Chapter 28: Motivate Your Employees
CREATING JOB SATISFACTION
Although it is important to attend to the training and support needs of your employees and to be actively involved in recruiting and hiring people who fit your organization, effective managers devote much of their time to motivating their employees to perform over and above the required minimums. A well-rounded motivation strategy integrates performance and satisfaction. Meaning that while it is important for employees to feel good about what they are doing and feel appreciated, it is still necessary to hold them accountable for results. The best companies have productive people who are satisfied with their work environment and who are committed to the company’s success.
WHAT IS MOTIVATION?
In order to understand motivation, it must be broken down into three distinct and interrelated parts.
The first aspect of motivation involves satisfying one’s needs: Motivation towards better performance depends on the satisfaction of needs for responsibility, achievement, recognition, and growth.
The second aspect of motivation is that needs are always changing: Needs are felt and their intensity varies from one person to another and from time to time, and so does the extent to which they are motivating.
Thirdly, motivated behavior can be reinforced: Behavior is learned and earned rewards encourage even better performance, thus reinforcing desired behavior.
Motivation is a very complex topic. If you know what people need and want, then you know what they will work for and if you reinforce them for their performance, they will continue to work well and achieve.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, needs range from the most basic of physiological needs (food and shelter) to the need for self-fulfillment. When one chooses to work, he is doing it because he needs to earn money to survive, so working in and of itself satisfies a basic need. So, at a very deep level, one is motivated to work, period, but the contextual factors related to work environment provide further motivation to do a good job. These factors include the physical work environment (temperature, comfort, arrangement, noise, aesthetics, safety, etc.) and the employment conditions (salary, benefits, supervision, policies, job status, job security, etc.).
These “maintenance factors,” as Hertberg calls them, are important and necessary to providing the kind of work environment that attracts employees in the first place. These factors can be viewed as base-line requirements for a healthy workplace and hopefully it has gotten to the point where most companies can offer a good base level of satisfaction. But a good or average base is not enough to keep the best people in your organization — they are looking for, and deserve, more from their work. To retain your top staff, you need to foster a culture and environment that values your employees and allows and encourages them to reach their potential.
This type of organization goes beyond basic needs and recognizes that people need to feel appreciated and recognized for their contributions and these are the types of social, ego, and self-fulfilling needs that have real motivating potential. The things that motivate on the job include:
• Achievement
• Recognition
• Work itself
• Advancement
• Responsibility
• Possibility of growth
EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION PROGRAM
To effect a successful motivation program, you must start with the following assumptions:
• Employees start out motivated. A lack of motivation is a learned response fostered by misunderstood or unrealistic expectations.
• Management is responsible for creating a supportive, problem-solving work environment in which necessary resources to perform a task are provided.
• Rewards should encourage high personal performance that is consistent with management objectives.
• Motivation works best when it is based on self-governance.
• Employees need to be treated fairly and consistently.
• Employees deserve timely, honest feedback on their work performance.
The onus is on managers to create a motivating environment and continuously monitor the situation to ensure it evolves and stays motivating.
RULES OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
DEFINE EXPECTATIONS
The foundation of an effective motivation program is proper goal-setting. Do your employees understand their role in the organization? Do they see a connection between their daily duties and the bottom line? Unless the answer is yes to both of those questions, then they are simply showing up and collecting a paycheck.
It is very important for employees to feel ownership and empowerment. Ownership happens when they have goals to achieve that are tied to operational performance. These are called performance goals and the best way to achieve them is to make them SMART.
SMART goals are:
• Specific: Well-defined and clear to all parties.
• Measurable: You know if the goal is obtainable, how far away completion is, and when it has been achieved.
• Achievable: It should be something that is challenging but also within your ability to attain.
• Realistic: Within the availability of resources, knowledge, and time.
• Time-framed: Set a start and end date and leave enough time to achieve the goal within realistic parameters.
|
Examples of SMART Goals |
|
|
Reduce finished product defects by 15 percent next quarter. |
Respond to employee suggestions within 48 hours of receipt. |
Telling a person to take initiative or do their best is not motivating because these terms mean different things to different people. SMART goals are agreed upon and readily verifiable and quantifiable.
