Given the intense competition that businesses have to fight through to be able to achieve success, as well as the volatile market and economic conditions that currently prevail, it is the performance of the employees that can make the difference between the success and failure of an organization, says a study published in the Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research. The study went on to establish a relationship between employee motivation and organizational effectiveness, while employee dissatisfaction was linked to weaker organizational performance.

Another study published in The International Journal Of Engineering And Science, which surveyed 103 employees across 17 manufacturing firms, emphasized the need to adopt extrinsic rewards for employees, apart from fairness in the remuneration packages, to drive employee performance. By attracting, retaining, motivating and satisfying their employees, businesses can reach newer heights of success.

In fact, according to research published in the European Journal of Business and Management, empowerment and recognition of employees can motivate employees to perform better, accomplish more and ensure the better performance of the organization.

So, what does research say about how to motivate employees and enhance their effectiveness?

Get Rid of Motivation Killers

According to an article published in Entrepreneur Media, about 26% of the employees are willing to leave their current job for a mere 5% hike in salary, while those in open office setups report 62% higher sick days that other office environments. There are many other motivation killers at the workplace that affect the productivity of the workforce.

For example, according to data released by CNBC in 2011, frustrated employees account for at least 20% of the workforce in a typical organization. In fact, 39% of the employees believe that their inputs are not appreciated by the management, while about 24% spread negativity among their co-workers. What business leaders need to do is to identify such issues and correct them to create a better working environment for the employees and get the best output from them.

Set Goals and Give Them Feedback

Employees are more focused and motivated when they know exactly what is expected from them. It helps them in preparing a plan to achieve their targets. This is why it is important to clearly state the company's vision and mission and help the staff align themselves to these goals.

Setting short-term goals can help you get the best out of your employees. It is equally important to provide them feedback so that they know their current situation and can make the necessary adjustments.

According to the US Office of Personnel Management, stating that an employee achieved 10% more than the target is more effective than saying “you're doing a good job.” At the same time, you should also point out their failures and help them strategize to meet their targets better.

Work on Your Office Design

A survey conducted by Gensler in 2016 on the US workplace environment revealed that 89% of the respondents considered office design a “important to very important”, while about 90% of the senior management considered an effective workplace design essential for employee productivity.

It was also estimated that a company's productivity could be increased by 22% if the office was well-designed. However, as many as 40% of the employees believed that their companies had bad designs because they wanted to keep their costs as low as they could.

About 46% of the respondents strongly believed that office design was not a part of their company's priority list and one out of five rated their work environment from “fair to poor”. About 90% of the employees admitted that the work environment affected the quality of their work and about 89% of them even went on to blame it for their job dissatisfaction.

Even basic things like ergonomic workstations can make a huge difference to employee satisfaction and productivity, said a spokesperson for Extra Office Interiors, in an interview.

Find Better Ways of Communication

A study conducted by Aruba in March 2016 across 9 different countries and titled Mobility, Performance and Engagement, revealed that 42% of the employees believed that having easy and quick access to information was a good way to stay engaged at the workplace.

The findings from the study also revealed how mobile technology had improved the communication process within the company, leading to better productivity. About 45% of the companies that provide technical support were among highly rated organizations, while just 17% of those that did not do so made the list.

Effective communication also mean that the employees are aware of the hierarchy of the organization and its vision. They should also know about the person or department they should reach out to for specific types of assistance.

Maintaining and enhancing productivity in the workplace is a tricky task and sometimes can be tough to achieve. However, if you are clear about some basic concepts and are able to apply them properly, you can definitely reach your targets.