Posted: July 30, 2010

You have probably experienced concerns about employee motivation during the downturn of the economy. You are not alone. Survey after survey show as many as 70 percent of employees are less motivated today than they used to be. Part of the struggle for business owners or managers today goes beyond the facts - fewer employees to do the work, customers looking for the lowest prices or just not buying, slashes in operating budgets - to a lack of understanding as to what motivation actually means to employees.

Research suggests that benefits or bonuses are the answer. While benefits entice new employees to an organization and money may impact retention, neither supports motivation. According to Towers Watson Global Workforce Study 2011, a survey of more than 20,000 private-sector employees in 22 countries, 59 percent of respondents want a wide range of jobs and experiences and 58 percent want the opportunity to develop skills and abilities. Not surprising to those of us with a healthy percentage of younger employees, that motivation is also affected by work-life balance.

Most of us spend more of our waking hours at work than we do with our families and loved ones. If the work environment is not a positive addition to our lives, it will negatively affect all of our other relationships. Employees' motivation and productivity is directly related to the balance in their lives.

During the hiring process for new employees, we focus on three areas as much as we do skills and experience: integrity, "smarts" and work ethic. Making sure you have time to hire the right people who will be a good fit is critical.

Employees are motivated by respect but this takes trust. In the Global Workforce Study, trustworthiness is rated by employees as the most important attribute of senior business leaders - cited by 71 percent of employees. Creating a trusting environment demands that we don't confuse efforts with results. We have to communicate the truth about both, but it is best to look at what employees have done to support positive results more often than what they haven't done. Areas of improvement are just that. We will always make mistakes, but as long as they are original, we look at mistakes as opportunities.

Most experts on motivation tell us to be highly visible to employees. Every organization is different and this is especially important for large employee populations. Interestingly enough, I have found that if I attend meetings, sometimes I get in the way. I have even been asked not to attend some meetings because it gives employees an opportunity to lead and creates a relaxed atmosphere where they can say anything. Giving employees room to engage helps them see each other as an integral part of the business. And we actually get better results.

Strategies for motivating others must be customized for your organization, but some that we have found successful include:

• Support job skill growth. It's important for people to grow in their job. We hold in-house training classes four to six times a month, both specific to job functions and in general to support individual growth. A steady flow of fitness training, first aid and CPR, and financial classes support our motivation. Additionally, because we have a training facility that provides certification training to others in our industry, our employees have easy access to those classes and build relationships with clients that last for years. We also pay for college-approved courses that support the job functions.
• Show compassion during difficult times. Everyone goes through slumps. A downturn in productivity or motivation comes from a specific cause. A manager's role is to coach and get to the root of the cause. If the relationship is strong, it will be easy for you to have discussions with an employee who is struggling.
• Communicate positives. We try our best to let individual successes be known to the entire team. Compliments from clients should be shared regularly. Negativity has no place in the workplace, as it is highly contagious. Complaints should be seen as opportunities to improve. My personal refusal to listen to complaints unless they are followed by solutions has led to many great improvements within our company. Also, make it a rule not to speak poorly of your competition. Lastly, communicate appreciation for employees, their families and your clients, and mean it.
• Don't let market trends impact your values. When sales are low or competitors are low-balling on every quote or RFP, your employees expect you to maintain your standards. They expect you to do your part to maintain financial stability for the long haul and continue to focus on service and quality delivery.

  David Collier CR founded First Atlantic Restoration, a full-service disaster recovery firm and representative of Disaster Kleenup International, in 1990. He served as consultant in specialized recovery solutions at the Pentagon in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and is a certified instructor with the Virginia Insurance Continuing Education Board. He can be reached at 499-1915.