The motivation levels of employees play a critical role in determining their efficiency and overall performance at the workplace. Hence, building a highly motivated workforce is core to the business and organizational strategy of most organizations. To develop an effective employee motivation strategy, organizations first need to understand the concept of employee motivation and its benefits.
‘Employee Motivation‘ can be defined in the simplest terms as the eagerness or commitment of an employee to perform a task.
Hence, it is important for organizations to ensure that their employees find their work enjoyable and are satisfied with the overall work environment.
Both these factors contribute greatly towards keeping the employees motivated and engaged, which in turn enhances their performance and efficiency.
A survey conducted by Gallup has shown that organizations that see a rise in 20% in engagement, experience a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 59% decline in employee turnover rates. Engaged employees are more likely to avoid missing work and develop a deep sense of passion, purpose, presence, and energy towards their job.
A well-motivated workforce can prove to be the greatest asset for the organization. It tends to be more productive, has a lower turnover rate and is more committed towards organizational growth.
Therefore, motivated employees have a sense of being an integral part of the organization they work for, which, in turn, helps in creating a positive work environment.
The following are the key advantages that organizations can enjoy by having a motivated workforce:
Importantly, highly motivated employees have significantly higher performance and efficiency levels. Employees feel naturally inclined to put in their best efforts towards the completion of the tasks assigned to them, when they are motivated.
Therefore, motivation helps transform the knowledge and skills of employees into enhanced performance and greater business impact.
Moreover, motivated employees show a deeper sense of ownership for the organization’s resources and hence tend to utilize them in a more efficient manner. Therefore, they work towards minimizing wastage and show a willingness to share resources with their co-workers from the same or even different teams.
Hence, this helps in reducing the overall operational costs, which can prove beneficial especially for organizations with limited resources.
Additionally, employees tend to push themselves towards achieving their professional objectives when they are motivated. This helps in facilitating their self-development as they show eagerness to attain new skills and develop behaviors that can stimulate their growth.
Hence, they work towards constantly improving themselves as they try to attain even greater levels of success for themselves as well as their organization.
Since higher motivation results in better performance and efficiency of the employees. It makes them feel more satisfied with their current organization. This sense of satisfaction minimizes their desire to seek job opportunities elsewhere.
So, motivated employees develop a deeper sense of loyalty and belonging, and are less willing to leave this secure environment.
As motivated employees tend to be happier and more satisfied with their work environment, it makes it easier for them to work with their peers and seniors in a more collaborative way.
Whether it is about offering peer-to-peer recognition to a co-worker or providing help and support to overcome a workplace challenge, motivated employees are always willing to make a positive contribution to the organization. Hence, this helps in creating a positive work culture based on mutual trust and support.
Additionally, motivated employees are always eager to explore, learn and challenge the status quo. This helps them in coming up with new business ideas, process improvements and more cost-effective ways to work.
They are more likely to take the initiative of finding new things and new ways to do existing things. This helps in creating an environment of innovation that can fuel business growth for the organization.
Employees feel less anxious about any organizational changes that might be a part of a strategy, when they are motivated.
Hence, they feel assured that they are doing a good job. They are better prepared to embrace any change with a positive mindset and will put in their best efforts.
Read Why Investing in Employee Engagement Makes Sense?
The importance of having a highly motivated workforce cannot be overlooked by organizations seeking consistent growth and success in today’s highly competitive business environment.
Hence, it is not surprising that most organizations today strive to keep their employees highly motivated and engaged.
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