Author: Erica Taylor

10 Ways You Are Killing Employee Motivation

Demotivated employees makeup 70% of the workforce and cost companies $550 billion every year. Sure, not every worker can always give their 100%, but an employee who is consistently demotivated will just be wasting their time and your money. De-motivation occurs for many reasons. Here are a few things that can kill employee motivation:

1. You dismiss ideas. Everyone wants and deserves to be heard. Denying your employees this chance will make them feel excluded and unappreciated. according to Kate O’Sullivan, who owns a Washington DC executive coaching practice KO Coaching, says you must give every worker the opportunity to voice their opinion, and they will appreciate you for it.

2. Your company lacks clear communication. When people aren’t given clear orders on what to do, they spend much time trying to carry out what they think they’re supposed to do, and a lot more time fixing mistakes or working on the wrong projects. Put everything in writing if necessary.

3. You make empty promises. Empty promises are often intertwined with lousy communication. Every worker wants to know that you will follow through on what you say, similar to how you expect them to follow through on their words and actions.

4. You micromanage your employees. Nobody likes being micromanaged. Not a single one. You should try and hold employees accountable to finish their work, but give them enough autonomy to let them complete their work in a way that they see fit.

5. You hold too many meetings. The sad truth is that most meetings are a waste of time and morning meetings are especially dangerous. Limit the number of sessions you have every week and make sure that they are all straight to the point.

6. You set bad deadlines. Setting a deadline too soon will cause your employees to rush and end up delivering a haphazard end product. Setting a deadline too more quickly will cause your employees to ignore it until the very last minute. Make sure that the worker has appropriate time to complete the project, but don’t give them too much time, as they might end up procrastinating.

7. You don’t appreciate your employees. What’s a better motivator than money? Recognition. If an employee works extremely hard only to have their work dismissed or discredited, they will soon lose that motivation.

8. Your employees lack professional development. Every worker needs to grow, something which might require a mentor or training. They need to know that they are learning and growing. Without that, they will become stagnant.

9. Your employee gets distracted too easily. Checking emails and using social media during work hours is a big no-no. They might be caught up looking for a new job or tweeting about the latest celebrity scandal that just happened. Sometimes, their distraction might be a symptom of another item on this list. Other times they are only engaged with internet drama or the latest entertainment news.

10. You are a terrible leader. Hopefully, this one isn’t true, but bad leaders make it hard for employees to have a suitable work-life balance and make it hard for employees to be themselves if they fear criticism or backlash naturally.


Employee motivation is the key to a company’s success. A worker who wants to put in their best effort each day will be productive and get things done. These employees are great for your bottom line and ensure that everything is running as smoothly as possible. Make sure to give your workers a reason to come into the office every day.