How do you motivate your lazy and uneducated employees?

By understanding their personal aspirations and goals in life.

Good day to everyone!

Topic: Lazy Employee

I certainly believe that there is no "lazy" employee but there is an "unmotivated" employee.  Of course, the HR would not hire the employee in the first place if he/she sees nothing good in the person. For me, motivation is the great culprit of how an employee acts inside the company. Although motivation is personal, Managers and the work environment can greatly affect it in a positive or negative way. As per Psychology, we have the "fear" strategy and the "reward" strategy. We can use the Fear strategy by giving ultimatum to the employee for his/her laziness or stating the consequences of his/her actions but I do not believe in using the strategy in everyday encounter because it will lose its effect in the long run. On the other hand, we have the Reward strategy which can be a big motivational factor for an employee however this might trigger a thought that to do good in the company, the management has to give some reward but in the first place, doing good in the tasks is one of the responsibilities the employee signed up for.

I believe the "open-door" policy of Managers/Supervisors can really be a great help in understanding and connecting with the employees. Being able to talk with your boss in a way that you do not feel too much intimidated. If an employee feels that he/she is doing good in the company and the management is doing something do make them feel appreciated then motivation can be boost.  It does not have to be a reward, it can just be a simple greeting.  I also agree with giving the right level of tasks to the employee and gradually increase the level so it would not be boring in the long run. Also, company outings/bonding can greatly help since it gives employees something to look forward to and can positively affect the communication of everyone.

Topic: Uneducated employee

Education is a big factor in working for a company however it is not the "be-all and end-all" of being hired. Education should not matter if the employee has the experience and the willingness to do the tasks assigned. An uneducated person does not mean that the person is "dull" or "stupid". Every person has their own unique ability which can be of great use if tapped correctly. A manager should know the interests of the employee and find a good use for them. By encouraging  the employee to find or hone his/her interest thus motivation can be affected.

Topic: Both Lazy and Uneducated Employee

This kind of employee may not be well informed of the real tasks assigned to him/her. A manager should have a dialogue with the employee and explain clearly what will be the contribution of the employee to the company. Direct all tasks needed to be informed and reiterate the possible results of his/her actions, if its positive then possibility of extending his/her services and some incentives or the like, if its negative then the possibility of ending his/her contract and etc. The important factor is delivering the dialogue in a calm and friendly way but with conviction.

Final Opinion:

I agree that it is not the purpose of the Management to educate or motivate their employees but it is a fact that the management and the work environment can be a great factor in the attitude of their employee. It is a fact that it should also be one of the concern because "employees" are not tools anymore by the company nor just a mere resource called "Human Resource". Nowadays, to make a good company, employees are treated as "Partners", part of the organization to achieving goals thus making it more connected.

In my openion we can motivate to our employee by giving them nice attitude and give them nice beahve too so that they could understad their soul equal  and if really they worked hard try to give them some gift or some extra things so that they must understand their hard work...give them alwayes free mind dont try to give more pressure so that their mind could get angry because angry mind never get sucess give them aprisal alwayes for their good works.support everytime for his good works too.

It depends on his loyalty. In my tenure with company I have had to encounter two sorts of lazy people, one was loyal to company. While other was just passing his time.

I really had to fight hard and keep my anger in check and some times my head began to pound while lecturing them about damage they are doing to themselves by being sloppy. Because not only they are loosing an opportunity to excel in field of audit and accounts but also giving up a chance to learn concepts practically plus damaging there akhirat and life in this world, as, there is Allah; who watches us all time and rewards us accordingly. This is something that even uneducated people understand.

But when they use to do good work, I had to praise them for it, even though their work did not match normal standards and allow them to surf through internet.

I must admit that the improvement in their attitude took time and I have to face humiliation inflicted upon me by people who kept telling me that you don't owe them nothing and who cares about what Allah does to us (naozobillah) but well believe me that at the end of tenure they conducted an audit of branch and helped highlight a fraud, not only proving my strategy to deal with them correct but also setting an example for their other colleagues. 

THIS IS HOW  I DEAL WITH MY TEAM MEMBERS OTHER PEOPLE MAY DISAGREE WITH ME BUT WELL IT WORKED FOR ME.

Give target and motivate to achieve it for getting reward (Chance to increase wage) or job security.

I agree With  Madam ,GERALDINE  Explanation with detail for understanding.

There are2 aspects of  the question. We have to discern each one carefully.

A person who is uneducated, may not be lazy. The person is lacking some skills, which he or she may be interested to learn. In first place , the person has been hired for some role where the traditional education is not required. So suddenly the need of educating the person cannot arise. Mostly the person will be needing job oriented skill that can be arranged by company. Taking traditional education should be personal responsibility and  the company may support. 

To deal with a  lazy and uneducated person can be bit tricky. First we have to turn the person productive. without being productive or a scope to be, investing resources on the person may not be fruitful. A lazy person is generally lacking motivation and the best motivating factor is recognizing the work done or the experience which will require to complete a job. Appreciate the person on accomplishment and convey that organization is expecting more from the employee.  Giving monetary benefit is not a proven motivational catalyst, but may be used if the organization is in dire need of the skill, but not for a long time.

The first thing a manager needs to do is isolate the problem, not the person. In other words, there is probably something that's causing one employee to be lazy. Sometimes it's a lack of things to do, sometimes it's a hierarchy or a company policy issue. Too often, how employees rise through the ranks is a mystery. That causes frustration and instills a sense of secrecy or perhaps favoritism. Put forth standards and expectations and how the rewards can be achieved.Speaking of favoritism, this is a prime example. Managerial staff and those under their charge should be given the same perks. It is also very important for employees to be recognized and appreciated weather the employee achieved small or big things.

The main difficulty of Leaders and companies today, is to manage its Human Capital.

Consider that motivation is intrinsic to the individual, and incentives, which can be handled, are going to trigger the particular motivation of each employee.

The conditions that the company offers to the employees, cover their needs and expectations so they can recognize the 'why' to continue their performance and, consequently, the production demanded by the company.

These are the real prizes, valued by employees: find favorable conditions for producing, create, grow as professionals, be recognized, considered, so that their needs are considered (by negotiation), be respected as a human being and collaborator, not just a number selling their labor and thus, being be subject to any condition imposed.

Talk openly and maintain good working relationships are the paths to success between employee, manager and company.

Both, company and managers do not educate people, it is not their purpose.

Thank you all.

Use all the soft skills before sending them home, give them some recognition by consulting them or making them part of the decision making group.