Howto... Motivate your employees

● There are many opinions on how best to motivate employees in order to put your organisation on track for a productive year.

Paul Burrin, vice-president of Sage People, says managers “can set the tone for a productive 2019 with the right strategy in place”.

He has the following advice:

● Employees are not interested in gimmicks; they want to feel that the company values their contribution, and a football table is not the way to do that.

● It is important to show gratitude to your staff. “Go beyond ‘thank you’ by creating a system for rewarding good work. Whether it’s sending out a quarterly e-mail highlighting great performance or scheduling a monthly review session, it’s important to ensure your team feels appreciated,” says Burrin.

● Managers may have their own issues with flexible work schedules, but “consider giving employees the freedom to create their own hours and work remotely, especially early in the year when morale tends to dip”.

● Programmes such as trying to raise morale need to be informed by more than gut feel. Data and analytics can provide a much clearer picture of how people are coping.