How To Motivate Young Employees

Young employees may be new to working. Even if they had previous jobs and internships, working full-time for a living may be a whole new experience for them. With the added pressure of new responsibilities, these young employees may find themselves feeling a lack of motivation. As an employer, you have the power to help motivate them and help them navigate this experience.

Give praise

While you do not want to lie and give praise when it is not deserved, if an employee is doing a great job, be sure to let them know. In a world that is already telling young people what they are doing wrong, it is crucial to point out areas they are succeeding in. This praise will help them stay motivated and will let them know they are doing well, even if they do not feel like it. Even if the positive feedback is for something seemingly small in the grand scheme of things, it can mean a lot to a young employee who is struggling.

Reward efforts

When an employee is feeling unmotivated, it can be difficult for them to meet deadlines or even show up for work. To help combat this, offer them a paid day off for a certain number of days they show up on time or other rewards for meeting deadlines. Rewarding their efforts will give them something to work towards beyond their typical work tasks and motivate them to show up, which can be a huge struggle for many. While you should avoid rewarding each task they do or showing up every day, rewarding them every so often can help them stay motivated without expecting a reward for each small thing they do.

Teach them new skills

Your young employee may like their job, but it is likely not a position they are looking to stay in for the whole duration of their careers. They are probably going to want to seek a higher position with more responsibility and more pay. If this is at the forefront of their minds, they may not feel motivated to come to their current job. However, if you teach them new skills that can be applied in positions that are above their current role, they may feel more motivated since they are learning things that can advance their career.

Listen to them

Young employees want to feel heard. They may not have as much experience as some of your older employees, but they bring a fresh perspective that can help your company reach new audiences. Listen to the ideas of your young employees. Also, be sure to ask them for feedback about their role and the company in general. You can do this in the form of an anonymous survey. Young employees who feel like they are not being listened to will feel unmotivated to come to a place where they do not feel valued. However, listening to their ideas and feedback and ideas and putting these things into practice will make them feel like their voice matters.

Create to-do lists

For many people, nothing is more satisfying than crossing an item off a to-do list. With this in mind, create daily to-do lists for your employees. This list should include tasks that need to be completed and meetings they need to attend. Encourage them to have a physical copy at their desk or workstation that they can physically see and cross off. Be sure to list any deadlines for the tasks and goals. You may even want to have a competition within your company to see who can complete their to-do list first by a given time.

Image: Polina Kovaleva via https://www.pexels.com/photo/planner-beside-a-pen-5717409/

Avoid busywork

Your employees need to be productive. However, if you are giving them tasks just for the sake of having them do something, they may feel unmotivated because they may not see how these tasks contribute to the goals and missions of the company. Try to keep to essential tasks for young employees. Be sure they understand the purpose of the task and how it fits into the overall company mission. This will help them remain focused and motivated, knowing they are making a difference in moving the company forward.

Respect their boundaries

It is important for young employees to feel like their boundaries are being valued and adhered to. If your young employees are in school, be sure to be mindful of their class schedules and do not schedule a work shift outside of the hours they are available. Avoid giving them work to do outside of working hours and allow them to clock out. Let them take sick days and paid time off to help them rest and recharge for work. Allow them to unplug and disconnect from work at the end of their shift.

Young employees may feel overwhelmed at times, and as an employer, you are in a position to help them stay motivated and help them navigate stress that comes up.