The Warning Signs Of A Demotivated Workforce

I constantly say that businesses are built on the quality and passion of the people within them, and this is especially true when you are providing a service. Here at Hamilton Bradshaw the majority of the work we do is based in the recruitment sector which means that the service we offer is always of paramount importance

It is vital that staff remain motivated and focused and there are certain danger signs to look out for to ensure these are not on the slide.


Atmosphere
I strongly believe that you can instantly pick up on the atmosphere as soon as you walk into any office. An employer needs to work hard to create the right atmosphere in a business and staff should always look forward to coming into work. From a physical point of view, they need to be provided with a comfortable and safe working space. But atmosphere is also related to the way people interact with each other. The professional world is a serious place but I always like my offices to be vibrant and full of engagement. Even if the work you do requires a lot of quiet and concentration, an office where people are not even interested in speaking to their colleagues indicates poor morale.


Slipping standards
All good bosses will cut their staff some slack when it is appropriate and necessary. We are of course human beings who may be affected by personal events. But one sure sign that your workforce has lost its focus is when standards start to slip on a constant basis. This includes things like marked increases in staff absences and a drop in punctuality, and crucially, standard of work. If this happens to a couple of people then it can be passed off as individual issues. But if it is being replicated across the business then it is probably a good time to start asking some serious questions of yourself. I don't believe in taking the heavy handed, dictatorial approach - you need to tread carefully, find out what the deeper lying issues are and how they can be resolved.


Productivity
Finally, a key indicator of a lack of motivation is a fall in output. Once falling morale starts to affect the bottom line then as a business owner you have a really serious issue on your hands. They always say that the customer is king but the service they receive is dependent on a business's employees. If you can see that productivity is falling across the business then you need to act quickly and decisively.

When sports teams are on a winning run, the sheer momentum can often carry them along and it can feel like there are no problems which can't be handled. But when they start losing a few games it can be hard to get out of the rut. For a business, morale and motivation follows a very similar pattern. As a manager, you need to act quickly to prevent your employees from falling into a rut of low motivation, because allowing it to continue won't help them, your customers, or you.