6 Ways to Motivate Your Employees

Having employees can make your life as a business owner so much easier. It takes the burden off of you to do every little thing, letting you focus on the important aspects of running the business, and it provides a job for someone else, helping to stimulate the economy. But anyone who has dealt with employees before knows that it can sometimes be difficult to keep your employees motivated so that they want to work hard and help further the business. Your accountant in Billings, MT outlines six ways to keep your employees happy.

 

 

Company Paid Lunches

One of the best things that you can do is to take little stressors away from your employees. Making it so they don’t have to worry about lunch can do just that. If you have just one or two employees, you may want to consider providing lunch every day of the week; if you have more then you may want to do company provided lunches on Friday. No matter how you structure it, your employees are going to be happy because how many companies actually do this?

Be Real

This is easier said than done. But think about it who you would appreciate more: a boss that comes by once a week and gives you a cheery smile and tells you how much you’re benefiting the company, or the boss that comes by and says that things are looking grim and everyone needs to work extra hard to make sure we turn a profit this quarter? Now you can’t be negative all the time, but when you’re real your employees appreciate you more.

Listen and Follow Through

Too often the boss gets in the habit of saying, “This is how I want it done, so you do it like this.” This makes for disgruntled employees. Perhaps even worse is the boss that seems to care, listens to complaints and suggestions, and never does anything about them. Want to keep your employees happy? Encourage them to give you feedback, actually pay attention when they do (turn off the computer if you need to minimize distractions), and ultimately follow through.

Empower Them

Talking about “empowering employees” sounds cliché and overused. But there is a reason that these buzzwords exist. An employee that has a say in the company is going to be a productive employee. They don’t want to feel as though they come to work, do a series of chores, and then go home. If your employees have an idea of how to make operations smoother, test those out. If your employee wants to work from home, try it for a week to see if he or she is as productive (or more productive) than in the office. People want a say in what they do, let them have it.

Provide Incentives

Most jobs can be quantified in some form or another. Determine a series of goals and provide incentives for the employees as they meet those goals. Incentives can be as simple as a coffee card for small goals, or bonuses and pay raises for bigger goals. Little rewards keep employees happy; happy employees work harder and stay longer.

Profit Sharing Plans

This is separate from “provide incentives” for a couple reasons. First, it is more than just an incentive for working harder; it is a reward for the employee for their expertise. Second, it should be reserved for your top executives. Top talent needs to be rewarded when they help to grow the business. It encourages them to put more time and effort into the job (even if their pay remains the same); because at the end of the quarter they know they will get a fat bonus check. Profit sharing amounts depend greatly on the executive, size of the company, and many other factors.

Motivating Employees shouldn’t be Hard

You don’t need gimmicks to motivate your employees. In fact, if your treat them fairly, and you have the right person in the right job, then their biggest motivation will come from job satisfaction. But sometimes people get a little burnt out, and you do need to provide some incentives.

Practical Taxes is a full service accounting firm in Billings, Montana. We can help you with your tax preparation needs, bookkeeping needs, payroll services needs, and much more. If you are a business owner, and you want to grow your business, we can help you do that. Give us a call at 406-894-2050 to set up an appointment today!