9 Signs You Need to Motivate Employees

Only 32% of employees are engaged at work, according to a recent Gallup survey.

Mass disengagement explains the rise of “quiet quitting,” where staff do the bare minimum. This usually leads to changing companies. Even though the Great Resignation is slowing down, under-motivated employees will still seek fulfillment elsewhere.

As an employer, you need to look for signs of disengagement and lack of motivation. Then you can address them before they become too serious.

Read on for nine signs that you need to motivate employees. And we’ll explain what steps you can take to turn things around.

1. Drop in Standard of Work

When an employee is disengaged, their work is the first thing to suffer. They won’t try as hard to fulfill their responsibilities, feeling doing so is pointless. This manifests in one of two ways:

1. Reduced productivity
2. Lower quality of work

In other words, they’ll either do less work or will work to a lower standard. In either case, they’ve lost the motivation to work as hard as they used to.

2. Doing the Bare Minimum

A similar issue is working to the bare minimum standard. This may present itself as a reduced standard of work as expressed, or simply not trying as hard.

For example, in a sales role, they may be putting less effort into reaching out to clients. As long as they achieve the bare minimum that's expected, they won’t try to surpass it or take the initiative. An employee doing the bare minimum isn’t engaged or motivated.

3. General Apathy

The next stage in doing the bare minimum is apathy in all areas. Besides apathy to take the initiative, this could be apathy toward discipline.

Perhaps you’ve tried to adjust, train, or correct them. If their response is one of total disinterest, they’re lacking the motivation to improve.

4. Not Contributing to Discussions

Apathy may be expressed as apathy toward the business in general. In meetings about growth or new initiatives, they may have nothing to contribute.

If this isn’t a one-off, it suggests they’re not invested in the company’s success. That means they don’t see themselves there long-term, because they’re disengaged.

5. Disengaged from Events

More than not contributing, under-motivated employees may be disinterested in all company events. After all, why attend extra events if you’re not invested in your future at the company? Look out for employees that skip or duck out early from corporate events.

6. Looking for Work Elsewhere

Those not invested in their future at a company won’t give up on having any future at all – they’ll just look elsewhere. Employees looking for new job opportunities need to be re-engaged! But how can you spot them?

In most cases, an employee won’t voice outright that they’re looking for greener pastures. So keep an eye on your team’s online profiles. If someone suddenly updates their LinkedIn, for example, it may be in preparation for interviews.

7. Punctuality Issues

Whether or not an under-motivated employee is looking for new work, they’ll be less interested in their work than they were previously. Another way this manifests is apathy toward timekeeping. If they don’t value their position, they’ll feel freer to risk it by turning up late.

If someone is repeatedly late to work, they need to be motivated so that they start to value their role again!

8. Excessive Absence

Similarly, taking too much time off work shows a lack of investment. Of course, employees should not be singled out or penalized for using their annual leave. But if they take more days off than they should, it’s a warning sign.

This excludes those who need to take valid sick leave. But how can you know if someone is playing hooky? Ultimately, you can’t without invading their privacy or micromanaging them.

Try to extend trust to your staff in this area. But if someone is clearly flaunting the rules, work on motivating them rather than disciplining them. Make them want to come to work, rather than forcing them to.

9. Causing Conflict

The final warning sign is those who’ve become rude, irritable or started causing conflict. This behavior suggests a lack of motivation and investment in the workplace as a whole. An employee that’s properly motivated won’t cause problems like this that get in the way of their work.

How to Motivate Employees

Now you’ve identified the signs of a lack of motivation, it’s time to do something about it. Improving employee motivation and engagement doesn’t require a huge policy overhaul. Small changes can make the difference between apathy and enjoyment.

The most essential change is clear expectations. When employees know exactly what you require of them, they aren’t left wondering how much work is enough. They have a concrete target that’s achievable, which motivates them to achieve it.

Just as powerful is a clear path to growth. If your staff feel they’ll never develop, receive training, or get promoted, they’ll get antsy. Caring for employees by making growth opportunities explicit gives staff something to aim for.

These small steps change your workplace environment from the inside out. They address the root of the issue rather than the symptoms.

Plus, there are ways you can kickstart the process. Many organizations have benefitted from organizing team-building and leadership events. These change everyone’s mindset and show your team that you’re serious about investing in them.

Kickstart Employee Motivation Today!

Motivate employees by taking them out of the workplace and into a fresh environment. In the South Florida sun, our thought leaders guide them through activities that help them realize their own potential.

The complete change in setting and tasks resets their viewpoint on work and uncovers a new drive within them. Once we’ve shown them what they can do, they’ll be eager to take the lead back in the office.

This, coupled with clear expectations, transforms staff into productive workers again. Talk to us today about our leadership cruises to kickstart your team's motivation!