How to Motivate Employees on a Budget
Liz Ryan / BusinessWeek
June 04, 2008
Keep their eyes on the prize
When the purse strings are tight in corporate life, employees want to know, “What milestone will change the financial picture?” It’s our job as managers to keep them well informed. A less-than-expected annual increase is not only disappointing, but also causes employees to wonder about the company’s long-term viability. If the company is close to landing a major new client, or receiving a round of investment funding, employees want to know as much as it’s legal to share. The worst scenario in a time of miniscule pay increases is one where the managers say “I know no more than you do.” It’s our job as managers to find out, and to share (judiciously, of course) what we know.
ritapcker490
about 1 year ago
2 comments
During our survey's to identify what makes our staff tick! Money was not the top motivator it was job satisfaction! We although pay our staff better than most other employers in our area !
KiWi
about 1 year ago
372 comments
Motivating employees is not something that you can do across the board and, as the article points out, doesn't have to always be part of the budget. identifying what motivates each of us can be difficult. I suggest that we take it upon ourselves to explain (when appropriate) WHAT motivates us to our supers. Taking the guess work out of it can be helpful, but I agree with RLGILL that the more personal in nature, the better - or better the results and outcome of the motivation/rewards/recognition will be. Be creative. Soft skills are key and if you have the opportunity to tap into a person, to learn about them, you will find out what motivates them - money or not.
rlgill
about 1 year ago
44 comments
I think this is a nice article however I think motivation should be a personal thing if at all possible. We should be aiming to learn about our employees and motivate them based on things they are passionate about. I
mardelplata
about 1 year ago
2 comments
I agree with each of the motivators suggested. Our school district would be affected by budget cuts, that would bring layoffs that unfortunately couldn't be delayed unless our California Governor decided to use another measurements to balance the state budget. Information was one of the best motivators since our employees did not felt betrayed by their employees, yes by a politician. We as a workers union decided to show our support by resigning an increase in salary for this year or until the district can afford a raise in salaries and benefits, expecting to save more jobs and layoff reduction.
Great tips,
Thanks