You want your employees to be engaged, positive, and productive. It’s common to run into a few “bad apples” in the bunch. Sometimes employees just need motivation.
You may not have tried these five tips. If you’ve been wondering how to motivate unproductive employees, one of these tips could be the answer.
1. Offer Training
Sometimes, employees aren’t productive because they just don’t know how to do their jobs. Maybe they didn’t have great training to start, or maybe they need some additional support. Maybe you’ve introduced a new program or app and they need some support to learn how to use it effectively.
Offering training is one way to answer the question of how to motivate unproductive employees. With a better understanding of what they need to do and how to do their jobs, some employees will go from unproductive to incredibly productive right before your eyes.
2. Check Their Schedules
How many shifts are your employees working? Are they pulling a lot of overtime lately or have they been doubling up on shifts? Your employees may be showing a lack of productivity because they’re overworked.
These employees may also be more likely to take time off, calling in sick or failing to show up for shifts. While you may argue you need all hands on deck to get through a busy season, the longer this high-production period lasts, the more tired your employees will be.
If you’ve been scheduling overtime nonstop for a few months and employees have stopped producing, it could be time to hire another set of hands. Long hours and too many shifts actually drive down individual production. Getting more help can be an effective solution for how to deal with unproductive employees.
3. Motivate Them
What incentive do your employees have for turning in their best possible performance? You might answer, “Their paycheque,” but the research shows this isn’t enough to keep employees motivated and productive over time.
If you’re not offering rewards or other incentives for good performance and high productivity, you should consider it as one potential way for how to deal with unproductive employees. Sometimes, all your employees need is recognition that they’re doing a good job. A proverbial pat on the back can provide them with the incentive to turn in better performance.
Sometimes, saying thank you for a good job is enough. You may also consider offering small rewards or awards for employees.
4. Create a Plan
Maybe you’ve tried all of these methods for how to motivate unproductive employees. Some people have improved, but others are still dragging their heels. What can you do?
It’s time to create an action plan. Discuss the employee’s performance with them and create clear goals and expectations. Having your expectations in mind, along with goals and a step-by-step plan, gives employees focus. They can work toward becoming more productive.
Some employees may feel a bit lost, which is why they’re not producing the way you want them to. An action plan will give them purpose and direction.
5. Say Goodbye
Once you’ve tried all these methods for how to deal with unproductive employees, most of your employees should be engaged and productive. You may have one or two people who seem to resist all efforts to turn their performance around.
It may be time to part ways with these people. While this should be a last resort, it could be the employee is a poor fit for your company. They’ll be happier elsewhere, and you can look to fill the role with someone who fits your corporate culture better.
With these tips in hand, it’s easy to deal with unproductive employees.