INCREASE THE VALUE OF WORK
To make something motivating, it is important to find out what is important to your employees. Most people think that money is the main motivator but that is actually not the case. Different people are motivated by different things at different times and the best way to find out what employees value is to ask them directly. Companies have spent thousands of dollars on recognition programs only to find out that the reward is a joke to the staff; instead of getting a company T-shirt, what they really wanted was a company picnic table out back. Here are some examples of things commonly considered valuable:
• Flexible Schedules. Options include employees working more hours on certain days and fewer on others, in fixed or variable schedules. Compressed work weeks offer employees the opportunity to bundle two full weeks of full-time work into a fixed schedule of eight or nine days. In all circumstances, the programs are structured to meet business objectives while recognizing individual needs.
• Job Sharing. Two or more people splitting position responsibilities is another way to acknowledge personal needs while bringing diversity of experience to a singular position. Individuals sharing jobs and working part-time may reduce benefit costs while retaining talent that may otherwise choose to retire or leave the company. Factors to consider are the need to communicate between position participants and the transferability of knowledge.
• Telecommuting. Employees with high motivation, self-discipline, necessary skills, and independent orientation are ideal candidates to work off-site. Loyalty and productivity may be enhanced in telecommuting situations; however, companies should have mechanisms in place to measure the success and contributions of telecommuting workers.
• Paid Leave Banks. A structured program that combines vacation, short-term sick leave, personal days, and emergency leave is a way to reward and motivate employees. Although the company retains the right to grant approval for leave, the employee can accrue more discretionary days than with some traditional programs. The costs remain the same for the company, while participants perceive greater control and are more likely to remain contented in the long run.
• Phased Retirement. By offering a combination of pension modification and staggered working periods, a program can be structured to reduce overall expenses, motivate and retain the employee, and help meet business objectives.
• Developmental Opportunities and Career Planning. Many individuals express frustration in performing the same responsibilities over and over. The ability of a company to structure career-planning programs, including job rotations, skills training, and project management assignments, are of interest to many employees. Providing opportunities to learn new technologies and methods and accomplish new achievements is significant in capturing prolonged interest from high-potential staff. Giving people the opportunity to gain exposure and implement new programs while building self-esteem and credibility is valuable for both the company and the employee. If an assignment increases his value on the job market, it is very motivating and ongoing training, especially in technological skills, is often a requirement for employment. Opportunity and recognition of accomplishments can prove to be a much more lucrative incentive than any financial considerations a company may offer.
• Sabbaticals. Providing a mid-career break to refresh and rejuvenate is exactly what some employees are looking for. Sabbaticals can be an effective means of energizing these workers.
• Feedback. People crave knowing what other people think of their work. Although autonomy is important, so is ready access to and abundant time with managers.
• Tangible Rewards. Small, immediate, concrete, tangible rewards, such as money, dinner certificates, and tickets to cultural events, are very motivating. The key is to find out what events or activities motivate the employee. Just because you like to watch the game from the corporate box seat does not mean that your accountant feels the same way.
• Have Fun. For well-balanced individuals, their personal lives are more important than their careers. Incentives and benefits that demonstrate an organization’s support of a balance are attractive to them.
• Pat People on the Back. Few perks are cheaper, easier, or more effective than recognition. Recognition can take a variety of forms. The basic premise is to catch people doing something right and then tell them and others about it.
• Share the Perks of Your Business. Is there an aspect of your business that you could turn into an inexpensive employee benefit? Maybe you get merchandise or certificates from suppliers. Instead of keeping those for the managers, share them with your top performers. Let employees share in perks you provide to your clients.
• Feed Employees’ Bodies. What is the easiest way to an employee’s heart? Through the proverbial stomach. Provide monthly in-house luncheons, order pizza on a Friday afternoon, or bake a cake for each employee’s birthday. These are fun events that encourage intermingling and foster loyalty.
• Feed Employees’ Souls. Give employees time off to perform community service. Employees who do not have the time to volunteer at local schools or work with teens or canvas for a charity can do the work that gives back. Offer a wellness program where you reimburse employees, up to a certain amount, for anything that related to their spiritual, mental, or physical well-being.
• Offer Advancement Opportunities. One of the best incentives for ambitious people is opportunity. Fill management positions by promoting from within, ensuring that long-term employees have a chance to rise, and that new employees have an incentive to stay.
PROVIDE SUPPORT
For people to be motivated, you must set the groundwork by offering a supportive work environment. No amount of goal-setting or original rewards will work if your employees do not feel they are given the resources and materials necessary for success. You must ask yourself, “Do my employees feel it is possible to achieve this goal?” Support means providing resources, training, and encouragement; essentially, managers need to pave the way for success.
