1. Signs of Unfairness
In some companies, there is no fairness in giving recognition to employees’ efforts. If employees are not treated equally and are not respected in their workplace, it undoubtedly paves the way for demotivation. The rules that the management sets forth need to apply to all staff members with absolutely no preferential treatment.
2. Job Insecurity
Employees, who work for an expendable job or an unstable company, will not work wholeheartedly and they will at the same time look for another job or plan their next move. Everyone needs stability and longevity at their workplace. Worrying about retaining a job is a stress reason on its own and this in turn leads to demotivation.
3. Lack of Confidence
Lack of confidence in one’s own abilities demotivates employees. Especially if they have experienced failure in the past, they may be hesitant to take initiatives due to fear of failure. Coaching and open communication are the key to overcome this obstacle and give them incentive to keep going strong.
4. Poor Company Leadership
When an employee believes their boss is incompetent, they start losing their will to follow them. On the other hand, bosses who inspire and care about their employees, are surrounded by staff ready to get things done.
5. Micromanagement
In some cases, employees are given the responsibility to undertake a task but they may lack the required resources to complete the task. This leads to frustration and demotivation. Micromanagers’ intentions may be good as they only want to ensure everything will be completed successfully. However this upsets employees. If an employee is asked to act as a higher position for a promotion but they are not given the space to do this, this may mean the manager doesn’t trust their work and/or their judgement.
6. Lack of Comfort & Safety
We spend eight hours a day on average at our workplace. Therefore we need to feel comfortable while working. Feeling comfortable is related to both the physical and the psychological realm. Nobody wants to work in extremely hot or cold conditions for example or without the ability to take a single break. Equally, nobody wants to feel fear. Conflict in the workplace is harmful as it may lead to workplace intimidation or bullying. Workplace bullying is a thing and several managers overlook it because they don’t feel well dealing with it. However it is one of the top reasons why employees lose motivation.
7. Lack of Career Progression & Development
Most of us want to feel that our work matters. We also want clear career objectives to feel that there’s progression for us within a company. When an employee tries to implement a change and this has to go through lots of red tape, they lose their motivation. Regular training and development opportunities helps in boosting employees’ motivation as they value the opportunity to expand and improve their skills and knowledge.
8. Lack of Recognition
When we work, we want to be recognized for our contributions. Employers often take what their staff do for granted therefore employees lose motivation to complete even the simplest tasks. Simply thanking employees whenever they accomplish something that adds to the company makes them feel valued. Celebrating success with them will only make things better.
9. No Sense of Unity
The importance of working with people we get along is huge. As the Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report shows, close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50% and people with a best friend at work are seven times more likely to engage fully in their work.We don’t need to have best friends at work, but we need to be able to relax around our colleagues. When there is hostility among employees, motivation and therefore production will be gravely impacted.
10. Unrealistic workload
It is important to keep realistic expectations regarding workload. If someone is in charge of an impossible workload, they will only end up stressed and disinterested. Equally, if someone has a very light workload, they will also space out and lose interest. Studies show that more and more people strive for a work and life balance and they look for an inspiring job that will keep them motivated.
We are here to help you identify the reasons behind your employees’ demotivation and make them go back to loving their work!
We understand how important it is for companies to motivate and inspire employees and that’s why we design programs that boost workplace productivity and employee motivation.