Stella Ugborhioba: 5 Ways To Increase Employee's Performance Without Increasing Wages.

It takes a lot to become a successful business leader. One of the toughest tasks you would face as a CEO is how to motivate employees to give their best without increasing wages and the other is how to make them sustain it for the long haul. Employees performance is the foundation of the durability, competitiveness, and profitability of a business. Ambitious managers focus on acquiring skills that help them increase and sustain employee performance. 

Employee performance refers to how well an employee fulfills their job duties and responsibilities. It encompasses various aspects of an employee's work, including the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of their work outputs, their behavior and attitude in the workplace, and their ability to meet organizational goals and expectations. There are several factors by which employees can achieve great performance in the workplace and this helps in work performance. 

Below are 5 things you can do to Increase your employee performance without having to increase wages.

Clear Communication of Goals and Expectations

Communication is a key factor in workplace success. Without clear communication employees resort to guesswork, engaging in whatever activities they define as right. This may be damaging to the organization's strategic objectives. Ensure that employees understand their roles, responsibilities, and the specific goals they need to achieve. Clear communication helps employees stay focused and aligned with the company's objectives.

Provide Continuous Feedback and Recognition

Feedback is an essential tool in regulating performance. Honest feedback throws light on employees' blind spots and reveals the true state of their performance as regards corporate goals Regular feedback, both positive and constructive, helps employees understand how they are performing and areas where they can improve. Recognizing and rewarding good performance boosts morale and motivates employees to maintain or increase their productivity. Rewards don’t necessarily mean increasing wages. A simple well thought gift could be all that is needed. 

Offer Professional Development Opportunities

Professional development is pivotal in enhancing staff effectiveness and overall organizational competitiveness. Determining the present skill gap and embarking on the appropriate development programs puts your organization in an advantaged position and increases the chances of achieving the desired goals. Investing in employees' skills through training programs, workshops, and courses can enhance their capabilities and performance. Encouraging career growth and providing opportunities for advancement keeps employees engaged and committed.

Foster a Positive Work Environment

The workplace environment plays a major role in employees' output. Being conscious and more strategic about choices that determine your organization's workplace climate is a good place to start in the pursuit of better employee performance. Creating a supportive and collaborative workplace culture promotes employee satisfaction and productivity. Addressing issues like work-life balance, stress management, and fostering good relationships among team members can lead to higher performance levels.

Empowerment and Autonomy

Effective managers keep themselves in charge without being control freaks. They know when to leave the scene and when to appear. Allow employees to take ownership of their work by giving them the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems. Empowered employees feel more responsible for their tasks and are more likely to be innovative and productive. According to one of my most respected TEDx speakers on Motivation Daniel Pink, he highlighted the power of autonomy as it goes a long way in making employees free to be very innovative and boost performance. 

Increasing your employee's performance is not achieved overnight. It requires a lot of effort, patience, support, empathy, and planning. The willingness to explore various innovative and well-calculated ways of boosting employees' morale may be the difference between success and failure. You must be ready to try something new. Implementing these strategies can lead to a more motivated, engaged, and high-performing workforce. It will also make the employee more involved and a lot more innovative. 

Stella Ugborhioba has over 15 years of distinguished international experience in human resources, She is a dedicated HR leader known for implementing a people-focused philosophy that drives successful people development and retention strategies. Stella is passionate about People and fostering a workplace environment that positions employees and the business for optimal performance. Her collaborative approach with various stakeholders consistently results in a winning work culture aligned with both business and people strategies.

Throughout her career journey, she cultivated essential competencies pivotal to professional success, including strategic people development, stakeholder collaboration, core HR competencies, and talent management. Her expertise spans employee engagement, DEI initiatives, people and culture, facilitation, career development, succession planning, and talent intelligence across various industries.

Over the years, Stella has successfully developed and implemented strategic human resources policies, resulting in excellent business performance through optimal employee performance. Enthusiastic, passionate, self-driven, and resolute. Her work ethic and values have made her successful in the areas of HR and people development. Stella has worked across various sectors in Nigeria and the EMEA regions. Her current role is HR and Training business partner within the Energy industry in Europe.