comb frantic: Sage business experts | How to motivate your staff with a tight ...

Employees are the heart of any business, and keeping them happy and motivated is one of the most important things a business owner can do. Sage Business Expert Lilach Bullock shares what she?s learnt over the years.

After years of employing staff I?ve finally realized that one of the most important aspects of my business are my employees. Without them, after all, it would be impossible to manage my business and get any results. I?ve been both an employer and an employee over the years and have learned a lot about how to motivate people to get them to live up to their full potential and give the best results.

One of the things that I?ve discovered is that often it is actually easier to find clients than a good employee. And once you?ve found a good employee, you still need to nurture this relationship and motivate them constantly. In the current economic climate, however, it can be quite hard to motivate employees, at least not in the same ways it was possible only a few years back. While before the recession companies could afford more outings and team building events, now businesses have to try to find ways to keep their employees motivated without spending too much money.

Here are a few quick tips to help you motivate your staff and make them love working for you:

Good staff are hard to get regardless of the economic climate

This is a very important thing to remember when dealing with your staff. No matter how cash-strapped you are, your business will not be able to advance and achieve better results without great staff. So even if you are not making a lot of money, it is still essential to appreciate your staff and reward them from time to time with an outing or a bonus, just to remind them that they are important to you. Many companies are unfortunately taking advantage of the current economic climate and the state of the job sector and are not investing as much in their staff as they should do, thinking that their staff will not be able to leave them because there are no other job opportunities. While this might be the case, as it is definitely harder now to get a job than a few years back, it is still important to keep your staff happy and motivated. They might not be able to leave you, but that doesn?t mean that they can?t hate you ? and do a less than stellar job because of that!

Happy staff are productive staff

I?ve often found that a happy employee does a better job than an un-happy one. Unhappy means disinterested, bored and sometimes even angry. It also means that they will do a worse job because they will simply not care enough.

It?s the little things that often make the biggest difference

Make sure you remember your employees? birthdays and other important dates in their lives, ask them about their day/their weekend, say thank you and call them when they are sick etc. These little gestures can make for a better relationship and it will show them that you care about them as human beings, and that they are not just expendable staff.

Show them you trust them

Showing people that you trust them can be a huge motivator. Try for example to give them more control over a particular project to show them that you trust them to make the best decisions. This can make your employee want to show you that they can handle it and give you their best performance.

Communication and honesty are key

Communication and honesty are two of the most important factors in a working relationship. Your staff will appreciate your honesty, even if you are the bearer of bad news. It?s also important to communicate constantly with them, even more so if it is a virtual relationship. I?ve had to work with virtual assistants in the past and I?ve often noticed that the less communication there is, the worse the results.

Treat your staff with respect

This should go without saying, but I?ve often seen and heard of employers that don?t seem to look at their employees like they are on the same level. It?s very important to treat your staff with the respect you expect in return from them. Just because you are the employer and them the employees, does not mean you are better than them and should treat them with less than the utmost respect. I am personally not the biggest fan of hierarchy, I might even go so far as to say I hate it, and I always try to make everyone in the office feel equal. I am strong believer than a relaxed atmosphere where everyone respects each other leads to better results.

While keeping your staff motivated can be a hard job, especially when faced with little to no disposable resources, it is still extremely important to motivate your employees and keep them happy. How are you motivating your staff in the current economic climate? Please leave your comments and let us know.

Lilach Bullock

Lilach is one of the most dynamic personalities in the UK social media market, she actively leverages ethical online marketing for her own and her clients advantage. Lilach is regularly consulted and quoted by journalists, she is a keynote speaker and co-author of 2 No 1 Best Seller books on Amazon. She is also a professional blogger and founder of Socialable.co.uk.