How to motivate your employees in 2023?

The world is changing rapidly and so are people, thus motivating your employees might come as a challenge. The traditional ways of motivating employees, which until recently seemed proven and reliable, do not necessarily work now and in 2023 will be a song of the past.

Companies are increasingly powered by representatives of Generation Z, with a completely different approach to the professional sphere. Remote work has also fundamentally changed the perception of a dream workplace. Luckily, smart heads and pollsters are making sure to study the needs of the market and new employees on an ongoing basis. In today’s article, we share with you proven ways to motivate your employees in 2023.

 

1. Engage with your team online

Just because a lot of employees are working remotely these days doesn’t mean you can’t build a close-knit team. There are plenty of tools that will enable you to integrate virtually! Have you heard of Weve? It’s a program that allows you to take advantage of a whole range of team-building games online. You can solve a murder mystery with your employees, or even take a virtual tour of Paris.

 

Let’s be honest – nothing can replace meeting another person face to face, but if you have a team working remotely from different parts of the country or the world – online integration can work wonders.

 

2. Flexible working hours

Work-life balance is much talked about these days. It is especially important for younger generations of employees, who do not treat work as an aim but only as a mean to achieve their goals. Employees want to fulfill themselves outside of work, and flexible work hours can help them do that. The 9-5 job is slowly becoming a thing of the past, and employees increasingly expect more trust and freedom from their employers.

 

We know this is difficult – according to Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index, “85% of leaders say the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive.” Providing flexible work hours is an even greater loss of control, but if you want to have a truly motivated team, you need a little trust and a good compensation system.

 

3. Provide regular feedback

This may seem obvious, but many executives often forget about it or even undermine the importance of motivation through feedback and appreciation of hard work. Be sure to reward and note any successes of your employee, and provide immediate reaction.

 

In an age where every piece of information is at our fingertips, we also expect quick feedback from our bosses. Regular recognition will do more than a positive annual review, and will also make it “worthwhile” for the employee to truly put his heart into his work.

 

4. Extra time off

The best reward for a well-executed project? Extra time off! Reducing working hours on Fridays or occasionally extending the weekend is the best kind of motivation for many employees. There is more and more talk about the global introduction of a 4-day work week.

 

If you want to have the trump card of a truly progressive employer, think about rewarding your employees with extra time off. This will motivate them to work faster and more efficiently.

 

5. Establish smooth operations

There is nothing more disengaging than a poorly operated business. If an organization does not work on improvement, the employees won’t neither. That’s why it’s so crucial to monitor (but nor micromanage!) the operations and task series and actively improving the workflow. There are many ways of establishing process reevaluation as your routine, e.g. Kaizen management model.

 

A great way of improving the workflow is by asking employees for their insight. It shows that you trust them and appreciate their feedback. They are also the first ones who notice any discrepancies that could be fixed and often have solutions in mind.

 

Motivate your employees – conclusion

So what is the recipe for a motivated, satisfied and productive team in 2023? It’s freedom and trust towards the people. According to forecasts and statistics, your employees want more independence and freedom at work. But how do you make sure that with such a working style, the employee performs his or her duties? Quick feedback and rewards in the form of extra time off, as well as building loyalty by strengthening bonds – even online – will work perfectly. Good luck!