Why motivating your team is more important than you think…

We’ve all had days where we just don’t feel at our best, or where getting into the flow of the working week feels harder than it should. Motivation doesn’t always come from big incentives or grand gestures, sometimes it’s simply taking a moment to ask someone how they’re doing and actually listening to the answer.

Feeling included can be easily overlooked, especially in bigger businesses. I’m very lucky to lead a small team that I see most days, and having made the move from employee to employer, I get it. I know how quickly that spark can fade, and I’ve promised myself to be the person who helps reignite it when it’s missing.

Motivation looks different for everyone. I’m naturally results-driven (it comes with working in recruitment), but for me it’s not always about the numbers. I’m motivated by seeing people do well such as: clients growing their businesses, our candidates landing great opportunities and finding roles they love, and my own team hitting their goals. Those moments are what keep me going and remind me why I love what I do.

Outside of work, my family is my biggest motivator. I’m lucky to have such a strong support network, and as a parent, I want to encourage my children to follow what motivates them and do well in their own way. Fitness also plays a big part for me, it keeps me focussed, consistent, and keeps me accountable for my actions.

So why does motivation really matter in a business? Because it doesn’t just happen on its own! You can’t expect everyone to stay motivated all the time, especially when people work differently and are at different stages. Teams need someone they can talk to about worries, ideas, and goals to help keep them on track. When you pay attention to how your team is feeling and how confident they are, it usually tells you a lot about how they’re going to perform moving forward.

What does motivation look like at Atkinson Moss?

Don’t get me wrong, we don’t always get it right and I’m sure the team will say I can be a pain but I do try my best to be responsive and positive. I always make sure that I check in everyone during the day so no one feels left out or ignored. If anyone has an idea I will always try and encourage them to share and as long as it’s not too outrageous, more often than not, we give it a go.

Being a leader of a team is an incredible privilege but it takes hard work and perseverance to unlock their capabilities and get them to overcome what stops them from achieving.
Here at AM, we implement a lot of staff wellbeing events and practices to help keep our team going:

• Hybrid working

At the end of the day we are all human, we all have our own life outside of work. It’s not overly complicated for them to work in harmony. Some of us are parents (to humans and to pets), some married, some with health complications etc… these things can throw a spanner in the works so as a director it’s important for me to offer flexibility to our team.

• Staff events

It doesn’t sound true but I am 100% honest when I say our team gets on well together. It’s a bonus that we’re lucky to have. Working in harmony together is such a blessing, it also enables us to enjoy more time together outside the hustle and bustle of recruitment. We’ve done all sorts of things from skydiving, Yorkshire three peaks, inflatable 5k to playing real life monopoly in London.

• Support on anything they need
  You can’t always anticipate what people will struggle with and life will always put a spanner in the works which is why keeping those communication lines open is crucial. If anyone mentions they are struggling, my first thought is okay, how can we work on this together. What can I offer to make the task less daunting.
• Food!
  We are a very food motivated team so sometimes a simple box of biscuits will completely change the mood of the room. We are very lucky to be situated next to the Weaver’s pub which we are a frequent visitor to however we love any excuse to go out for a meal as a team. We also have a minifridge within the office that we keep well stocked and is definitely a hit.

• AM Cup
  A few years ago we introduced a rewards system which is inspired by the class Harry Potter’s house cup. Our team have the opportunity to earn points to claim vouchers or time off from work. It’s the perfect incentive for our more competitive team members or our main shoppers!
• Monthly, quarterly commission
  Like most recruitment businesses, we also have in place a vey generous monthly and quarterly commission. I have even heard through the grapevine ours is the best commission structure locally!

Are you a leader in the workplace or currently looking to hire one, have a look at our Leadership specialism.