Making it to the top — and staying there — is an uphill battle in business, so you need every person on your team to give their job 100% effort. Chances are, you probably have some employees who consistently exceed expectations and others who reliably fall short. Until now, your low-performing employees have simply been coasting by on the hard work of others, but that’s not okay. It’s time to put an immediate end to this behavior.

Four Tips to Motivate Less-than-Enthusiastic Employees to Reach their Potential

Uncover Their Passion

Talented people must be constantly challenged, so it’s very possible some have become bored with monotonous work. Meet with each person not pulling their weight to get to the root of the problem. Find out where their interests lie and use this to assign projects they’re truly excited about. The opportunity to learn a new skill or take on a few new responsibilities might be all it takes to reinvent the person into your best employee.

Create Specific Performance Goals

Some people give their all to every assignment, while others need a little extra guidance. Quite obviously, your low-performers can’t handle vague goals. Make your expectations crystal clear, rather than assuming you’re on the same page. Include specific goals with each assignment given to these employees, leaving no room for interpretation.

Recognize Improved Efforts

When an employee makes strides to improve their performance, acknowledge how far they’ve come. Let them know you appreciate the extra effort they’re putting in and are pleased with the results. Knowing the boss is cheering them on is a great motivator to keep working hard to improve. Help them see how their performance tie into overall team goals, allowing them to realize the work they do really does matter.

Set Consequences for Poor Performance

You’re a kind employer who wants everyone to succeed, but your team doesn’t have room for those who don’t want to help themselves. If an employee continues to slack off and fall short of expectations, let them know this will result in termination. Follow your company’s formal process — issuing warnings, etc. — each time the person fails to properly do their job and if this continues, letting them go is best for everyone involved.

Finding the right engineer or manufacturing professional for your team shouldn’t be left to chance, so partner with Premium Staffing, Inc. to make the right decision every time. Composed of engineers — with a specialty in manufacturing — our team of expert staffing professionals has the knowledge needed to find the best person to fill your open positions every time.

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)