Unmotivated employees can cause many problems for managers.
It is difficult to accept the lazy attitude of some, while seeing the determination and self-motivation of other staff members who don’t need to be told what to do at all.
As leaders, managers are often faced with the need to correct their team members’ attitudes and work output.
There are definite ways to help unmotivated employees improve by empowering them with these steps:
Institute Performance-Related Pay
This is a type of salary where employees get paid based on their performance.
Instead of paying out a steady hourly or monthly wage, employees have to meet or exceed established criteria to maximise their earnings.
This type of payment is similar to typical commission-based structures, where employees get a percentage or a set-upon fee based on their sales; the more they sell, the more they make.
Since not all workers are in sales, commission-based pay cannot be a one-fits-all solution; therefore performance-related pay can be the answer.
The manager should set standards for work outputs, and then keep careful data about employee performance.
That data should be reviewed by the leader and the employee at every pay period, and the salary should be adjusted as such.
This is a great way to motivate employees to work their best, as if they don’t, they will suffer financially.
Give Them A Choice To Leave
Many individuals underperform because they believe they can get away with slacking off.
Managers are either too busy to notice, or even if they do, choose not to deal with it.
However, when employees know that they are being watched, they will typically rise to the challenge of completing their workload.
Hold a one-on-one meeting with the unmotivated employee and ask them point blank if they see themselves at this company, or want to find other employment.
Be ready for the chance that the worker may choose to quit; otherwise, it is very likely that the individual will choose to drastically improve to keep their job.
Involve Them
Another, and much less drastic tactic than instituting performance-based pay or providing an option to quit, is the chance to involve the unmotivated staff more into the loop.
Let the employee know that you are concerned about their lack of motivation, and ask them how you can help.
Would they benefit from additional training, mentoring, or simply a clearer job description?
If the employee sees that the leader cares, that may, in itself, motivate them to work hard to please the boss.
Unmotivated employees not only affect productivity and profits, but they can significantly alter the entire corporate culture.
A good leader should take measures, such as the ones in this article, to motive even the most underperforming workers.
