Work-Life Balance, To Get The Best Out Of A Demotivated Team | #hrmanagement #hrexecutive

The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a lot of problems and trends for businesses to ponder. Not only has there been the transition towards remote working, but also the overwhelming atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding the furlough scheme, staff turnover and client losses. This, in turn, has left many business owners and managers scratching their heads as to how to keep their staff working most productively while trying to keep their business afloat at the same time.  
Work-related burnout is a huge issue, after all, affecting both the productivity and motivation levels of employees to work at the best of their ability. As such, having systems in place to combat this and prevent it from becoming more of a problem is imperative within the current climate. But, what exactly can you do? Well, that’s where we can help. Join us as we run through some of the most effective ways to re-motivate your employees both now and over the long run. 

Offer Incentives

Reward-based systems are a sure-fire way to motivate your employees to work both smarter and faster. Especially now that so many workers have had no choice but to work from home, missing out on the social camaraderie they would have had in the office, it’s important for your staff to feel like their work actually means something. 
Therefore, offering some kind of incentive – a subsidised gym membership, an extra few days of holiday allowance, an upgraded job title, a paid-for fit-to-travel COVID antigen test – could help provide your staff with something to work towards, giving them that extra slice of encouragement that might have otherwise been lost during the pandemic.

Think About Promotions

While it may seem slightly counterintuitive when trying to encourage a team that’s already feeling demotivated, your staff may only be feeling this way due to a lack of career development. So, why not alleviate their concerns by moving them up the company ladder? The various periods of lockdown we’ve all had to endure could have dealt a significant blow to their mental health, and provided each of your employees with an opportunity to refine their focus, work out whether they’re actually happy in their current role, and consider moving on. 
Therefore, to avoid this from happening, you need to carefully think about what you could realistically offer to keep them happy in their work. Whether it be a deserved promotion, a new job title or the ability to train in a different side of the business, there are several effective ways to give your staff a newfound sense of purpose and prevent them from leaving.

Encourage The Work-Life Balance

If you are currently dealing with a demotivated team, ask yourself why that is. Are you still expecting the same quantity and quality of work they were delivering pre-pandemic, for instance? Because, if so, it might be time to loosen the reins a little. Allowing your employees to have a decent work-life balance is imperative within the current climate. Not only will many of them now be needing to juggle working alongside home-schooling their children, but they will also need to enjoy their downtime, exercise regularly and maintain contact with their friends and family.
 Therefore, with so many commitments to balance, giving your staff the freedom and flexibility to work in their own time could make a huge difference to both their productivity and mental health. What’s more, it could make them appreciate how understanding of their situation you are which, in turn, could encourage them to work harder and stay on as a loyal team member as a result.

Final Thoughts… 

So, there you have it – three effective ways to get the best out of your staff and re-motivate them to perform at the best of their abilities. The key thing to remember is that, while you may be their superior, we are all in this together and, as such, it’s important to consider their individual situations.  In doing so, you will be able to make life a lot more manageable for both you and them which should, in turn, significantly improve their level of working motivation.

Photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels