An effective workplace is a lot like the human body: it requires a proper balance of nourishment, enjoyment and challenge to stay healthy and work effectively. Whether your office is casual, conservative or somewhere in between, the need to test and motivate your employees is crucial for sustaining growth. By following these constructive tips, you can foster a more dynamic workplace and retain the employees who are helping your company grow.

Encouraging Inter-Office Cooperation

Employees who like and respect one another are more likely to do good work together. Teamwork is crucial to any modern workplace, and enabling a friendly, collaborative space is easier than you might think if you keep these simple tactics in mind.

• Hire Team Players: One surefire way to maintain a collaborative workforce is to specifically target team-oriented individuals during the hiring process. While many people will describe themselves as “team-players” in their resume, careful interview questioning can go a long way in evaluating the truth of such statements. Ask prospective employees about their experience working in groups and pay close attention to those who emphasize competition or personal superiority. These employees may tend to think of a team as a vehicle for their own success rather than a collaborative unit. Look for people who emphasize collaboration and learning alongside ambition. Look for this trait by asking that interviewees tell you about a time they learned a valuable lesson from a co-worker, or about a time they had to address an office conflict.

• Encourage Team Building Exercises: One of the best ways to encourage teamwork inside the office is to interact and engage with your employees during their off time. Depending on your industry and corporate culture, some activities may be better fits than others. Retreats, office games and even escape rooms are all fantastic ways to build relationships through communication, sharing of talents, and friendly competition. Whichever option you choose, aim for improved trust and collaboration as your end goal.

• Hold Regular Team Meetings: In some cases, an early morning meeting can be a positive. Regular 15-20 minute meetings where employees are encouraged to share ideas and success stories from the past week can encourage conversation and foster an atmosphere of shared learning. By requiring the initial communication, subsequent interactions can occur with greater ease during the work day.

Providing Challenge and Inspiring Growth

Real, continued growth comes from facing meaningful challenges. Employees who are given the opportunity to learn and feel important at work are more likely to stay with your company as they develop into an even more valuable asset. There are several options for going about this:

• Communicate Their Potential: One of the best ways to motivate and inspire a promising employee is to let them know what you see in them. Letting them know that you see bigger and better things in their future fuels continued growth and productivity while subtly hinting at the reward on the horizon

• Diversify Their Workload: When a star employee consistently excels at their assignments, they should be given the opportunity to take on new challenges. Allowing promising individuals to take risks and develop new skills makes them feel more valuable and can keep them from becoming tired or complacent at work.

• Reward Effort: It’s natural that some individuals will be exceptionally talented from day one, but those who display high levels of effort, ambition and strategic thinking deserve to be nourished and encouraged as well. When you see that an employee is consistently going the extra mile, acknowledge and reward their initiative. Even if an ambitious employee has areas that need development, their positive attitude and strong drive are worth cultivating for the long-term.

Enabling Real Progress

Even the strongest, most dedicated employees need to experience real progress, otherwise they will look for work elsewhere. If your current team is firmly established, there are still plenty of opportunities for employees to develop their career.

• Give Them Authority: Giving a promising employee supervisory duties is an excellent way to empower them and convey trust. Assigning them an assistant or a junior-level hire also gives an employee more room to grow, and allows them to place more focus on the bigger picture.

• Consult Them on Important Issues: A fantastic way to ease the wait for a promotion is to include an employee in important decision-making. By letting them know that you value their opinion and trust them in crucial situations, you make the employee feel appreciated while still hinting at bigger things to come.

• Pay for Professional Development: Encourage an employee’s potential by financially investing in their professional growth. Send them to a seminar or a convention. Pay for them to receive a valuable certification, or even help them finance their continued education. By enabling growth and investing in their ability, you send that employee a strong signal that good things await them in the future.

When employees feel empowered and excited to grow, your company will be poised to do the same. Whether it’s an entire team or a handful of promising individuals, make sure you’re positioning them for the success and progress that both they and your company deserve. For more information on how to cultivate your team and establish a more dynamic workplace, contact Primary Services today.