Staff Motivation and Compensation

Businesses are realizing free tea and coffee are not enough to keep associates content and happy. Many are resorting to offering free gym memberships, food, unique bonuses and flexible working hours.

When staff is happy, they are highly motivated; their work is a lot more detailed, they are faster and more efficient.

Thus the traditional motivation style is going the way of the dinosaur and new approaches to motivation are coming into vogue.

To me it’s all about creating a culture or excitement which in return reflects back on the quality of the work performed.

To get staff passionate about a product or service, can be a challenge especially if they have worked for the company for any length of time.

Here at Larson’s we have put into place a green philosophy which allows worker freedom to do as they choose, with a flexible schedule to allow people the ability to work their “other” lives into their working lives.

Not all of us are “one” with our jobs.

Some take off work early on a Friday, start late on Monday because, it is can be hard to get back into things after the weekend or the company they are working for is not good on Monday mornings or Friday afternoons

Companies need to have a good culture, because potential employees no longer only look at the salary when deciding where to work.

Some people will accept a job paying $5000 less if they think the workplace will be a more enjoyable place to work.

There can be a little pressure to provide different kinds of benefits as more companies get innovative when it comes to their staffing and moral decisions

It has also helps a company attract employees who are looking for more of a work-life balance.

Keep in mind there still needs to be a formal application process and staff still needs to have to present a business case for their person flexible working hours. Yet, having the options in place allows people to be balanced and high spirited

You can put in place a parental leave policy. When the period is over they can come back to work as an already trained associate not a complete newbie.

You can put in place a personal emergency leave policy. This allows your people to be able to leave work suddenly to deal with family emergencies or take time off for appointments and make it up later.

Retaining staff is something all companies must do. Every winter we take a week off for training at some nice location. Last year Arizona in February. Training in the morning and “nothing” in the afternoon and nights.

When we bid on a project here at Larson’s we consult with the possible associates who will be working on the project. We get their opinions on it and what they feel is a fair compensation rate for the work for both Us (the company), them (the worker), and the client. In this way we formulate a win-win-win situation where everyone can come out a winner.

It is of course to keep an eye on what your industry pay scale is. You don’t want to under or overpaying (or do you) against your competition. Join a trade group to bet the best idea on compensation levels. Go to conventions and meetings and let them talk, not you.

We, I, want people to stay with us for a long long time. We're not the sort of company that hires and fires. I don’t want to have a revolving door policy or bury and slash. I hate to ask someone to leave, it is too gut wrenching.

Larson note: There are many ways to look at motivation and compensation as there are people. As long as you can formulate a policy that can be standard yet individualize and does not take advantage of the people and also does not allow for chronic abuse your on the right track.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
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