It’s a fact – an engaged workforce consists of more productive, happier and altogether motivated employees. Workers who are given feedback and encouragement from their managers gain a better understanding of the tasks at hand, and higher sense of purpose.

Nowadays, though, it’s not as easy to provide employees with the same kind of face-to-face engagement of the traditional workplace. The prevalence of remote work options means that team members are not always based in the same location – and the global nature of many organizations and industries means a higher likelihood of business trips for more employees. It can therefore be harder for managers to schedule regular in-person meetings, much less hold impromptu discussions in the break room.

So how can you solve these communication woes and engage your employees from a distance? Well, the answer is right in your pocket – your mobile device. Not just for making calls anymore, today’s smartphones come chock full of advanced apps that allow you to to keep up the encouragement with your workers no matter where you – or they – are.

Three Types of Apps that Motivate Employees

1) Start with the basics – virtual meetings. Apps that offer group chat or video conferencing enable teams to share and discuss. They are more interactive than group e-mails because they allow for increased dialogue and an opportunity to provide and receive feedback in real time. This is an important element in motivating employees, because unlike a collective e-mail in which they can get lost among the “louder” or quicker respondents, when an immediate reaction is required from them it sends the message that their opinion is also valued. It gives them the sense that they are a part of a team in which their presence is needed.

2) Recognition is a huge element of properly motivating workers. When you are not there to thank employees for their hard work in person, use mobile technology to express your gratitude. There are countless recognition apps on the market, including Achievers, Globoforce, and iAppreciate. Instill a sense of pride and fulfillment among your employees by thanking them for their help on a recent project, telling them how much you enjoyed their recent team presentation, and publicly sharing their accomplishments with their teammates.

3) Enable employees to get involved in your internal programs and stay informed. They are not always in front of their computers, so this is a good way to keep them up to date with the latest developments and encourage participation. For example, GooodJob Mobile brings the employee referral program to mobile devices, allowing employees to easily submit referrals and share open jobs with their social networks.

Conclusion

The rise in BYOD policies is encouraging employees to make their mobile devices a part of their standard office lives. That so many are already using these tools makes them the perfect solution to facilitate interactions between managers and teams. Mobile apps make it easier for you to stay connected, collaborate on projects, and keep them engaged with company activities and programs.

Source: http://blog.gooodjob.com/2013/06/motivate-employees-in-the-age-of-m...