I think Peter (Office Space) said it best when he said, "It's a problem of motivation... The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care."  What are you doing to keep your employees motivated?

With possibly one of the toughest market years in history behind us, many employees have had more than their fill of added responsibility, hard work and stress.  Younger employees are less driven by job security, and they don't think twice before jumping on an opportunity with your competitor.  Now that we're seeing an increase in job openings, ask yourself this, Why will your employees choose to work with you over the next opportunity that comes their way?  Each year, we find some common threads of innovation in Fortune's 100 Best Company's To Work For list.  These are just a few of the ways that America's favorite employers are retaining their valuable talent:


1. Work Life Balance - Yes, this is a big one.  We're living in a time where mom's are able to hold down a full time management position while taking care of her family and her personal health and fitness goals.  While some people are more effective in the morning... early in the morning, others are more productive or creative at 11PM.  We're not all the same yet corporate America still embraces this 9-5 mentality (8 - 7ish if you're working in New York City).  Small things can improve your employees productivity.  Here are a few options:

• Half day Fridays during the Summer months
• Work from home options... even only one day per week can be a huge boost for employees
• Flexible hours
  
• Allow Employees to work out during business hours as long as they put in a full day's work
• Personal Time - Allow employees to have an hour to themselves each day to work on personal projects - This is straight from the Google handbook.  It encourages personal projects.
  

2. The Extra Benefits - Although employees love healthcare, retirement and so on.  It's going to take a little more than the norm to set yourself apart from the competition.

• Free Yoga Passes / Gym Membership - Healthy employees are more productive.
  
• On-site Child Care
• On-site Fitness Facility
• Loans or incentives toward a computer, vehicles or real estate
• Employee Referral Rewards
• Dry Cleaning Services
• Transit benefits such as TransitChek or commuter vehicles for employees

3.  Team Building Events and Outings - They say that couples who play together, stay together.  That goes for teams too.  In many companies, employees go to work and go home without learning about all of the interesting things that their co-workers do on the side.  I once sat across the hall from a blues musician who played gigs in the local area for about a year before it spontaneously came into conversation one day.  The more you know and like the people you work with, the more productive you can be as a team. 

• Winery Visit - Most states have a wine region these days.  See if you can locate a day trip where interested employees can go wine tasting and/or learn how to make wine.
• Food Class - Find a local chef who will conduct a one-night cooking class for the group
• Take the team out for lunch once per month
• Lunch & Learns - Employees take turns learning about something of interest to them such as a new software program or social networking website and presenting it to the rest of the team.  You provide the lunch, the employees bond as they learn all sorts of new things.
• Corporate Parties - Many companies schedule a corporate party around the holidays, but what about a costume party at the local pub, a summer beach bash or a treasure hunt around town.  If your company is very laid back, you may opt for a bar crawl.  There's a good chance your employees are hanging out at the bar for happy hour anyhow. 

4. Take an interest in your employees. - When was the last time you asked your employees how they were doing?  Take him or her out for an afternoon cup of coffee just to chat.   When employees feel appreciated, they will work harder for you and they will stay longer.  Find out what makes each of them tick.  Are they motivated by money, by personal time, by gifts, by appreciation?  Figure it out, and mark it in your calendar to tend to their needs on a regular basis.  Knowing you care may be all they need.

5. Company Image - Employees want to work for a company that they can respect.  They want to work with a manager who portrays enthusiasm and integrity.  How many of the following are you currently doing?

• Greener Office - Look around.  How many printers are sitting around your office at this moment?  How many of them have printed paper sitting on them that never got picked up? There are many things you can do to show employees that you're being environmentally responsible.  Doing something good each day (even if it's recycling once piece of paper) makes that person feel that they've contributed to the greater good.  For tips on making your office greener, visit Go Green.
  
• Internal Social Network - Encourage employee communication and openness of new ideas for the company through an internal social network.  This will give each employee a level playing field for suggestions.  Some of them may be so small yet so powerful that you can even implement them today.
  
• Personal Emails - Send out enthusiastic weekly emails to your employees updating them on company successes.  Forget the newsletter system, this one should come straight from your email account.  Give a semi-public shout out to those employees who really excelled during the week.  Again, this bridges the gap between upper management and the bottom floor.  If you don't have a direct relationship with the bottom floor, get feedback from their managers on who deserves mention in your weekly shout out.
  

What works for your company?  Leave us a comment with your innovative ideas for boosting employee morale!