Guest Post: The 5 Best Ways To Get Your Employees To Compete

Healthy competition among employees increases productivity and can even boost employee morale, but many companies have a difficult time effectively encouraging their employees to do their best work. Supervisors and managers of the past used to use threatening tactics to obtain high performance levels from employees, but that approach did not often result in the desired outcome. Sour working environments erode employee motivation, and studies have shown that motivated workers are the most productive. If you are trying to inspire your employees to produce their best work, remember that the key to good performance lies in creating and maintaining high levels of employee morale. Following are five ways to help your work force become more motivated. 

1. Create a Positive Work Environment 
People naturally work faster and better in a positive environment, and part of that involves allowing employees to personalize their work spaces. For instance, many modern companies forbid employees to place family pictures or other personal items on their desks. This creates a bleak working environment that does not serve to inspire optimal performance.

2. The Importance of Rewarding Success 
Setting reasonable goals and rewarding employees who successfully reach them is highly instrumental in fostering a work environment that is conducive to a good production output. If you are looking for inspiration for corporate gifts and reward programs, O.C. Tanner has achieved global recognition in the field of employee appreciation development.

3. Foster Teamwork 
Most people respond well to being a valued member of a team by putting forth their best efforts. Human beings are hard wired to work cooperatively with one another to achieve common goals, so keep remember that not all performance rewards need to go to individuals. Incentives can be provided to the team as a whole for working efficiently together to reach goals.

4. Let Employees Share in the Success of Your Business 
Offering a profit sharing program to employees is an excellent way to keep them engaged in your business in a positive way. People are much more likely to be motivated to do their best when they have an investment in the outcome of their labor.

5. Provide Timely Salary Increases 
Money frequently motivates people who work for a living more than anything. Although other factors do have significance impact on performance and morale, keeping good employees is dependent on financial compensation and benefits. Most people have no choice but to closely consider the bottom line when making career decisions.

About the Author:

Annabelle Smyth is currently a loving and caring mother of two children. She lives outside of Milwaukee, WI and loves cheering for the Bucks and Badgers. She is a blog enthusiast and loves writing, if she is not writing she is cleaning up after her two lovely angels.