Running a franchise business can mean taking on various duties, including leading a team. Whether managing daily operations or engaging with the public, it can often take a team effort to make things run efficiently, which is why effectively motivating your staff is crucial for helping them perform their tasks successfully.

When team members feel motivated and engaged in their roles, it can foster a positive work environment that boosts morale and overall workforce satisfaction. This enhanced morale can improve how employees interact with customers and how well they perform their roles, which can lead to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

In this blog post, we’ll cover:

Read on to learn how implementing effective motivation tools can help create a strong, focused team to help your franchise drive profit, contributing to your long-term success.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MOTIVATE YOUR STAFF?

Data from global surveys reveal a decline in employee motivation, along with signs of burnout and decreased confidence in leadership since 2020. Although employee dedication increased during the pandemic in 2020, motivation has since declined to just below pre-pandemic levels.

This lack of motivation can also reflect employee contentment. A 2024 job satisfaction survey found that while 62.7% of respondents expressed contentment at work, employee sentiment has decreased in almost every aspect of their job compared to previous years.

These findings help emphasize the current state of the workforce and the significance of motivating team members. Motivation plays a crucial role in influencing employee engagement, which refers to the level of dedication and enthusiasm employees feel toward their jobs. With low engagement costing the global economy USD $8.9 trillion and 62% of employees reporting disengagement, it is clear why supporting and motivating team members, and promoting engagement is needed.

When staff members feel engaged, they:

For franchise owners, employee retention is vital, as training new staff can require significant time and resources. If employees lack motivation and fulfillment in their roles, having to repeatedly train new hires can be both costly, disruptive, and distracting.

While incorporating ways to motivate your team can depend on your franchise business and operations, we’ve listed some tips below that you can try out.

PROVIDE EFFECTIVE ONBOARDING AND ONGOING SUPPORT

If you are currently a franchisee, you likely remember the training process that helped you learn about the franchise you invested in and how to maintain the quality of its products and services. Along the way, you probably felt your motivation rise so you could aim for success as soon as the doors to your location(s) opened.

It is important to remember that your staff likely did not receive the same level of training that you did. That’s why you (or other appointed team members) should provide them with adequate resources to understand their duties, ideally from their first day, and ensure they receive a proper onboarding, no matter when they join your endeavor. If your staff’s responsibilities are unclear due to a lack of effective onboarding, they may not feel confident in their role, and this ambiguity can lead to low productivity, motivation and increased turnover.

If you already have a team but notice motivation has declined, it may be time to check in with them and see if there are any aspects of their role that they’re unclear about or need a refresher on. Incorporating these learning opportunities can be a game-changer for businesses. A recent Workplace Learning report found that seven in ten people say learning improves their sense of connection to their organization, and eight in ten report that it adds purpose to their work.

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OFFER GROWTH INCENTIVES

Providing employees with opportunities for growth within a business can be a powerful motivator. Of course, the specifics of this growth will depend on the franchise business, as some businesses may only need someone for one role. However, if you can offer incentives like promotions to senior positions, pay increases to help increase feelings of appreciation, or additional employee perks after a certain period, it can effectively motivate staff to remain committed to their roles.

What happens when you don’t offer chances to grow? Research has found:

  • 78% of U.S. employees report feeling concerned about their lack of skills necessary to advance their careers.
  • 64% of employees say it is “extremely” or “somewhat” likely they will leave their job within the next year due to a lack of opportunities for skills development, and 66% cite insufficient opportunities for career advancement as a reason for leaving.
  • 74% of Millennials and Gen Z employees report they’re more likely to quit because of a lack of support for skills development or career mobility.

By offering growth incentives, you can offer the chance for your team to harness new skills and advance in their career. However, if monetary incentives are not feasible, over half of employees say they felt motivated when financial and nonfinancial rewards were combined. Nonfinancial incentives can include praise from leadership, more autonomy, workplace flexibility, providing cross-training to help advance to new roles, and more.

CREATE A COMFORTABLE WORKPLACE WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG

When employees feel like they belong in a business, it can lead to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and 75% fewer employee sick days.

Belonging can be a strong motivator for staff to stay committed and perform well, but how do you foster it? According to Deloitte, it can start with creating a comfortable work environment where everyone is treated fairly, ensuring there are opportunities for staff to have meaningful relationships and feel connected to business goals and that they feel like their contributions lead to meaningful outcomes.

A lack of belonging is a top reason why 51% of employees quit their jobs. As a franchisee, creating a comfortable workplace that inspires belonging can include:

  • Team-building opportunities
  • Enforcing inclusive practices and policies that can improve well-being
  • Providing opportunities for open communication where your employees can share their thoughts and ideas
  • Implementing an employee satisfaction survey where team members can anonymously share what they like or dislike about their role

SHOW APPRECIATION

83.6% of employees say that feeling recognition impacts their level of motivation to succeed at work, with almost 78% saying they would be more productive if they were recognized more frequently.

Showing appreciation can look different depending on your franchise business, but it could include:

  • Providing rewards specific to that team member that can benefit them
  • Highlighting a staff member’s successful work in a group setting
  • Simple messages that show appreciation

Finding ways to show appreciation can be a sign of empathy—a soft leadership quality— since you understand and recognize the work a team member did. A 2021 State of Workplace Empathy report found that 72% of employees say empathy boosts their motivation.

SCHEDULE RECURRING ONE-ON-ONES

A one-on-one is a great way to speak with each team member personally to address their needs and provide feedback. Employees who strongly agree that they receive valuable feedback about their performance are five times more likely to be engaged.

One-on-ones can be quick, informal meetings that occur on an ongoing basis. A global culture study found that monthly one-on-ones can decrease the odds of employees feeling burnt out by 39%, while bi-weekly meetings can decrease these odds by 84%. However, how often you decide to schedule them will depend on your franchise business and the need to touch base with your staff.

There can be a variety of reasons why you should hold these meetings with your staff. For instance, it can be a chance to show you’re interested in your staff, help build relationships and promote trust, help you identify any areas where you need to offer support that might be causing a decline in motivation, and provide the space for feedback.

FRANCHISING WITH DOGTOPIA

At Dogtopia, we provide our franchisees with a number of tools they need to become a successful leader and valuable resources they can leverage to support employees. Dogtopia’s training and ongoing support are not only valuable for our franchisees, but we have many learning paths designed for general managers, front desk employees, and our Canine Coaches. Learn more about why Dogtopia can be the right business opportunity for you, and reach out to us today via our convenient online form if you meet our franchise requirements and are ready to take the next steps to joining the Dogtopia family.

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