How Can We Boost Motivation and Engagement on the Factory Shop Floor?

Increasing Motivation and Engagement on the Shop Floor

I want to increase the motivation and engagement level of workers on my factory shop floor. I am seeking ideas for providing both monetary and non-monetary motivation. Can you suggest techniques for boosting the motivation of workers?

Thanks & Regards,
Deepak Makwana
Dy. Manager - HR
EMCO Ltd

This site and the internet, in general, are full of ideas. However, the most important aspect is choosing the right idea, and this is where the difficulty arises.

To ensure the maximum result for the best cost, you first have to engage the workforce for them to buy into the scheme. Ask them—it's as simple as that. Inquire about what motivates them; you will be surprised at the answers.

When we carried out this exercise, the responses included money, job satisfaction, material products, career prospects, and family (particularly children). Based on these responses, we created a variety of motivators and not just one. We also observed that merely conducting the exercise motivated the employees.

Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember that while you are providing for the employees, they must reciprocate by offering something in return—whether it be increased productivity or meeting higher targets. This way, the reward does not become the expected standard over time.

Good luck and enjoy the project!

Regards,
Harsh

P.S. Please share your end results with the community.

It is a myth that incentives alone motivate a person completely. Money may motivate a person to stay, but it may not motivate them to give their best.

What is Motivation?

Motivation is the willingness to expand one's capacities or the willingness to spend one's energies. There is a famous proverb: "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink." A motivated horse starts drinking water on its own and does not require external stimulation.

Factors Influencing Employee Motivation

Employee motivation depends on many factors. It is quite complex and is the output of several factors. Prominent among them are:

- Nature of the job or challenges in the job
- Suitability between the job and the personality of the person
- Organization's culture (progressive, bureaucratic, open, puritanical, etc.)
- Rewards for performance
- Promotion avenues or opportunities for career advancement. In some companies, people keep doing the same job for years.
- Interpersonal environment in the company
- Brand image of the company, growth of the company, or position of the company in the industry
- Leadership at the top. Are they obsessed with "making money" or providing innovative products or services to the customers?
- Whether the manager is a role model, the managerial competencies of the manager
- Training given to the employees
- Upgraded technology in the company (in many companies, Office 2003 is still in use)
- Equal treatment of all departments and no "blue-eyed boys" in the company
- Ethical business practices. For the sake of cost-cutting, management should not encourage bribing or the use of pirated software.
- Quality of the vendors or suppliers. Remember what Jack Welch used to say: "If you want to be the best, then deal with the best."
- Your financial well-being is completely tied to your customer. The customer is "big daddy" in the market, and you are just a small fry.
- Manpower is too scarce. Management wants to keep the manpower "lean," and as a result, there is no room for people to take earned leave.
- Too much attrition.
- No remuneration as per market standards. This fosters the wrong brand image in the job market, and the company is unable to attract quality candidates. Managers often rue that "our management wants us to gallop, but they want us to ride asses!"
- Management has a clique at the top. They listen or believe only in the "inner circle" that comprises people from their caste, creed, religion, etc.
- No empowerment to speak of. The only person who calls the shots is the "top boss."

I recommend studying the above work conditions and bringing about change. At the end of the day, a motivated employee says, "This happens in my company or this will never happen in my company!" He says it without batting an eyelid. That's the sign of a motivated employee!

Regards,
Dinesh V Divekar

As it is rightly said by Harsh Shukla, you can ask for their requirements and expectations from management and render them accordingly. When you call for a meeting and have a discussion with them (whether workers or staff), they feel satisfied by the sense of belonging, which is one of the factors of indirect motivation.

You can also try something different to compete in the competitive market. For example, you can try different motivational factors that none of the companies might have opted for to retain them. You can also try a family meet of workers every weekend or once in a fortnight.

All the best for some more new ideas to pop up with.

Regards,
Vasandaa AM-HR Textile Mills Madurai

Please do share your results with us.

As rightly explained by Mr. Dinesh Divakar, there are numerous factors to design an engagement and motivational program. It should be different for different firms for the reasons emphasized by Dineshji.

