How To Encourage Employees to Work Harder: 10 Easy Ways

Motivation in the workplace is an extremely important aspect of achieving productivity and quality in work. However, companies often find it difficult to promote motivation techniques in the workplace among their employees. 

Efficient motivation techniques not only encourage employees to work hard but also boost overall workplace morale. Especially for companies with permanent staffing policies. 

This blog will outline tips on how to encourage employees to work harder with 10 simple yet effective tips. Understanding how to motivate staff to increase productivity and the consistent implementation of these mechanisms will significantly boost your company’s productivity and output. 

Understanding the Importance of Employee Motivation

Employee motivation is extremely important in the workplace – as it is the biggest driver of enhanced productivity and output. It is not solely about growth for the company, but also about making employees believe that they are capable of performing various tasks and achieving the set targets and goals. 

If employees do not feel motivated at an individual level, it will be incredibly difficult to motivate them to work productively and achieve any targets or goals that the company sets. This is why it is important to understand the factors that drive employee motivation. 

Top 10 Motivation Techniques to Inspire Employees

For companies wondering how to encourage employees to work harder, here are 10 tips that you can implement in your workplace. 

1. One of the best methods for how to improve motivation in the workplace is to pay your employees well and regularly. Ensure that you are paying your employees fairly and according to industry standards. You can also give them occasional perks such as gift cards – but ensure they are being paid well and regularly. 
2. Non-monetary rewards are equally important in boosting morale and ensuring that employees remain more committed to their work. You can implement this through methods such as:
   • Acknowledging great performance 
   • Recognizing significant achievements 
   • Increasing overall morale 
   • Creating a positive and safe work environment 
   • Motivate high performers 
3. One of the most underrated motivation techniques is helping employees develop their relationships with each other. As they spend the better part of the day with their coworkers – the mood and relationship they share with each other will impact the way they go about their work. A good relationship among coworkers will foster a healthy work environment. 
4. The employees’ relationship with the leadership will also impact their work. While it is important to establish a hierarchy and a chain of command, it is equally important to establish a productive, safe and communication-filled environment between both parties.
5. A company will understand how to motivate staff to increase productivity through its culture. A healthy culture will help employees focus on their work and not other issues. Things that make up a company culture include:
   • Work environment 
   • Company Mission 
   • Values 
   • Ethics 
   • Expectations 
   • Goals  
6. Aiding employees with learning & development is great for companies wondering how to encourage employees to work harder. Such courses, guides and mechanisms help employees develop professionally and realise their full potential. 
7. The way the company functions can also impact employee productivity. The workload, division of responsibilities, and access to resources and facilities, all will impact how employees feel about the company’s policies towards them – thereby impacting how much they wish to work for the company. 
8. While personal and professional remain different branches, aiding a work-life balance in the office can be helpful to many employees. Companies can accomplish this through policies such as flexible working, paid time off, employee assistance programmes, and more. By supporting your employees with certain aspects of their personal lives, you will have automatically unlocked the secret of how to improve motivation in the workplace. 
9. Many employees often want to do meaningful work that resonates with them personally rather than professionally. Studies say that employees are more dedicated to work if they know that the work they do makes a difference. You can do this through CSR initiatives or outlining the ways in which your company has a positive impact on society. 
10. Post-covid, many companies have been wondering how to encourage employees to work harder. Oftentimes, flexibility has proven to be the key. Many employees want flexible working hours to balance their lives – and companies with such policies often report higher productivity.  

Aligning Motivation with Business Goals

Your business goals are naturally to grow – be it in terms of scale, valuation or another factor. But you cannot grow without the full-fledged commitment of your employees. 

While your business goals may have financial or business-oriented values. Ensure that one of your primary business goals is to facilitate a harmonious and productive work environment that promotes employee well-being and retention of permanent employees. 

Overcoming Common Challenges in Employee Motivation

There will be instances wherein you will face challenges and wonder how to encourage employees to work harder. In such instances, get down to the root cause and find a solution. Here is how you can overcome common employee motivation challenges: 

• Identify the root cause of the issue (e.g. lack of new opportunities, unclear goals, lack of recognition) 
• Set clear goals for your employees so they know what they have to set out to achieve 
• Recognize good work and reward it
• Support employee growth – if they feel like the work is too mundane, give them opportunities to grow and learn 
• Improve communication – as it is the bedrock of any company. Ensure that communication between all parties remains clear and consistent 

Conclusion

Whether you want more strategies for increasing workplace motivation or are looking for detail-oriented, end-to-end solutions for your company, BGC Group is here to help.  

At BGC, we understand the challenges of global expansion firsthand. With over a decade of experience providing company and HR services in the APAC region, including Singapore, we’ve established ourselves as trusted partners for numerous renowned companies. Headquartered in Singapore, our deep-rooted expertise and strong presence in the country make us the ideal choice for businesses seeking reliable HR Singapore solutions.

Get in touch with us today!