Most employees are not engaged at work, costing businesses $9 trillion annually. According to Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, 75% of global workers are either not engaged or actively disengaged at work. Rumors of “quiet quitting” and “quiet vacations” spur internet memes, highlighting a problem everyone recognizes. Employees are not motivated or engaged in their jobs, and leaders are feeling increasing pressure to find ways to fix this.
Of even more significant concern is high performers who are disengaged. When high-performing employees do not feel valued by their leadership, they are often the first to leave an organization. High performers know they have options, so they will execute them as needed to ensure they can work in an environment that motivates and fulfills them.
Employee motivation and engagement are critical for productivity, retention, and business success, which is why the statistics about engagement are so alarming. Addressing this issue requires rethinking how leaders engage and motivate their people. Motivation and engagement must be foundational management strategies. Focusing on pizza parties and other motivational quick fixes fall flat. Leaders must:
- Know how their people are motivated
- Know how they feel valued
- Provide meaningful work
- Individually recognize their people for their contribution
- Offer growth opportunities and long-term vision
Know how your key people are motivated
Effective leadership hinges on the ability to motivate employees. To do so, you must understand how your people are motivated. Each employee has unique drives, ambitions, and personal circumstances that influence what inspires them. Motivation Code is an incredible tool to uncover motivations based on the actual experiences of fulfillment your team members have had. Bringing Motivation Code to your team can help you lead your teams better.
Astute leaders recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach to motivation is often ineffective. Motivating an Achiever is different than motivating a Visionary.
This positive energy of engaged teams can spread throughout an organization, fostering a culture of excellence and commitment. Moreover, motivated staff tend to have higher retention rates, reducing turnover costs and preserving institutional knowledge. By consistently encouraging and empowering their workforce, leaders can drive better business outcomes and create a more resilient, adaptable organization capable of thriving through challenges.
Know how your people feel valued
Employees who feel valued are more engaged, productive, and loyal to the organization. Effective leaders recognize that each team member brings unique motivations to their teams, and they speak to and value the unique Motivational Dimensions of every team member. Leaders must cultivate a sense of belonging and purpose among their team members.
- Active listening and soliciting team members’ unique perspectives and input on important decisions
- Providing challenging assignments and opportunities for skill development
- Offering support for career advancement aligning with longevity in an organization
- Demonstrating empathy and understanding of personal circumstances
- Ensuring fair compensation and benefits that reflect employees’ contributions
At their core, everyone wants to feel like their contributions matter to an organization. The most demotivating thing you can do is to assign your people work that doesn’t have meaning or does not align with their core motivations.
Provide meaningful work
Meaningful work is crucial for employee satisfaction, engagement, and overall organizational success. When employees feel their work has purpose and contributes to something greater than themselves, they are more likely to be motivated, productive, and committed to their roles. Meaningful work goes beyond task completion; it involves aligning individual values with organizational goals, fostering personal growth, and creating a sense of accomplishment.
- Clear connection between individual contributions and larger organizational goals
- Opportunities for skill development and personal growth
- Autonomy and decision-making power in one’s role
- Work that aligns with personal values and interests
Recognize and reward good performance
Individually recognizing performance is a powerful tool for leaders to motivate and engage their team members. By acknowledging specific contributions and achievements, leaders demonstrate that they notice and value each employee’s unique efforts. Leaders that simply say, “Great job team,” miss out on the opportunity to engage each individual based on their Motivational Dimensions.
A personalized approach goes beyond generic praise, highlighting particular actions or outcomes that have made a positive impact. Effective individual recognition can boost morale, reinforce desired behaviors, and foster a culture of excellence.
When done consistently and sincerely, it strengthens the connection between employees and their work, encouraging continued high performance and loyalty to the organization.
Offer opportunities to grow
Leaders prioritizing growth opportunities for their team members create a dynamic and engaged workforce. By providing chances for skill development, career advancement, and personal growth, leaders demonstrate their commitment to their employees’ long-term success. These opportunities can take various forms, including:
- Formal training programs
- Mentorship initiatives
- Cross-functional projects
When leaders invest in their team’s growth, they enhance individual capabilities and foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation within the organization.
Motivation is the key to engagement
Enhancing employee motivation and engagement is an ongoing process that requires commitment from leadership. By understanding the diverse needs of your team, implementing a mix of strategies, and consistently communicating your company’s vision and values, you can create a workplace where employees feel valued, inspired, and committed to their work.
As you foster a culture of motivation and engagement, you’ll likely see improvements not only in productivity and innovation but also in employee satisfaction and retention. Ultimately, a motivated and engaged workforce is one of the most powerful assets any organization can have.
If you’re leading an organization with engagement challenges, you’re not alone. It can be challenging to uncover insights to change things when your team isn’t communicating because they’re demotivated and disengaged.
Motivation Code changes that. Not only is the assessment fun and easy to complete, it gives both you and your team members insights to help shift interpersonal dynamics to improve motivation and productivity for your entire organization. Get started with your own assessment or talk to our team about bringing Motivation Code to your entire organization.
