It’s vital to boost your employee motivation, not only to maintain your office productivity levels for the last quarter, but also to ensure staff retention.

Here is our pick of the best in employee motivation techniques, to give you a little post-summer inspiration:

  1. Recognising employee disengagement, and what you can do to turn it around

The first step in solving your employee motivation issues is recognising them. Easier said than done, right?

“HR professionals are increasingly being told that the world is in the midst of an employee engagement crisis, pushing them to take stock on the state of their own organisations. Identifying that you have an engagement issue is the first step, but how exactly do you do that? What does disengagement look like?”

Nigel Damson, writing for HRreview, looks at the tell-tale symptoms of employee disengagement, and explains how to encourage better contribution and team spirit.

Read it now: How to spot employee disengagement, and how to do something about it


  1. What’s the secret formula for productivity at work?

We’re all looking for that magic solution for peak productivity levels in the workplace. So what techniques really work, and how can you implement them in the workplace without disrupting others?

“Tips for better professional performance are always popular. Being a curious bunch, we asked our team what their secrets are to avoiding distractions. The results were mixed. Some people needed a cup of tea and their headphones on to concentrate. Others found silence helped them to stay on task.

So a question was raised: How can employers accommodate different needs and preferences when it comes to improving productivity?”

In Hireserve’s very own blog, we asked our team what productivity techniques worked best for them. We also consulted our resident HR expert, Beverly, on how these can be implemented in the workplace to balance individual needs with the needs of the team.

Read it now: Productivity at work: What’s your secret?


  1. The benefits of training and development

Offering training opportunities not only means that staff can update and improve their skills, it also enhances confidence and job satisfaction, which can in turn mean a rise in employee motivation.

“Despite the potential drawbacks, training and development is able to provide both individual employees and the company as a whole with benefits that can make the time and money spent a worthwhile investment.”

This blog from Talk Business explores the benefits of providing training and development opportunities to staff, including the positive effect on performance and motivation.

Read it now: The importance of training and development in the workplace


  1. Procrastination: Not all bad?

You may think that procrastination is the enemy of employee motivation. There are some occasions, however, when procrastination can be helpful. The trick is recognising when it can be useful, and when it’s simply a roadblock.

“Procrastination is the beast we can hardly escape. It creeps up on us unexpectedly and can make us feel as we are failing, watching life go by as others actually do things, take actions, move on.   

But is procrastination always SO bad? Do we REALLY need to feel guilty every time we postpone something? It kind of feels that we are being too hard on ourselves, that perhaps it is ok to delay a task occasionally and provided it does not become a habit…but when?”

HRZone investigates both sides, helping us to distinguish when procrastination becomes an unruly obstacle, rather than a welcome step back.

Read it now: In praise of procrastination: the good, the bad, the ugly

About the author

Tristan Potter

Tristan has a decade's worth of experience writing content and copy for organisations across Bristol and the Southwest of England. He has written on a diverse range of topics, including technology, philosophy, politics, and recruitment. His writing has appeared in The Drum, HR Grapevine, and The Guardian, among other publications. He joined Hireserve in March 2022.