From employee experience to digital transformation, 2019 trends sweeping organizational design are in no short supply. Here are eight ways to motivate employees as 2019 kicks off:  

1.  Delegate with Autonomy in Mind

Employees are motivated by a sense of ownership and often value autonomy in their work. Give them the opportunity to work at their own pace and observe productivity. Paired with personalized recognition, a dose of autonomy can boost confidence and engagement.

2. Offer opportunities for advancement and improvement

Performing the same task every day with no hope of change can run down even the best employee. Offering opportunities increases employee motivation. Employees do not necessarily need a pay raise or job title change–additional training or education can also be a motivator. Offering new responsibilities for those who participate is another benefit.

3. Gamify Achievement

Tie everyday tasks to a gamified experience. Think physical badges (Boy and Girl Scouts, anyone?) or even digital badges to incorporate with your employee recognition platform. In fact, game-based motivation increases engagement by 48%.

4. Invest in a little culture

Find out what makes your employees light up, and design a work environment that activates them. Whether you invest in some comfy chairs for a quiet area or take a snack poll and shake up the break room or kitchen, a few small touches to the atmosphere will motivate employees to show up and shine.

6. Champion Change

The digital transformation movement inundating businesses can create a chasm between what is, what will be, and what’s in between in the workplace. Organizations are working diligently to parlay dated legacy systems into more digitally adept programs. Without clear communication, a digital overhaul can often leave employees feeling confused and shut out by management. Be a champion for change by including employees in the details of digital transformation. Answer questions, ask for input, and elevate all members of your organization - you may be surprised.

7. Get in the Bullpen

Speak your employees’ language. Spend a little time on the frontlines with employees as their equals. Take interest in their tasks and how they contribute to the organization’s mission. This not only grants leaders fresh a perspective but also builds trust between employees and management.

8. Listen to Employees  

Employee feedback can be paramount to a company’s success. Give employees a voice and consider their input–they are, after all, on the frontlines, the closest touchpoint between your customers, clients, and customers and your business. Consider a digital option, like Rewardian’s Ideas module available as an add-on to its employee recognition and rewards platform. Allow employees to freely submit ideas, evaluate, vote, and reward successfully implemented submissions to top it off for an extra boost of motivation.