How do you motivate employees?

Do you think financial rewards are the best way to motivate employees? Think again.

A recent article published in the Globe and Mail reveals that financial compensation is seventh on the list.  A quote from the article “Ms. Jerabek’s testing found these top 10 motivators: achievement; learning; inspiration (the chance to inspire others); creativity; fun and enjoyment; improvement; financial reward; change and variety; identity and purpose; and stability.

So the study shows that financial rewards fall to seventh on the list. If employees feel underpaid and used, that will drag down motivation in a work force. But offer financial rewards and many people aren’t particularly revved up (although some definitely are).

This article focuses on how to have an environment where people can have fun and be recognized at work. You might not know how simple enabling such an environment can be.

Doris Meinart published an article listing 25 fun and easy ways to boost morale. If you want to read the entire article go here.

I have listed below those suggestions that I found to be easy to implement and most appealing:

1. Accomplishment Jars – All team members have clear, personalized jars on their desks. They were encouraged to give their colleagues a marble to celebrate each accomplishment, big or small. Marbles could be given by peers or by managers. At the end of the year, you hold a raffle. The more marbles you had, the more times your name got thrown in the hat for prizes.
2. Getting Caught. – Encourage employees to “catch” their peers when they go above and beyond the call of duty. Both the recognized employee and the person who recognized him or her would receive a small gesture of appreciation, such as Friday afternoon off or a free lunch.
3. On a Personal Note – The directors of the firm were asked to write thank-you notes to hourly employees whenever they noticed employees going above and beyond in their duties. These notes were always handwritten and sent to the home of the employee (via HR, of course). This way, employees were recognized individually and they could tell that the directors put time into the thank-you cards. The fact that they were handwritten gave it a personal touch.
4. Wow’Em – Have a “Wall of Wow” intended to visually represent the successes and accomplishments of the team. It was a huge display, divided into the four quarters of the year. By the end of each quarter, there would be positive e-mails, symbolic graphics, metrics, charts, photos and completed sample project documents. It was fun, and visitors to your building would make a point to check out the wall.