Working with low motivated employees

Employers are constantly looking for motivated and engaged employees. The problem with this is, most employees are not that motivated or engaged in their job. While most employees try to find that right work – life balance, most have trouble engaging in the work they do for a variety of reasons.

The simple truth is that less than 30% of the working population actually care about their job. The other 70% are simply working as a means to an end. You do the math – there simply are not enough engaged workers to go around, so what do you do? You learn to work with low motivated employees.

Here are some ways in which you can work with disengaged and low motivated employees in your business:

Values – every employee has a different set of values that are important to them. While you cannot link your values with every one of them, you can create a mission statement that is simple and can relate to a wider array of people. You will find that more of your employees will relate and feel like they can contribute, causing them to have a little more motivation in their job.
Failure – many employees lose interest in their jobs because they feel they constantly are failing at their job. Look at ways to streamline or change the process. Make the job “failure proof.” By eliminating the chance for failure, you can boost their confidence, and the work will get done. A win, win for both.
Incentives – many companies think that by providing incentives to their employees, they will work harder, smarter, and faster. The problem with giving incentives is that most companies do not actually find out what motivates their employees. Is it more time off to spend with their family? Is it money? Find out what is important to your employees and offer incentives in line with those things they find relevant in their lives.
Sell – remember that as an employer, you are selling to the employee why they should work for you. As mentioned above, discovering what is important to people can go a long way. Family, reward, money, recognition, travel – every person will have something different that motivates them. Sell that to your potential employee!

As an employer, you must accept the fact that you will never be able to motivate every employee. While you can continually try to replace those employees and find someone who is motivated, you may spend more money on hiring costs than it is worth. Instead, follow the simple ways above to work with the employees you have, and you may find them become more motivated.