Take this concept beyond lip-service and commit to supporting your employees. Support comes back to the notion of validation; if an employee does not feel she has been given the tools necessary to succeed, then she will feel invalidated and unworthy. Nothing is less motivating than the feeling of helplessness and being sent out to sink or swim. From your first day of orientation to the employee’s last day on the job, you must provide all the information, background, training, and encouragement necessary to be successful. Employees need to feel that management is working hard to help them achieve their performance goals.
GIVE FEEDBACK
Once a goal has been established and agreed upon, employees need access to how they are progressing. Once a year at performance review time is not enough, nor is it even remotely adequate. People need to know how they are doing — good and bad; by setting SMART goals, they have a tangible way to measure their progress. Spontaneous feedback is excellent and provides an immediate boost, but feedback also needs to be given formally. The process need not be overly time-consuming or overly rigid, it simply needs to take place at regular intervals.
Weekly or monthly progress reports are good ways to establish feedback controls. It ensures that timely praise is given and performance coaching can be done before the problem spins out of control. Brief, frequent, and highly visible feedback is the kind that motivates and managers should look for some opportunity to praise their employees every week. Study after study has shown that praise and recognition tend to build employee loyalty. People want to feel that what they do makes a difference and money alone does not do this; personal recognition does.
NO-COST WAYS TO RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES
Here are some key no-cost ways to recognize employees:
• Provide Information. Information is power and employees want to be empowered with the information they need to know to do their jobs more effectively. And employees want to know how they are doing in their jobs and how the company is doing in its business. Open the channels of communication in your organization to allow employees to be informed, ask questions, and share information.
• Encourage Involvement. Managers today are faced with an incredible number of opportunities and problems and, as the speed of business continues to increase dramatically, the amount of time that they have to make decisions continues to decrease. Involving employees in decision-making, especially when the decisions affect them directly, is respectful and practical. Those closest to the problem typically have the best insight as to what to do. As you involve others, you increase their commitment and ease in implementing new ideas or change.
• Foster Independence. Few employees want their every action to be closely monitored. Most employees appreciate having the flexibility to do their jobs as they see fit. Giving people latitude increases the chance that they will perform as you desire — and bring additional initiative, ideas, and energy to their jobs.
• Increase Visibility. Everyone appreciates getting credit when it is due. Occasions to share the successes of employees with others are almost limitless. Giving employees new opportunities to perform, learn, and grow as a form of recognition and thanks is highly motivating for most people.
REWARD SUCCESS
Like feedback, rewards for success must be given in a timely manner. Rewards, even highly valuable ones, lose their motivating potential unless they are given at the correct time. It is the timing of reinforcements that lets employees know which behaviors are being encouraged. Although it seems quite obvious, it is often not done — after going through all the administration required, their reward is sometimes not actually given for weeks after the fact. Delay between performance and feedback dilutes the effectiveness of the reward, so it is imperative that you be prepared with your system of motivation and plan ahead for the administrative aspects.
Reward success consistently and fairly. There is nothing more demotivating than a reward that is given under unfair circumstances or out of preferential treatment. Establish the parameters of your reward system and treat all employees with the same rules. Again, it seems obvious but it is very easy to reward Bob “just this one time” even though he was off his goal slightly. “After all, he is usually the top performer and he just had a bad month; we would not want to upset him or anything. The other guys will understand.” The intent is honorable, but the effect can be devastating if the other guys do not understand. You have sacrificed many people for the sake of one.
Although this example may seem petty on the surface, it is this type of inconsistency in a workplace that festers and creates toxic work environments. Not to say that common sense and good judgment are thrown away for the sake of absolute fairness, but it does mean that you must think of all the ramifications of bending the rules ever so slightly.
|
MOTIVATION FACTORS |
|
|
Motivation Boosters |
Motivation Deflators |
|
Responsibility |
Meaningless, repetitive work |
|
Meaningful work |
Confusion |
|
Variety in assignments |
Lack of trust |
|
Measurable outputs |
No input in decisions |
|
Challenge |
Not knowing what’s going on |
|
Solving problems |
Not knowing how well you are doing |
|
Trust |
Someone solving problems for you |
|
Participation in decisions |
No time to solve problems |
|
Ability to measure own performance |
Across-the-board rules and regulations |
|
Being listened to |
Not getting credit for your ideas or efforts |
|
Praise |
Lack of resources, knowledge, skills and coaching |
|
Recognition for contributions |
Inconsistency |
HOW TO MAINTAIN GOOD EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
Management attitudes create the culture of an organization. The following tips can be applied to create a culture that is satisfying to employees and productive for the organization. Here are some useful tips:
• Be knowledgeable of employment laws. Wages and compensation are always important to employees. Be aware of local, state, and federal laws governing pay rates. In 2004 the department of labor enacted new rules regarding “white-collar” employees and overtime-pay requirements. In July of 2007, the federal minimum wage was increased. Employers can obtain a copy of the regulations and other information about the new rules at www.dol.gov/fairpay. You should make sure to have employment laws posted in a prominent place. Atlantic publishing offers a laminated labor law poster with all current federal information (see the sample on the last page of this chapter). To order call 800-814-1132 or visit www.atlantic-pub.com.
