Friday, 24 May 2013

10 Reasons for Employee Demotivation


Demotivation can be contagious; even one demotivated employee who walks around the work place spreading negative vibes can quickly work on demotivating others. The causes of motivational and behaviour problems in any workplace are familiar to most managers, but there is no such thing as a quick fix for most of these problems. Most problems evolve over time and can take a long time to fix so the best thing to do is prevent the cause before it becomes a problem.

10 of the most common reasons for employee demotivation, as well as methods to combat these issues can be seen below.

Favouritism – If a colleague or even a group of colleagues appear to be given special treatment it can be one of the most demotivating things an employee could experience. A good boss would keep the situation under control and curb favouritism before it gets out of hands. It is quite natural to have trusted employees in the work place but there should be a line between trusting an individual and showing favouritism.

Too much work – Employees can feel overloaded with a disproportionate chunk of work which can make them feel unable to perform their duties well and on time. Be realistic with assigning tasks, delegate an amount of work that is challenging but not overwhelming.

Lack of recognition and praise – An employee can feel unappreciated for his efforts. It doesn’t take a lot to make someone feel good about them, a simple thank you or even a work lunch could do wonders.

No progression – Even the best salesman can become demotivated quickly if they feel they are stuck in a dead end job. An employer should always try to be flexible and look for a solution, progression increase employee satisfaction and in turn productivity.

Poor leadership – Most reasons for demotivation of staff comes down to poor leadership. If your company is lacking leadership then set out to recruit employees with leadership skills, if not the next best thing is leadership training.

Lazy co-workers – Lazy co-workers who do not pull their weight and get favoured by management can be very demotivating. Set clear goals and create a rewards system for the employees that do put the effort in.

Lack of company benefits – It could be that a field sales rep has to pay their own petrol or doesn’t get access to a company car this could demotivate them. Be aware of what benefits will be more attractive to employees in different roles.

Micromanagement – Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for demotivation is micromanaging. Employees need to feel trusted and valued to succeed—and micromanaging communicates the opposite.

Job role not challenging enough – An employee may love the company and all their colleagues but if the role isn’t challenging enough it could demotivate them and make them look elsewhere. Employers need to keep employees on their toes, keep work challenging but not enough to make them feel over worked.

Not explaining your actions – The unknown for employees can demotivate them. Explaining the big management decisions will help employees understand your perspective and they will also respect you more for it.


Written by Liam Oakes

Liam is the Sales Recruitment Manager at Aaron Wallis and has been with the company for 5 years after having a career with the RAF; Liam has helped hundreds of Sales Professionals secure a new Sales role and ensures that Aaron Wallis runs smoothly.




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