Workplace Problems: Low Employee Motivation

There are several factors that could be causing low motivation in your workplace and these factors can have detrimental effects on both the employees and the business. Here we explore possible reasons for low motivation amongst your employees and what you can do to solve it. When it comes to decreased motivation, there are several key signs to look out for:

• Reduction in productivity
• Decline in quality of work
• Increased employee absence
• High employee turnover
• Changes in demeanour or attitude

UK Recruiters Michael Page outline seven major reasons why employees often lack motivation at work:

• Lack of flexibility
• Short-term goals with no career progression
• Feeling undervalued
• Shortage of development opportunities
• Poor leadership
• Conflict in the workplace
• Unrealistic workload

What can be done? Great Place to Work conduct annual employee surveys and workplace cultural studies with over 6,600 organisations worldwide with over 12 million employees. Their research focuses on measuring the following factors, which contribute to an individuals’ wellbeing at work:

• Values and ethics
• Teamwork
• Work and environment processes
• Recognition
• Job satisfaction

There are several ways you can create a work environment that fosters high employee motivation.

• Provide opportunities for your employees to develop their skills – such as training opportunities, seminars, workshops and mentoring schemes.
• Give them more autonomy and independence in their role - take a step back and allow them to take responsibility for their own workload, make decisions on how they get things done and give them higher levels of responsibility.
• Allow your employees to see the impact their decisions and actions have on company goals - include them in meetings, email chains and higher-level discussions. Seeing the bigger picture helps them feel more involved in the company’s success.
• Recognise high performance as well as when the employee makes a mistake - most people thrive on praise, and if your employee is feeling under-appreciated this could be a huge motivational factor. Praise can be verbal, via email or even just a thank you note.
• Take an interest in employee wellbeing - healthy workers are happy workers. This doesn’t just mean through diet and exercise! You need to take care of the mental wellbeing of your employees too. A recent government study found that there is significant evidence that workplace wellbeing and job performance are directly correlated. Things like support concerning maternity leave, work social events, financial support and pension schemes, holidays, rewarding good work and positive relationships with management all contribute to good employee wellbeing.