Strategies for Motivating Your Team and Build a Strong Company Culture

Enterprise teams manage a wide range of responsibilities every day. From managing finances to keeping customers happy, effectively completing all tasks requires well-defined procedures and dedicated employees.

Hiring a great team isn’t enough to ensure high productivity. It’s also important to ensure employees stay motivated and productive. 

This process can be challenging. Still, there are many strategies to help employees feel more engaged in their work and more dedicated to the growth of your business. It all starts with making team members feel appreciated for their efforts.

Why Employee Recognition Should Matter to Your Business

Employee appreciation looks different at every company. While some organizations feel like offering a competitive salary is enough to show employees they’re valued, regular recognition and employee motivation go hand in hand.

Recognizing employee contributions throughout the year can significantly impact how team members view an organization and their willingness to perform at their best.

Here’s why ongoing employee recognition should be an essential consideration for modern-day business leaders:

Improves Engagement Levels

There is a clear link between an employee’s performance and their level of engagement at work. When employees feel emotionally invested in the tasks they’re assigned, they are more likely to provide better results for the organization.

However, if employees feel their work is of little value to the business, they are not incentivized to excel. Conversely, when employees know the business they work for truly appreciates their efforts, it creates a better working environment for everyone and improves the quality of their work.

Fuels Innovation

Businesses that recognize and reward creative thinking can uncover hidden talent within the organization. When employees know their employer invites challenges to the status quo, team members are more likely to contribute innovative ideas to the business.

Employees are often afraid to step outside their comfort zone, especially if employers fail to recognize these efforts. Creating a safe environment for debate within your organization can help new ideas flow more freely and bring significant advantages to the business. 

Creates More Capable Teams

Even among highly skilled employees, productive teamwork may not happen naturally. Employees need the right team dynamic to reach and surpass their full potential.

If team members are rewarded for sharing their ideas and unique perspectives, they may feel more comfortable doing so long term. This openness also helps to fuel collaboration that supports individual growth and has a positive impact on employees as a whole.

Promotes a Healthier Working Environment

Modern workplaces can be stressful for many people. Tight deadlines and demanding workloads, over time, can take a significant toll on employees’ physical and mental health.

One of the best ways to help reduce employee stress is to create a healthier working environment. Recognizing your employees’ needs and giving them the time they need to destress can have long-term positive effects on the culture of your business. Companies that prioritize health and well-being help employees feel valued and supported day-to-day, reducing the likelihood of low morale.

Strategies for Creating a Thriving Company Culture

Creating the right company culture—one that brings out the best in everyone—takes patience and effort.  

Below are strategies to help employees feel more appreciated for the work they do and support their ability to succeed in the workplace:

Giving Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback supports the ongoing personal and professional development of employees. It helps give employees a clearer understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

When providing feedback, it’s important to be as specific as possible—especially when extending praise. Instead of simply saying “good work” or “thank you,” provide employees with a detailed breakdown of where and how they’ve been excelling.

When you highlight specific development areas, employees know they’re making progress, which can help them stay the course.

Publicly Recognizing Employees

Openly sharing employee achievements is a great way to demonstrate that the company cares about its team and their contributions. This often boosts morale and can have long-term positive impacts on the employee and the entire organization.

Find time during team meetings to highlight the great work that’s being done by different teams. This could include recognizing successful project completions or the achievement of certain business milestones.

Regardless of your format, using public forums to recognize individual employee accomplishments is an excellent way to motivate team members.

Encouraging Company-Wide Acknowledgment

While managers and team leaders should acknowledge a job well done, it’s also essential for employees to receive recognition from coworkers. Creating a peer-to-peer recognition program is a great way to achieve this.

These programs don’t need to be formal, but employees should be clear on when and how recognition will happen. A common practice is to create a “kudos” platform using team communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, where employees can openly acknowledge and thank each other.

This is a great way to ensure everyone’s efforts are noticed, even those handling small but significant tasks people may be unaware of.

Taking the Time to Celebrate Achievements

It’s important to recognize both provisional and personal milestones in your employees’ lives. Celebrating things like work anniversaries, promotions, or personal achievements shows that you’re dedicated to acknowledging and appreciating employee success.

Even small gestures like providing gift cards or a team lunch to celebrate the occasion can go a long way in making your employees feel valued.

Building a Workplace Designed to Help Employees Succeed

An organization's success is inextricably linked to the commitment and productivity of its employees. By creating a company culture known for its positive working environment and supportive team, you can help ensure your employees and the business can continue to succeed for years to come.

Author Name: Cindy Mielke

Author bio: Cindy is passionate about the incentive industry. In addition to her role as Vice President of Strategic Partners here at Tango, she is a Certified Professional of Incentive Management who proudly serves on two industry boards. When she’s not working, Cindy enjoys spending time with her family—including three cats, two dogs, and a horse—and sharing her love of nature as a Nebraska Master Naturalist.