Employee engagement is on the minds of most company Human Resource teams today. Organizations are looking for the secret to increasing employee motivation and productivity. Yet, why are too few doing anything about the soul-killing policies and behaviors that exist within the cubicles and offices of America?

Chances are, there are some things you can do to improve the state of your corporate culture by identifying these employee motivation busters.

Ho Hum Compensation

Staffing budgets are under attack in many companies, but this is no reason to pay your employees so very little for all the hard work they provide. A recent PayScale.com compensation survey indicated that number one reason employees leave a company is due to poor salary. If you want motivated and loyal employees, pay them fairly and give them progressive raises and above-the-board benefits.

Lack of Real Upward Mobility

Another problem that ties in with compensation, but also has to do with employee motivation is that too few employees are offered upward mobility in their careers. Instead, they find themselves in dead end jobs and don’t have the support to move up into dream careers where their skills will be noticed. Give your employees a clear path to success with training and development opportunities. Move temp employees into entry level assignments often, and move them up the ladder.

Toxic People

This insidious problem can come from all levels of a company, from the point of service employees to the CEO. Toxic behaviors, attitudes, and practices can spread like wildfire, leaving some employees to do nothing but stay out of the way. Deal with negative employees swiftly by getting to the root of their issues, and replace them with more proactive and positive people.

Poor Communication

A workplace cannot hope to motivate workers if there are continual breakdowns in communication, or no clear method of communicating. Emails are not enough. Remember that employees come from many different generations and they have varied communication styles. Honor them by communicating in multiple layers, saying the same things and then watching for increased motivation and team building.

Outdated Job Descriptions

Ask any employee what he or she does in an average day, there’s a good chance that few if any of their tasks actually have to do with their official job title. Employees often take on things that motivate them and that they enjoy. Take the time to audit all job types once a year and rewrite them to include the tasks that are most motivating to your employees, then reassign or develop new jobs to handle the rest.

When you want motivated and loyal employees, it takes work and planning to make it happen. A commitment to selecting the best match for every job helps.

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