How to motivate employees with reporting

It is now undeniable that reporting is an essential tool in the business world, and more particularly in financial management and performance monitoring. It is useful not only to the hierarchy, which will be kept informed of the company's progress, but also to the teams. The numbers lead to questions about the results but, above all, to seek solutions to improve them. Moreover, reporting is an excellent opportunity for teams to understand the strategic issues of the company they work for. So, what role can reporting play in the team? Can this tool be a source of motivation for employees?

The objectives of reporting in business

Previously, we provided the definition of reporting. In this new article, we will see more precisely what the objectives of reporting are for a company or a multi-entity group. The objective of a reporting is to steer the organization through key performance indicators (KPIs) and to provide decision support for the hierarchy.

Reporting has several major objectives:

• To optimize the information communicated by the company. This means that it facilitates the collection, analysis, and presentation of data in a way that makes it easily understandable and usable. This allows decision-makers to make informed decisions based on factual data rather than assumptions or intuitions.
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• To provide all decision-making actors with a comprehensive view of a company's activity. This includes not only financial performance but also other aspects such as customer satisfaction, internal process efficiency, and employee performance. This allows decision-makers to understand where the company excels and where it needs to improve.
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• To provide all employees with strategic information about the company they work for. This can help reinforce their commitment to the company and their motivation to contribute to its success. By understanding how their work fits into the company's overall picture, they can feel more valued and more involved.
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• To enable the transformation of the organization. By identifying areas that require improvement, it can help guide change efforts and measure their effectiveness.
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• To promote collaboration within the company. By sharing information and perspectives, it can help break down silos and encourage a culture of teamwork and cooperation. This can lead to better overall company performance and greater employee satisfaction.

Reporting: a tool that motivates employees individually

Individual motivation is an essential pillar for ensuring the success and sustainability of your company. Reporting tools, like our SaaS solution for financial management and performance monitoring, can play a key role in boosting this motivation.

First of all, reporting provides a comprehensive overview of the company (strategy & objectives). A study conducted by WeSpire reveals the importance of communicating the company's vision and the objectives pursued. Reporting allows employees to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities within the company. Indeed, teams need to know the impact of their work within the strategy pursued by the company. The more information you provide your employees, the more you encourage them in their tasks, the more you motivate them and improve their engagement.

Furthermore, reporting can help identify areas for improvement. By providing detailed information about performance, reporting can help employees identify their strengths and weaknesses. This can help them set personal goals and work on their improvement.

Reporting strengthens trust. It is no longer a secret; employees today want more than anything to work for a company with the same values as theirs, the same vision for the future and work. They also want to be able to trust the company they work for.

This trust comes through management, not just the values propagated by the company, but also through the tools made available. Reporting is part of this. By showing the company's numbers transparently, emphasizing your weaknesses and strengths, you demonstrate your integrity and vulnerability.

Whether you have made mistakes in your strategic choices or some of your initiatives have failed, it doesn't matter, as long as you expose both good and bad news to your employees. Thus, you will strengthen the trust they have in you and continue to motivate them daily.

Reporting: a tool that reinforces group motivation

Feeling valued within a team or group inspires employees more than a salary increase. Feeling useful or being able to prove one's worth to others are essential feelings to satisfy in a company. Why are reporting tools relevant for a manager in steering the evolution of competencies and results of their team?

Reporting gives the manager the opportunity to identify productivity levers and communicate them to each employee. They can use collaborative tools to evaluate their results with their manager and create a dialogue on areas for improvement while recognizing the work done. These tools allow them to be empowered and to apply the methods of their choice to achieve their goals. Furthermore, reporting is an ally of team cohesion since it enables employees to be accountable. When they are motivated and a good atmosphere prevails within the company they work for, they feel more connected and more engaged. As a result, they are more likely to make the necessary efforts to participate in the company's growth.

• Example: A sales reporting allows reflecting the efforts that have been made. Sellers will feel responsible for good (or bad) results and become aware of the impact of their decisions.

Finally, reporting allows justifying decisions. Many employees face decisions made by the company without really understanding what justified the choices made. Whatever the decision, it will always seem more reasonable, objective, and thoughtful if supported by numbers from reporting. Whether to support you in your business strategy, or to motivate your employees, reporting is a significant ally.

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F.A.Q :

1. What are the objectives of reporting for a company?

The objectives of reporting for a company are multiple. First, it allows optimizing the information communicated by the company by facilitating the collection, analysis, and presentation of data in a way that makes it easily understandable and usable.

Next, it provides all decision-making actors with a comprehensive view of the company's activity, including not just financial performance, but also other aspects such as customer satisfaction, internal process efficiency, and employee performance.

It also allows providing all employees with strategic information about the company they work for, which can help reinforce their commitment to the company and their motivation to contribute to its success.

Finally, reporting can promote collaboration within the company by sharing information and perspectives, which can help break down silos and encourage a culture of teamwork and cooperation.

2. How can reporting be a source of motivation for employees?

Reporting can be a source of motivation for employees in several ways. First of all, it provides a comprehensive view of the company (strategy & objectives), which allows employees to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities within the company.

Next, it can help identify areas for improvement by providing detailed information about performance, which can assist employees in setting personal goals and working on their improvement.

Finally, reporting strengthens trust by showing the company's numbers transparently, emphasizing weaknesses and strengths, and demonstrating the integrity and vulnerability of the company.

3. How can reporting reinforce the motivation of a group?

Reporting can reinforce the motivation of a group by giving the manager the opportunity to identify productivity levers and communicate them to each employee. Collaborative tools enable employees to assess their results with their manager and create a dialogue on areas for improvement while valuing the work accomplished. These tools also allow them to be accountable and apply the methods of their choice to achieve their goals.

Finally, reporting allows justifying decisions made by the company by relying on figures from reporting, which can help employees understand the reasons behind the decisions made.

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In summary

Motivating employees through reporting can be an effective way to align individual and collective objectives with the company's performance.
Whether to communicate transparently about objectives, highlight everyone's achievements, or provide feedback based on facts and figures, reporting can serve as a foundation for a motivating and rewarding work environment.