and the need to manage time without clear boundaries between work and private life were a challenge for many people.
Ewa Pawlik
Generational differences in the workplace have become an integral part of today's business environment. Employees have different expectations, but also values related to work.
Effective management of generational differences requires adapting motivational strategies to the specific preferences of each generation. It's not just a matter of financial benefits, but also creating an organizational culture that takes into account the diversity of expectations and values.
In conclusion, understanding generational differences in approach to work becomes a key element of effective human resource management. Adapting motivational strategies to the values and preferences of individual generations can bring not only employee satisfaction, but also increased efficiency and loyalty.
Jakub Rusak
In literature and press, seven most commonly encountered and replicated ways of motivating employees are distinguished. These are:
The art of motivating employees is a complex process that requires understanding the diversity of expectations, values and needs. Research shows that the traditional approach based solely on financial rewards has limited effectiveness. The key role is played by autonomy and a sense of purpose, which allow employees to feel engaged.
Persuasion techniques are therefore a constant process of adaptation. As organizations transform their motivational strategies, focusing on authenticity and understanding, they open the door to teams that not only achieve goals, but also grow and persist in a dynamic business environment.
In 2023 alone, over 84,000 cases of fraud were recorded, resulting in losses of a record 277 million dollars.
The Trends & Salaries Report 2024 developed by ManpowerGroup presents predictions regarding phenomena that will dominate the labor market in the coming year. They cover a wide range of topics from the professional activation of women, through the impact of Generation Z on organizational culture, to the progress of AI.
Volkswagen has partnered with Cerence to integrate its proprietary voice assistant IDA with ChatGPT. The first cars equipped with the AI chatbot were presented at the CES 2024 trade show.
As the only company in the world, it is able to produce processors in the most advanced 3 nm technology. In addition, it owns the most expensive factory ever built, and its clients are Apple, NVIDIA and Intel. How did it happen that Taiwanese TSMC became one of the most important companies in the world?
English