Engaging and Retaining Your Employees

As a manager or team leader, understanding what motivates your employees is crucial for creating a positive and productive work environment. In fact, your relationship with your employee is one of the most important drivers of employee retention—82% of workers say they would quite a job because of a bad manager (big yikes). This article will tell you about four key motivators and how you can use behavioral science and data to understand and use them effectively.

Tapping into Key Motivations

Understanding your employee is the key to providing what they need in order to feel motivated at work. But not everyone is motivated the same way (unless your team is comprised of a bunch of robots). So, you need a tool like the Predictive Index^® to give you the shortcut to which of the following four strategies are most motivating to each of your employees.

1. Motivator 1: Winning
2. Motivator 2: Belonging
3. Motivator 3: Steadiness
4. Motivator 4: Getting It Right

Motivator 1: Winning

Fueling the Competitive Drive

Some employees are competitive, action-oriented, and assertive. They have a strong need to be in control. To motivate them, talk in terms of winning or losing. You might say something like “this is what winning looks like here” or “here’s how this is considered a win”. Let them participate in competitions or projects that fuel their competitive spirit. By recognizing and supporting their desire to excel, you can keep them engaged and motivated (and that’s winning!).

Motivator 2: Belonging

Fostering a Sense of Togetherness

Some employees are social and like working in teams. Some don’t (more about that here). But for your extraverted team members, they feel motivated when they belong to a group. To capitalize on what energizes them, create opportunities for them to contribute in public. Ask for their thoughts and opinions during team meetings. If you work remotely, turn on your camera during virtual meetings to help them feel connected. Don’t ignore them, because feeling ignored by their leader can make them look for attention elsewhere (either in the break room, or worse, at a different organization).

Motivator 3: Steadiness

Providing Stability and Recognition

Some employees like things to be predictable and stable. They work well with clear processes and routines. To motivate them, provide a stable and consistent work environment whenever possible. This might mean a consistent schedule, giving them some more routine/repeatable work, or else just giving them a more intentional heads up when communicating about change. Let them have a say in creating or improving processes. Recognize their loyalty and their ability to work at a steady pace. By appreciating their efforts and providing stability, you can keep them motivated and engaged (and more productive, too).

Motivator 4: Getting It Right

Recognizing Attention to Detail

Some employees are perfectionists (but, really). They care a lot about accuracy and attention to detail and they loathe making mistakes. To motivate these individuals, recognize their commitment to quality by expressing appreciation for their accuracy and attention to detail. Offer them opportunities to enhance their expertise with job knowledge and resources. By helping them avoid mistakes and supporting their pursuit of excellence, you can fuel their motivation and drive for perfection.

Don’t wait to motivate your employees

Understanding and recognizing your employees’ motivations is important for keeping them engaged and retained. By tapping into their motivators like winning, belonging, steadiness, and getting it right, you can create a work environment that suits their needs. Remember, these motivators are just the beginning. You should delve deeper into your employees’ behavioral assessment results and find individual management strategies that work for each team member.

Your Next Steps

If you want to learn more about your employees’ motivators, explore their behavioral assessment results and find the management strategy that suits them best. By making a few simple adjustments, you can gain valuable insights into what makes your team members tick and create an environment that keeps them engaged and retained.