Everything you need to know about employee motivation Employee motivation for SMEs

New challenges for SMEs

The world of work is changing rapidly under the influence of digitalization. Sooner or later, more and more activities will be automated or taken over by AI, while new tasks are becoming increasingly more complex, therefore independent and committed employees are turning into an ever more critical factor for a company's success. 

Winning over, motivating and retaining these talents for as long as possible in the team to secure their know-how has become a key task for companies. But unlike large companies with international structures where whole departments can deal with the challenge, SMEs often lack the resources to be able to showcase themselves enough to qualified staff in the competitive environment. Of course, AXA will also support you as an SME partner in dealing with this challenge through persuasive offers on employee motivation that lighten the load for you in the daily work routine and enhance your appeal as an employer.

Work environment compass

Considerate personnel management means that you as a manager understand what motivation, health and any stress in your team mean and can react early with suitable offers. A good basis for this knowledge can be AXA's work environment compass, a feedback method developed in collaboration with DearEmployee which helps to highlight psychosocial risks in the workplace and promote healthy interactions in your company. In addition, internal communication and regular requests for feedback indicate that you appreciate and have a true interest in the wishes and concerns of your workforce.

WeCare: AXA’s Corporate Health Management

Here AXA supports you in optimizing all of your operating processes in such a way that employee wellbeing and motivation can be achieved and encouraged. Whether sports courses, seminars on stress prevention and relaxation, rest rooms or ergonomic workplace design - the following measures can reduce stress and absenteeism and increase the attractiveness of your company.

Workplace ergonomics: Repetitive movements in the workplace result in health problems sooner or later. Desk activities are especially likely to lead to problems with the musculoskeletal system, placing stress both on work and private lives. An ergonomically designed workplace and training for employees on easier work techniques helps maintain your workforce's health and performance, while also reducing the cost of absenteeism.

Burnout prevention: The cost of burnout syndrome in Switzerland runs into billions annually, but as with other risks in terms of occupational health, permanent excess stress or the wrong type of stress can be systematically avoided. The more your workforce knows about the phenomenon of stress, the less the chance it has of arising in the first place. Communicating effective stress management strategies in particular can help staff deal with phases of high work stress.

Accident prevention: Accidents can happen anywhere - in the office, on the way to work or in people's leisure time. Regardless of where they happen, the consequences are the same: Pain for the injured person, high costs for employers. Both can often be avoided. For example, in addition to your obligations to prevent occupational accidents, you can positively influence employees' behavior in their leisure time because statistics show that most accidents occur outside of work.

Care Management: Don't ignore seriously ill or injured employees. After a long illness, the way back to normality is already hard enough. Everything runs easier, quicker and more sustainably with the support of AXA's Care Management. The team of experts helps with the successful reintegration of those affected, helping to prevent long absences and high costs for your company.

More retirement pension

Falling conversion rates and low interest rates are scratching away at the image of occupational benefits insurance. As such, it is one of the most important social benefits that a company can offer its workforce. Under these operating conditions, an OPA solution with up to 20% more pension represents huge added value in any employment relationship, both for the long-term loyalty and motivation of your team members as well as in the communication of vacant positions. AXA's collective foundations offer SMEs without their own pension fund reliable and attractive semi-autonomous OPA models that allow greater freedom in the investment strategy - this means more opportunities for returns and therefore above-average interest on your employees' retirement assets.  

More benefits

Choose your company's OPA solution that matches your staff structure and its needs, and offer more than the OPA minimum. In particular, managers and employees with high salaries can choose different pension solutions where the proportion above the OPA maximum salary is also insured. It also pays to improve retirement benefits and benefits for disability and death of your part-time workforce, as every investment in the pensions and protection of your employees is also one made in their motivation and loyalty.

More transparency

Companies that protect their employees with an AXA occupational benefits solution also simplify personal access to the pension fund: information, calculation tools and all current forms are available all the time on the myAXA digital portal, enabling staff to deal with queries themselves about their own individual situation and plan various future scenarios.