Google "Maps" the Way to Employee Motivation

A Google search of the words "employee motivation" found 32,800,000 websites in .28 seconds. Though developing a program to successfully inspire your workers might take a bit more time and (hopefully) require fewer resources, it may be easier than you think! 

“Motivation” is about giving your people a “motive for action.” By understanding what each individual values and incorporating this knowledge into your business plan, you can consistently meet the goals of the employee, the supervisor, and the overall organization.

Tech giant Google is a great example. They don't just focus on new programs and inventions, they focus on people. Since their founding, they have grown from a two-man operation to a company with over 37,000 employees in 40 countries.

Here are some employee motivation tips gleaned from Google's success in their attempts to hire and inspire:

Make fun a regular part of work 
Have dress up days, pajama days, a costume party for Halloween; something small , fun, and regular. Every year for April Fool’s Day Google allows their employees to plan and execute some major tricks and gags for viewers throughout the world. This year, for example, they announced a new job role of Pokémon Master at Google.

Make employee happiness a priority
Google has a team of people whose job is primarily to monitor and execute employee perks and benefits. Google employs Prasad Setty, VP of people analytics and compensation, who is responsible for managing this team, as well as identifying and attending to employee desires.

Inspire and encourage people 
Many are aware of the “80-20” rule at Google, a rule that allows employees to spend 20 percent of their time on their own personal projects. Google engineer Chade-Ment Tan wanted to achieve world peace in his lifetime. Other companies might call him crazy, but not Google. He went on to design a course about the increasingly popular topic of mindfulness, and is now a “New York Times” bestselling author, with his class being the most popular taught at Google.

Provide training opportunities
Find out what goals your employees have and identify ways to help them achieve their ambitions. No matter how unrelated it may be to their work, if members of your team want to learn a new skill in your company, let them. Cross-training was long ago proven to accelerate both employee knowledge and productivity. Studies measuring the effectiveness of such programs have repeatedly demonstrated that training investments improve companies' bottom lines.

Offer perks you can afford

Your company may not be the “Google” of your industry, but offer your employees perks and benefits outside the norm. You may not be able to offer bowling alleys, free haircuts, and gym memberships like Google, but small tokens can go a long way. Free breakfasts, healthy snacks, movie tickets, etc. are some simple and easy-to-implement ideas.

The moral of the story? If there's a lesson to be learned from Google's success, it's this: Emphasize employee satisfaction as much as business plan and development, and you'll soon be "mapping" your way to unparalleled success and better profit margins!