Seeking Creative Ideas to Boost Employee Motivation in Our New HR Department

Hi, this is Neeru. I'm working in a small organization that has just launched an HR department. I want to plan some small policies for the motivation of employees. I have planned some, like - birthday celebration, complaint box, morning meeting system, reward system for good work, Diwali gift, concession on the products purchased by the employees from the factory. Can you please suggest more ideas that can enhance our productivity as well?

Looking forward to your positive response.

With regards,
Neeru

Dear Ms. Neeru,

Greetings.

Normally, the implementation of motivation policies depends on management. At the same time, we should plan for the expenses. Birthday celebrations are a good motivation policy as they provide some recognition and relief to the employees. You can also arrange a complaint box, which gives employees the freedom to express their concerns. Other issues such as a reward system for good work, Diwali gifts, and concessions on products purchased by employees from the factory are all management decisions. If your management agrees, it will be very beneficial for employee motivation.

Regards,
Srinivas B

Hi Neeru,

You have started a lot of things... great work! One thing that caught my attention is that you can have an "Employee of the Month," and for that person, you can arrange small gifts and all. That will give the employees a high level of motivation.

Thanks.

Regards,
Ankita

Hi Neeru,

You have started with many motivational programs. Look at the cost/budget for these programs, as that is one thing the management will be keen to understand at the end of the year. The suggestion by Ankita for "Employee of the Month" is also very good, but according to me, you can think about it at a later stage. First, you need to observe the response that you are getting from the current schemes; this will give you an idea of where you need to change and how.

Arrange for a corporate lunch or a day for any social cause such as visiting an orphanage or an old age home. An outdoor meet might just help.

Hi,

To add to your writing, you can also form a Fun Committee in your office. Take vibrant members from each department and plan out games, picnics, and some training sessions (by HR). I have recently started this in my office and have noticed that the office environment has become a bit lighter in this way.

"Hi, this is Neeru. I'm working in a small organization that has just launched an HR department. I want to plan some small policies for the motivation of employees. I have planned some like - birthday celebrations, a complaint box, a morning meeting system, a reward system for good work, Diwali gifts, and concessions on products purchased by employees from the factory. Can you please suggest more ideas that can enhance our productivity?

Looking forward to your positive response.

With regards,
Neeru"

Hi all,

Employee of the month is a good idea but difficult and a double-edged weapon in practice. Firstly, it's not easy to quantify whose contribution is bigger. Secondly, for every 'winner' whose motivation goes up due to the award, there will be 10 others who would be demotivated due to being 'losers'. So please be careful on this issue.

Riyaz

Hi,

In my opinion, you have already started a number of activities for employees. You should analyze the results of these activities in terms of motivation and costing first. Depending on that, you can opt for some more activities later. This is because withdrawing any activity/benefit due to cost issues may lead to dissatisfaction among employees.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Swati Jain
Swati

Hi Neeru, I am new to this site. Your activity is good, so you need to track each employee's performance every three months or randomly in a month. This is a better way to analyze each employee and their performance.

Hello Neeru,

Really good effort! You can also wish them on their anniversaries (if married) and during festivals. Apart from this, you can elect one of the members as 'Man of the Month' for achieving the target (if any). This will inspire other team members to achieve the target as recognition is one of the most inspiring motivational tools, in my experience.

Hope this will aid you. :-P

"Hi, this is Neeru. I'm working in a small organization that has just launched an HR department. I want to plan some small policies for the motivation of employees. I have planned some like - birthday celebration, complaint box, morning meeting system, reward system for good work, Diwali gifts, concession on products purchased by employees from the factory. Can you please suggest more ideas that can enhance our productivity? Looking forward to your positive response.

With regards,
Neeru"

Hi Neeru,

Good start! But beforehand, it's better if you sit with your top management (decision-making group) and understand their pulse because the activities you are going to start involve money. Make a budget for each activity, get formal approval from management, and announce the activities slowly but steadily. Consider introducing one activity a month to maintain consistency and aim for high motivation. Non-monetary gestures can also be tried, such as:

1. Visiting employees' houses to get to know them.
2. Visiting sick individuals and inquiring about their welfare.
3. Assisting an employee's family who is away on an official assignment.
4. Taking care of kids' schooling and admission when an employee is absent or unwell.

I believe these additions add more value to your list.

Have a nice day.

B. Dakshina Murty
HR Manager