By Peter Wasmer, Founder & CEO of Pure Coastal Technologies Inc.
It’s no secret that small businesses have a hard time competing with larger businesses when it comes to insuring that company employees are motivated. Small business owners often can’t offer their employees the same salaries, benefits, and perks that bigger businesses can use to encourage motivation. Without motivated employees, it can be difficult to achieve a company’s business goals and remain profitable.
Trends with Small Business Employees
In recent years, there has been a trend of small business employees with motivation who are quietly quitting their jobs, which according to Gallup is “the idea spreading virally on social media that millions of people are not going above and beyond at work and just meeting their job description — could get worse. This is a problem because most jobs today require some level of extra effort to collaborate with coworkers and meet customer needs. Quiet quitters” make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce — probably more, Gallup finds. When employees are motivated at a business, the numbers trend downward.
Gallup reports that, “The drop in engagement began in the second half of 2021 and was concurrent with the rise in job resignations. Managers, among others, experienced the greatest drop. U.S. employee engagement took another step backward during the second quarter of 2022, with the proportion of engaged workers remaining at 32% but the proportion of actively disengaged increasing to 18%. The ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is now 1.8 to 1, the lowest in almost a decade.
Quiet quitting can be a major problem for small businesses, as it often leads to lost productivity and a decrease in morale across the board. There are a few possible reasons for this trend of quiet quitting. One is that employees may feel underappreciated or unvalued in their jobs. Another possibility is that they may not see any opportunity for growth or advancement in their current position. And finally, it could be that they simply aren’t happy with their work-life balance and are seeking a better situation elsewhere. Regardless of the reason, small businesses need to be aware of this trend and take steps to prevent it from happening.
Small Business Ideas for Anyone Who Wants to Run Their Own Business
Having a profitable business or company may sound hard to come by, but you can easily set up and manage your own small business for your own profit. You may already know the business you want to start and have the right level of motivation to succeed. While you might be excited to search for the right company idea, start something new and get interested in the idea, you may also need directions, motivation, and an example of another company that is successful. There is always a first time for an entrepreneur to find something suitable for his or her unique situation and there are many business ideas that will help you expand your client base, hire great employees, stay motivated, and expand the company.
Motivation of employees
Employee motivation translates to the energy and creativity that the company and employees bring to work. Whatever the economic conditions may bring, knowing how to motivate staff can often cause problems for company management. Competing ideas for motivation emphasize incentives or employee participation (engagement and power). Motivating employees by setting an example can be particularly difficult in small companies despite great ideas for motivation. The company owner often spends long hours building the business and therefore has difficulties delegating meaningful responsibilities for motivation. The effect on the small business is damaging because it is based on poor motivation among workers. It’s essential to create company systems for motivation.
Employee Motivation
Motivated staff members are a key element within a company, directly proportional to its success. Employee motivation is also intangible – difficult to measure – very challenging to monitor – although easily improvable. It involves setting a good example, motivation, intent, energy, great ideas, and persistence. Motivated employees refer to an individual who brings energy and creativity to the organization daily. Motivation comes from Latin words – “manutees” meaning movement.
What is meant by employee motivation?
Employee motivation is critical, and employees motivate themselves by demonstrating their enthusiasm for working for the job. Whatever your business needs, finding motivating staff is always a management issue. Competing motivation theories emphasize incentives if employees want to be empowered.
What are the drivers of employee motivation?
Employee motivation is built upon research showing the importance of the fundamental drives: the drive to obtain and attain. This drive is essential when understanding how employees motivate each other.
What is the importance of employee motivation?
Employee motivation is the key to a successful company. It is about how much energy an employer’s employees bring in on the job. Without this high level of motivation, it is likely the company would be able to lose important profits even without it.
Why is employee motivation so important at work?
Numerous studies indicate the importance of employee motivation and engagement. In addition, employee involvement usually translates into better results. Why are companies so focused on ideas for boosting employees and employee motivation? According to an upcoming Gallup survey, 80% of Americans don’t have optimum productivity levels. What is your answer? It seems less engaged employees have less emotional connection with companies.
So how can small business owners keep their employees motivated? Here are a few tips for employee motivation that managers can use to maximize interest in the company’s success.
- Create a positive work environment – Employees should feel appreciated and valued by managers to stay motivated. Make sure to invest in their development and growth and help them see how their work contributes to the success of the business. This supports employee motivation.
- Give employees opportunities to learn and grow – Companies need to create and provide challenges that stretch their capabilities, motivate, and help them grow professionally. This will keep them engaged and motivated to do their best work. Another way to motivate employees is to give them opportunities to learn new skills and take on additional responsibility.
- Show appreciation – Sometimes, the best way for companies and managers to show an employee that you value them is simply by saying “thank you” and letting them know how much you appreciate their hard work. This small gesture can go a long way in keeping your employees motivated and boosting overall employee motivation.
- Offer financial incentives – While not always the most effective method, managers who create and offer financial (money) incentives and added (money) pay to help boost employee income understand that it can be a good way to motivate an employee, show them you value their contributions, and boost employee motivation across the board. Be sure to tie these incentives to specific goals or objectives so that employees are motivated to achieve them.
Employees Are Motivated By Great Managers at Great Companies
By following these tips, managers can help ensure that your employees stay motivated and contribute to the success of your small business. This is an investment in the future.