According to all the statistics we’ve seen, about 70% of your workers are disengaged. Their demotivation and lack of enthusiasm for their jobs is costing you big money; Inc. says companies are losing $450 to $550 billion annually on employees that simply aren’t motivated.
But today’s teams are highly diverse, so what motivates one employee will not work on all of them. Creating a strategy to engage everyone in the success of the enterprise takes work, but it’s worth it.
How can managers reengage their diverse work teams so that everyone benefits?
Understand Your Team
Motivating a diverse workforce means managers must get to know their employees to understand what motivates them. Managers that know their teams can create an environment that stimulates, rewards and encourages all team members in ways that are important to each employee.
Create Rewards
Creating a recognition program is an important way to engage and inspire employees. Even small things like gift cards or allowing a jeans day when the attire is business professional, can help perk up and motivate employees. Adding additional compensation rewards, profit sharing or even more vacation time is important. Even small call-outs throughout the week to publicly recognize good work can help teams grow more cohesive and push the team to overachieve.
However, tailoring the right rewards must be a part of the process. Understanding the unique needs of your employees will allow you to create a reward that really resonates. For example, if you have young moms on the team, they may appreciate additional flextime in the morning. Or, if you have employees that are saving for a vacation, could additional revenue-generating opportunities motivate them in new ways? Try celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and employee achievements. It will help motivate and inspire your teams.
Fun Still Matters
Having fun at work can increase employee engagement and motivation. It can also increase productivity. Sure, you can install a Ping-Pong table or invite employees to happy hour, but it’s also important to allow employees to interact and build team camaraderie. When was the last time you heard your team laughing on the job?
Enlist Your Employees Expertise
Including employees in decision-making for departments or corporate policies will engage them because it tells them you care about their opinions. Most people want to feel like they’re contributing to the workplace. Far too often, we make management decisions in a vacuum. Opening the floor up to discussion and simply asking employees for their suggestions are important ways to let employees know that they matter and are a vital part of the team.
Diversity and Employee Engagement
As you begin to work on motivating employees, consider the diversity of your team and what motivates them. You probably wouldn’t motivate a GenX employee in the same way you’d engage a baby boomer, right? Considering the nuances of your team will help you come up with new ways to get everyone involved in the success of the organization.
Talk with the team at Blackstone about ways to engage your teams. If you’re looking for motivated talent, we can help.