Employers urged to Create Environment that will Motivate Staff

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, is imploring employers to create a comfortable work environment, that will motivate employees to perform at their optimum, in an effort to increase productivity in the country.

“What this implies is the need for employers and their managers to devise operational frameworks, that will enable active participation with regard to the decision making process, and will help to boost productivity in organisations,” he said.

The Minister was speaking at the opening of the ‘Make Your Mark’ Middle Managers conference, on April 19, at the Wyndham Hotel, in Kingston.

The two-day conference, themed: ‘The Heart and Hub of Enterprise’, exposes businesses to numerous learning opportunities that will assist individuals to become agents of change in this technological age.

“If each individual (sitting here today) wants to be the ‘Heart and Hub’ of your respective businesses, then I beseech you to recognise that today’s employees are not 'workers' who, in  the traditional sense, readily stand for a command-and-control business environment. They have, instead, evolved into sophisticated collaborators at the heart of our business enterprises, in both the public and private sectors,” the Minister argued.

He emphasised that if persons want to become successful middle managers, then they must be prepared to evolve, in the same way the workforce has evolved.

Highlighting the theme, Mr. Kellier said that the issue of productivity is under the radar, because of the lack of synergy among employers and employees, observed in many organisations in Jamaica.

“Not so long ago, Jamaican Managers measured their success by how well they reinforced bureaucracy. In today’s society, this has changed, as a result of technology and the need for collaboration. Bureaucracy has somewhat been eradicated, thus enabling employees to be more involved and adaptable to change,” he pointed out.

Mr. Kellier said that managers should always involve employees in organisation planning, which promotes a smooth operation, and paves the way for effective communication, “because if you can’t work along with your employees, then the productivity level will gradually decrease."

"As managers, you are powerful players in the density of your respective organisations, and by extension, this country. You have the power to make an employee’s job satisfying or frustrating," the Minister pointed out.

He urged managers to change the way they operate, and find new meanings, solutions, and rules of engagement, to address the problems facing companies.

The conference will feature guest speakers from several local and international  organisations.

By Jeneva Gordon, JIS PRO