Far too often employees can fall into a trap of being unmotivated, unproductive and just plain disgruntled with their jobs. These symptoms are a cause of a virus that can easily turn your employees into Workplace Zombies. Learn more from PGi about how to prevent the virus in your workplace.

1. Workplace Zombies
SURVIVAL GUIDE:

2. Work·place Zom·bie
/ˈwərkˌplās'/ˈzämbē'/
noun
A coworker or peer who is unmotivated and unproductive in the
workplace. These creatures often are unresponsive in collaborative
environments, constantly watching the clock and just "get by" day
after day with little input to better the business. Workplace Zombies
will often seek out others to join in their misery and can be
infectious to the team if their symptoms are not addressed. To best
deal with an impending Workplace Zombie crisis, refer to PGi's
Survival Guide.

3. STEP 1:
MOTIVATE
One of the first symptoms of a Workplace Zombie
infection is lack of motivation. To combat this symptom,
create a system of rewards or recognition. Even the most
lazy, unenthusiastic employee will respond positively
to merits and recognition for the work they complete.
Whether the reward is big like an increase in pay or
something smaller, like verbal recognition, making
sure your employees feel they are needed in the
workplace will fight off lackadaisical attitudes.

4. STEP 2:
OFFER FLEXIBILITY
According to PWC's NextGen: A Global Generational
Study, 64% of Millennials would like to occasionally
work from home, and 66% of Millennials would like to
shift their work hours. To keep your younger employees
more engaged and motivated in their positions, consider
offering some flexibility to their schedules. Allowing
them to work during the hours they know they are most
productive will ensure they are working at their highest
capacity and staving away any feelings of discouragement
in their position.

5. STEP 3:
COMMUNICATE
Without proper motivation, a Workplace Zombie is only
going to be working on short-term goals. Make sure you're
not only issuing praise for their work in the present, but
also communicating a set of long-term goals for them to
strive toward. Rather than just focusing on day-to-day,
tedious tasks, you can provide them with future
objectives to complete. Once they have their eyes set on an
end goal that will have tangible impacts on the business,
they're likely to feel more motivated and appreciated for
their work.

6. STEP 4:
BE AN EXAMPLE
Managers, no matter how hard they try, can fall victim
to the same disinterest in their work, and this is how
the virus infiltrates even the most positive team
members. You, as the manager, are essentially the
virus's antidote. Setting an example by continuing to
remain outwardly positive is the best way to keep
employees from suffering through the Workplace Zombie
virus.

7. LEARN MORE
Want to learn more about keeping your teams
motivated in the workplace? Check out more
tips and tricks at
blog.pgi.com