6 ways to keep junior staff motivated

Employee engagement is more than just knowing whether someone likes their job. Measuring employee engagement lets you know how committed staff are to the business and its success. It tells you how motivated they are and how emotionally invested your employees are in the work they are doing. 

When an employee is engaged, they will be:

  • Motivated to work hard towards a common goal that is in line with the company's vision 
  • Committed to the values their organisation represents 
  • Operating with a clear view and understanding of the objectives of the work they are doing 

It’s important for business leaders and managers to understand their employees’ level of engagement within the organisation to create a workforce that is not just happy, but motivated to succeed. This is particularly important with junior staff members who have a much higher turnover rate than more senior staff members. 

Here are our top 6 tips on how to motivate junior staff to increase your employee engagement.  

1. Create a positive culture

Bad management is one of the top reasons employees leave a business and can have detrimental effects on your turnover rates. Things like respect, honesty, support and clear communication are the foundations of being a good manager. But there’s a lot more you can do to be a great leader to junior staff members and make sure other senior staff are too. 

One of your key responsibilities as a leader or manager to a junior member of staff is to create a positive working environment. You need to give even the most dire of situations a silver lining. Put a positive spin on things wherever possible, as good news in the workplace always captures the attention of junior employees. By being open, honest, positive and receptive to feedback, holding the attention of your employees should become relatively easy.

For more advice on how to be a good manager, read through our collection of insightful management advice articles for top tips on everything from optimising your hiring process to attract top talent, to engaging new starters in a hybrid workplace

2. Offer employee rewards

People will stay with your business if they have a reason to. So, if you want to keep your junior employees motivated, it’s worth starting an incentive or benefits program that they will enjoy. You may already have some enticing company benefits such as quarterly bonus structures or private healthcare, but have a think about what employee benefits or rewards you could offer that might be more attractive to a junior workforce. This could include: 

  • Learning and development programmes 
  • Mentoring schemes 
  • Competitive annual leave allowances 
  • Discounted gym memberships

If people know they’ll be rewarded for a job well done, they’ll be more likely to work hard and stay in the business for longer.

3. Give them room to grow

If your business is rapidly expanding, giving your employees room to grow within the company is a huge motivator. Especially for more junior employees who are just starting out in their career. Any manager in charge of a team and the development of the individuals needs to have a succession plan in place. The allure of promotion and career advancement is always a great way to motivate. 

When things are going well it can be easy to become complacent about giving praise but stopping, and smelling the roses is important to build employee confidence and encourage a culture in which employees nurture and support one another.

4. Share positive feedback

Feedback that is constructive is vital to employees’ ongoing development. Feedback clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes and builds confidence. Positive feedback is easy – it’s not hard to find the right words to tell someone they’ve done a good job, or to congratulate them on meeting a sales target.

However, giving negative feedback is not so easy. It’s human nature to put off difficult conversations or to try and soften the blow. However, the problem with doing this is that the issue is not addressed, the problem compounds, and eventually you find yourself dealing with a much bigger problem.

5. Offer flexible working

While many have historically been skeptical about how remote working would impact productivity and company workflow, the past year has proven that most workers can execute their jobs just as well as, if not better, while working from home. There are plenty of key business benefits of flexible working too, including an increase in productivity, reduced stress and burnout, a better work-life balance for all employees, and better job satisfaction. 

This is something we looked at in length in our recent eBook, Talent Trends: 10 key insights on the post-lockdown workplace. Download this free eBook for expert insights into:

  • How workers feel about flexible working
  • How far top candidates are willing to travel for a new job
  • What role the office play for teams moving forward 
  • What skills workers need to navigate the ‘new normal’

6. Recognise their achievements

Sometimes all people want is some recognition for a job well done. If an employee has been putting in a lot of time working on a project, or they went out of their way to help out a colleague, do not hesitate to praise them for that. If people feel that their efforts are appreciated, they will feel compelled to continue working hard.

According to reports by Reward Gateway, organisations with reward and recognition programmes have 14% better employee engagement, productivity and customer service, plus a 31% lower employee turnover. 

So, whether it’s noting their contributions in a meeting, recognising them in a staff email, or just thanking them privately, it’s important that you show hardworking employees your gratitude.
What’s next? 

Check out our management advice articles for more insights into developing and retaining your workforce and helping your new hires

Looking to hire? Get in touch to talk to us about your current recruitment needs and we’ll help you find the right people for your business. 
 

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