• Be available for discussion of employee problems. Let employees know that they can go to management with problems and concerns. Ensure that management conduct creates an environment of trust and confidence. Managers must take concerns seriously and address them promptly. Do not put people off; they will not forget it.
• Maintain confidentiality. When employees discuss matters of concern to management, their confidences must be respected. When confidences must be shared to resolve the problem, the employee should be told.
• Give uninterrupted attention to employees. Do not allow visitors and phone calls when discussing an important matter with employees. Let your actions convey that the employee is important to you. Give employees the focused attention they deserve.
• Conduct well-organized meetings. Meetings should provide valuable information and solicit employee feedback. Avoid surprises in the agenda.
• Do not criticize employees in public. If an employee must be corrected, do so privately. Never point out an employee’s mistakes to or in front of other employees.
• Coach, rather than criticize. When corrective action is necessary, be timely, clear, and accurate. Provide the employee with concrete examples to ensure that she understands the problem so that she can improve the performance.
• Treat employees equally. Perceptions of special treatment are damaging to morale and creates potential legal liability.
• Remember the little things. Consider celebrating birthdays, company anniversaries, and special events and give recognition when due.
• Encourage staff input. Share problems and challenges when appropriate and ask for suggestions on how to deal with them.
• Delegate and develop. Delegate new, challenging tasks to employees; provide opportunities for employees to develop new skills.
• Welcome change. Welcome change as a means for you, your employees, and the company to progress to a better future. Generate enthusiasm for change.
• Support organizational goals. Work as a team, ensuring there are no interdepartmental battlegrounds that are counterproductive.
• Be human. Enjoy your work and employees. Share your enthusiasm. Make yourself approachable and willing to listen.
For much more information about hiring, training, and motivating restaurant employees, I recommend the following books by Atlantic Publishing (www.atlantic-pub.com). Some are general restaurant reference while others are topic specific for concerns that restaurant managers may need.
• How to Hire, Train, and Keep The Best Employees (Item # HTK-02).
• The Food Service Manager’s Guide to Creative Cost Cutting (Item # CCC-01).
• The Food Service Professional’s Guide to Controlling Restaurant and Food Service Operating Costs (Item # FS5-01).
• The Food Service Professional’s Guide to Controlling Restaurant and Food Service Labor Costs (Item # FS7-01).
• The Food Service Professional’s Guide to Waiter & Waitress Training: How to Develop Your Staff For Maximum Service & Profit (Item # FS10-01).
• The Food Service Professional’s Guide to Bar & Beverage Operation: Ensuring Success & Maximum Profit (Item # FS11-01).
• The Food Service Professional’s Guide to Successful Catering: Managing the Catering Operation For Maximum Profit (Item # FS12-01).
• How to Communicate With Your Spanish and Asian Employees (Item # CSA-02).
• The Restaurant Manager’s Success Chronicles (Item # MSC-01).
• Key Words Food Service Employee Translation Poster (Item # KWF-PS).
• The Professional Caterer’s Handbook (Item # PCH-01).
• The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning (Item # SEP-01).
• The Non Commercial Food Service Manager’s Handbook (Item # NCF-02).
• 8 Posters to Reinforce Good Service (Item # WSP-PS).
• The Complete Wait Staff Training Course on Video or DVD.
• The Waiter and Waitress and Wait Staff Training Handbook (Item # WWT-TH).
• Design Your Own Effective Employee Handbook (Item # GEH-02).
• 365 Ways to Motivate and reward Your Employees Every Day – With Little or No Money (Item # 365-01).
• 199 Pre-Written Employee Performance Appraisals (Item # EPP-02).
• Superior Customer Service: How to Keep Customers Racing Back to Your Business-Time Tested Examples from Leading Companies (Item # SCS-01).
Above is the Federal Labor Laws poster from Atlantic Publishing. To order, call 800-814-1132 or online at www.atlantic-pub.com (Item # FLLEN-PS, $29.95). Available in both English and Spanish.