Before you fire a problem employee, consider motivation

With America's unemployment rates lingering near 8 percent and remaining relatively stagnant, business owners should be on the lookout for the best possible candidates to fill open positions within the company.

But what happens after several months when the employee's job performance doesn't quite live up to their resume? Should employers give them multiple chances to make things right, or should they resort to firing the employee to give a better-qualified employee the job?

Experts suggest poor job performance and a low work productivity may actually be triggered by a lack of work motivation. When employers and managers don't supply their employees with a satisfying work life, low productivity could ultimately damage the company and its reputation with customers.

How employee incentive programs work as motivators
Forbes contributor Victor Lipman recently wrote about a national trucking company that had problems with wrongly sorted boxes, meaning packages were loaded onto incorrect trucks and shipped to completely wrong destinations. Not only could this problem affect shipment times, it could discourage customers from using the company's services in the future.

However, the problem was remedied when an incentive program was integrated into the shipping department.

"If a two-person loading team achieved no miss-sorts for an entire week, we were each bonused a case of Molson's [beer]," Lipman wrote. "Suddenly, loaders worked with new diligence and fervor."

The Forbes article is not encouraging business owners to start bribing workers with beer to increase job performance; instead, it recommends business owners get creative with their incentive programs instead of immediately resorting to employee termination.

Out-of-the-box incentives can also be less expensive than salary increases and large bonuses. Some of the unconventional ideas may include:

- Gift certificates or event tickets
- Flexible schedules, though employers should monitor that workers do not take advantage of the freedom
- Worksite bonuses like a reserved parking space
- Recognition and gratitude in front of other workers for a job well-done

Business owners should also consider their satisfaction and well-being when considering company success. Creating a happy work environment is not a one-time fix, and employers are encouraged to take the following steps to maintain increased productivity:

- Value workers' opinions and keep them updated with regular meetings
- Reward employees for offering suggestions and implement their ideas if possible
- Consider the unhappy employee's job … is it what they were hired to do? Is there potential to grow?