Further, I would like to mention something very startling that I observed in my current firm. We have awards every month - Employee of the Month and Star of the Month. Honestly, the money given as a token is only a meager amount, but it is very engaging and motivating for several reasons:

1. The CEO himself comes out and distributes the awards.
2. He highlights the work of the achiever and mentions why the person deserves the title. This is a very rare practice. We all know what our teammates are doing, but when we are asked to quantify, measure, and rate it, we are dumbfounded.
3. He mentions the company's progress and his plans to invest in them.
4. He talks about the upcoming meeting with big clients and how it would benefit the company.
5. Every month, he not only talks about the company's progress but also gives due credit to all those who have contributed, quantifying everything as I mentioned earlier.

This is something I saw for the very first time. Last month, I received the award, and honestly, when he talked about the work I did, it not only made me feel proud of what I was doing but also brought tears to my eyes because my work is being recognized and valued.

The members above have all given useful suggestions. As Harsh rightly said, ideas abound in cyberspace, but it is difficult to pick the right one because a motivational exercise should be a right fit for your organization to be effective and fruitful. It is difficult to zero in on one universal factor. What motivates one or a class of employees may not motivate another or a different class of employees since their needs vary so much. Therefore, I agree with Harsh's suggestion that it is advisable to conduct a survey among your employees to understand what motivates them before designing the scheme so that it may be the right fit for your organization. Otherwise, you may wonder at the end, thinking "there was so much manure but so little yield," like a farmer who believes that mere manuring will increase the yield.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR and Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai

Motivation begins by letting 'others' know that they take first place, even if you are the CEO. When this happens, the CEO becomes a leader who now exhibits an extreme sense of care, concern, and comfort for them. He is now not 'compelling' them to perform but rather 'impelling' them to outperform by galvanizing them to move to the hub, rather than keeping them at the periphery. The procedures, policies, and plans move from the text to actual practice, and a sense of learning while delivering becomes evident everywhere.

I may sound too lax, but when the so-called individuals—oftentimes considered mere cogs—are recognized first for their presence, then for their performance, and then provided the 'playground' (opportunities for training & development), the citadel rises. Obviously, suggestions galore on the net, and from friends on the thread, merit consideration too.

You can motivate employees on the shop floor by engaging them in various activities such as "Employee of the Month," quiz programs, small get-togethers, suggestion schemes, fast grievance redressal, poster and slogan competitions, etc.

Regards,
P. Basu

Dear Deepak,

There are classic theories on motivation. I would urge you to rely on two fundamental theories: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg's Hygiene Factors to design and develop your list of motivators.

Remember, all employees are not at the same level, so the motivators would differ for different categories of individuals.

Focus Areas for Motivation

One needs to understand and appreciate the fact that when dealing with employees/subordinates, we are all human beings and would like to be treated as such in the first place. Although people claim many things, do we really treat our employees in the manner we would like to be treated? Simply put, do we recognize and appreciate the work done nicely? I have observed this on many occasions, and most individuals feel like they receive more criticism (even unintentionally or for not meeting others' expectations) than appreciation for jobs done well.

More importantly, as a leader, one needs to accept the fact that success is dependent on the success of the team/group being led by him/her. Working in a team calls for effective handling and building on individual strengths to achieve the overall objective. Like a football game, individually we may be very good in respective areas, but what counts in the end is how the individuals played their respective roles to WIN. Therefore, it is essential to develop the interest in individuals to act towards the achievement of a common goal and work in a team as a cohesive unit.

Remember: Engagement, empowerment, and building up excitement are three important ingredients for motivating the team.

Regards,

A common mistake that most supervisors/managers make is forgetting to appreciate their team. One of the best motivators is when someone appreciates good work or when your managers just pat your back and say, "Job well done."

What I used to follow is a tracker with all the names of employees and the dates that I have appreciated them to ensure that I have not missed out on anyone. This would surely create a positive work environment where good work is appreciated, ensuring that the team is motivated.

Regards,
Rashmi