4 Ways To Jump Start Employee Motivation

While you may think finding good employees is difficult, keeping them happy and fulfilled at you company is even harder. Employee perks are becoming more competitive industry wide, which means it's time for you to fine-tune your methods for motivating and retaining employees. Here are a few strategies to keep your employees around for the long haul.

1. Start a Mentor Program

The value of mentoring can easily get lost in our "me first" selfish culture, but its value should not be underestimated. Mentoring new employees can help them feel a greater sense of belonging, accountability and create an overall desire to succeed.

While you may want to pair employees in the same departments, don't. Instead pair new employees with a mentor in another department to help broaden their view of how the company works. Senior management and executives may seem too busy to take part, but they can be the most valuable mentors to new employees, especially those who are just starting out in their careers. Mentoring pairs do not need to meet very often, once every other week or monthly is sufficient. Just be sure these parameters are clear up front to get the most participation and value out of your mentor program.

2. Reward Hard Work

Show your employees that you understand how much effort is required for completing your latest major project by offering an additional incentive based on performance. At the beginning of the big project, outline your expectations and goals, as well as possible rewards they can earn for a job well done. While a cash bonus is always appreciated, a study recently published by Harvard Business Review found that gifts are more motivating than cash bonuses.

 Unsure of what gift to offer? Don't try to come up with a single gift that everyone will love. Instead, offer employees their choice of three or four options. For instance, you could offer a pair of court-side seats to a basketball game, a Coach handbag, a luggage set or a new iPad.

3. Encourage Naps

Short naps, known as power naps, have been thoroughly studied in recent years. A NASA study found that a nap for as few as 26 minutes could significantly improve cognitive performance and a City University of New York study found that naps can boost creative thinking and memory.

Offer your employees the opportunity to recharge with a quick power nap on their lunch hour or during an afternoon break. Transform a spare office or conference room into a nap zone, complete with comfortable recliners and a couch. If you have room in your budget, there are also plenty of pricey nap pods on the market, which offer a little more privacy and comfort.

4. Stock the Kitchen

Your office is your employees' home for 40 hours a week, so maximize the creature comforts that you offer in the office kitchen. This can also boost productivity, as it prevents your team from wasting time running out to get a snack or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Invest in a top-of-the-line coffee maker, as well as high quality, locally roasted coffee. Stock fresh fruit weekly, as well as healthy snacks like trail mix, nuts, granola bars and pretzels. Have a few drink options as well, including hot tea, iced tea and juice instead of soda.