You may have heard that “quiet quitting” is all the rage among Millennials and Gen Z. If you haven’t, the idea is to work as little as possible without actually quitting or otherwise losing your income. Fed up with poor working conditions, low pay, and unreasonable hours, many workers are expending the minimum effort necessary. This way, they can avoid burnout, minimize frustration, and still bring home their bi-weekly paycheck.

Your team might not quite be there yet, but you may have noticed they’re getting less done than usual. They see their peers setting themselves on “low battery” mode and decide they might as well do the same. However, you have a business to run, KPIs to hit, and shareholders to keep happy with your progress. Here’s what you can do to keep your team motivated, engaged, and interested enough to actually do their jobs.

More Spending Money

The absolute best way to motivate your employees to perform better is also the most obvious: pay them more for their work. Even if you think you’re paying them well, you might be surprised at what your staff actually thinks of their salaries. Maybe it’s been a while since you made a cost-of-living adjustment or took stock of your competitors’ offerings. Before moving on with the following tips, make sure you’re paying employees fairly, at minimum.

When your budget means giving employees a raise just isn’t an option, there are still other ways to get more cash in their wallets. Try to find other perks you can offer that save them money without digging too deep into your pockets. See if you can score free gift cards from their favorite stores, and reward them to the highest-performing member of each department. Or partner with a corporate discount program that gives them access to exclusive offers.

Remote Work, Flexible Hours, and Work-Life Balance

Most younger folks want to work remotely — even the ones that lie in the interview and say they’re psyched to come in. They want the flexibility to travel, make doctors’ appointments during the workweek, snuggle with their dogs, do laundry, or make home-cooked lunches. They want to be judged on the quality of the work and whether they can get it done on time. They don’t want to be scrutinized for sleeping in a bit or taking a midday workout break.

To incentivize your employees to do their best work, you need to provide them with the best possible lifestyle. Make work feel less like a stressor, and they’ll feel taken care of and want to fulfill their true potential. If you can’t offer a fully remote schedule, give them a generous amount of vacation time, unlimited sick days (within reason), and long lunches. Don’t penalize them for being a bit late or leaving a bit early, as long as the work gets done.

Office Ambiance

If you must have employees come into the physical office, make the experience as positive as possible. Try to create an environment that’s pleasant, engaging, and one that’s conducive to getting more done. You need to cater to the socially awkward introverts of the office just as much as to the social butterflies. That means offering places and times to network, brainstorm, and connect with others— as well as spaces and tools to self-isolate as needed.

If your budget allows, consider some changes you could make to improve your employees’ comfort. For example, it might be time to upgrade to ergonomic desk chairs or stock free tampons and toiletries in the restrooms. You don’t need to remodel your whole office to get employees to shine, as long as you focus on the most important details. Your team will work harder and longer when they’re not distracted by aches, pains, and other ailments.

Opportunities for Growth

A whopping 48% of workers say they’d up and switch jobs if a new employer offered opportunities to upskill. Professional development opportunities improve engagement, stave off career plateaus, and tend to keep employees satisfied at work. From one-off workshops to conferences to mentorship to free access to valuable online courses, the options abound. To choose the best options, survey your employees and find out what interests them the most.

All that said, professional development tools won’t be effective if your employees don’t believe they’ll work. Without a clear path to greater success within your company, you might just be training them for their next role with a competitor. In other words, don’t train your team members for new roles and then hand them to company outsiders. Promote from within and be transparent about the criteria for moving up.

Recognition and Communication

At the end of the day, it doesn’t take all that much to keep your team working hard for your company’s success. Money and perks are important, sure, but underneath it all, most people just want to be recognized. With a bottom-up leadership style, reciprocal, open channels of communication, and lots of transparency, you’ve already won half the battle. Let your employees know their voices matter, and they’ll be more inclined to want to make a real difference.

Published by: Martin De Juan