It does not matter what type of business you own or manage, it’s not going to succeed without an engaged workforce. People who are motivated and happy perform more effectively. This means that the productivity and profits of the business increase, enabling it to grow.

One of the fundamentals of keeping staff engaged is to be fair and objective. As a CEO of a business you are unlikely to be aware of the different dynamics and office politics that are a regular part of business life. This is why you need to pay attention to HR and diversity rules and seek employment law support when necessary. The decisions you, and your managers, make should be well researched and unbiased. You can build on this foundation by taking other actions that ensure you have motivated and happy employees.

Allow employees to be individuals

One of the most demotivating things that a business can do is to treat employees as numbers rather than individuals. Traditionally, having a strict dress code has been one of the factors which has caused this to happen. Enabling employees to have more freedom regarding what they wear makes them feel like more of an individual, instead of just a small cog in a big wheel, and causes them to feel more motivated.

Give people the opportunity to learn

Not everyone wants to learn new things, but the majority of people do. With this in mind, you need to ensure that your employees have access to learning and development opportunities that can help them to grow and flourish. These opportunities can include:

• E-learning courses.
• Mentoring programmes.
• Coaching sessions.
• Shadowing other areas of the business.

Giving your employees these opportunities helps to keep them happy and engaged with the business, thereby reducing staff turnover and improving productivity levels.

Do not forget to say thank you

It takes just a minute or two to say thank you, for a job well-done or an idea that has improved the efficiency of the business. For many people, a quick email or a comment on passing, is enough to make them feel valued and motivated. However, on some occasions it may be appropriate to reward endeavour by means of a company reward programme.

Show trust for your people

Employees need to feel trusted by the management team. One of the best ways of doing this is to enable them to take on new responsibilities, with support. Delegating some management responsibilities can both motivate the employee and take some pressure off an over-worked manager. However, this should never be a process of “dumping”; it should be a development opportunity where support is provided and mistakes are treated as a learning opportunity.

Motivated and happy employees are an important resource for any business. Using these techniques to motivate your employees means that they are more likely to invest their passion and energy in helping your business to succeed.