Employee motivation is vital to the success of any business. Without it, even the most skilled and capable workers can become unproductive, at which point the entire organization suffers. As an employer, you’ll need to manage your employees’ morale — not just your employees — if you want to create maximum productivity. Here are six ways you can keep those motivation levels high.

1. Know What They Want
Motivation is very personal and differs from person to person. Communicate with your employees to ensure your motivational tools are compatible with their unique goals and needs. Surveys, meetings, and simply getting to know your employees will all provide insight to help you tailor your strategies correctly.

2. Provide Resources
If a task is made unnecessarily difficult by a lack of resources, employees will feel frustrated and likely experience a drop in motivation. Decrease the number of obstacles between your employees and productivity by providing them with the right resources to get the job done. You may have to spend some money, but the pay off will be increased efficiency and morale.

3. Challenge Them
Keep your employees on their toes. Encourage them to set goals, and provide measurable performance indicators. Some may prefer complacency, but go-getters will rise to a challenge, and ultimately, these are the people worth motivating.

4. Empower Them
Lack of responsibly and autonomy can be incredibly demoralising. Make your employees feel empowered by setting up committees, promoting initiative, and delegating responsibilities. Remember to provide room for failure as well as success, as this should be an opportunity for growth, not a test.

5. Praise Success
Feeling unappreciated at work is a common complaint, and one that can seriously affect motivation. If an employee is performing well, make sure they know it. A small amount of praise will go a long way in sustaining their efforts. Also, consider giving away prizes for good performance. Specific, categorized prizes will give employees a clear goal to work towards.

6. Show Them A Future
Give your employees an idea of their potential career path with the company. With a plan in place, their current position becomes as a stepping stone, not a dead end, and good performance becomes important to their future. Employees with a career path are also likely to be happier, and a positive outlook can only help motivation.

Motivating employees is no easy feat, but it is a vital part of an employer’s role. Of the six tips discussed above, perhaps the most important is the first, as it applies to not only the other five, but any motivational tools you wish to employ. Your strategy need to address your employees’ particular goals and needs, and it should change with trial and error. You may not be successful with 100 percent of your employees 100 percent of the time, but the successes you do have will make a big impact on your productivity as a company.