Why is it important for a company to invest in employee motivation programs?

There are many components to a successful employee relations strategy, including compensation, benefits and training. Employee motivation programs are another important tool for retaining valuable employees and increasing productivity.

People stay with a company or leave a company for several reasons more important than money. And one of them is their view of their company’s view of them. They need and feed on positive answers to questions like these:

"If I increase my productivity or get here on days when it would be easier to stay home, will anyone notice?"

"Do I get a thank you for going a step beyond to make a customer happy or to help a co-worker?"

"Does anyone really care about me?"

Formal recognition systems and employee motivation programs woven into a company’s core values move people to work harder, smarter, more productively, more safely, and more accurately. Periodic performance improvement programs can influence behavior for a finite period, leading to permanent change. And the combination of the two sends a clear message: "You are important, you do count, and you make a difference." We use the Zone of Self-Interest as part of our strategy for improving employee performance.

Successful employee motivation programs will result in increased loyalty and swelling pride that produces results. As several studies have proven, there is a direct correlation between employee job satisfaction and positive corporate earnings. Therefore, an investment in an employee motivation program will benefit both the employees and the company bottom line.

For more information on employee motivation programs, please read our white paper "Incentives, Motivation and Workplace Performance".

Additional Reading:
Learn more about how the economics of employee retention can help companies save money and improve sales.