Excited, engaged and passionate employees are good for morale, productivity and your bottom line.

In fact, 71% of executives in a Harvard Business Review believe employee engagement is a top factor in success. However, only a quarter of them consider their employees to be highly engaged.

So, what's the answer? How can you get employees to feel the same excitement about your vision and goals as you do?

Despite what you may think, the best motivating techniques are not monetary. They go much deeper than that.

I call these motivators the three "C's": culture, connection, and communication.

Culture

“Corporate culture refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that characterize members of an organization and define its nature.” – Inc.com

Employees want much more than a paycheck from their career. They want to be proud of the work they do and feel aligned with the culture within their company.

At Romp n' Roll, our purpose-driven approach to enriching the lives of families in our communities motivates employees. This makes them passionate about what they do, as well as the values of the franchise.

Our franchisees witness this every day. For instance, Stacey Centurelli receives great client feedback on how engaged her employees are. She loves getting reviews that say, “The staff is so warm and friendly and connected.” Stacey remarks, “That makes it worth everything that I do here.”

Communicate your corporate culture by speaking it, writing it, or otherwise acknowledging it. Get your employees on board with it, because it affects their excitement about your business.

Now is the time to articulate the desired values you have for your company if you haven’t done so already.

Connection

Strengthen the connection your employee has with your company through brand awareness.

Brand enthusiasm is infectious! Immerse your staff in your brand and, chances are, they will be excited to share it.

Here are some tips:

• Share your story.

Let employees know your history, how and why you got started, and what your brand represents.

• Make staff brand assets.

Explain how every employee is an extension of your brand. Help them to understand how important their role is in nurturing it.

• Ask for feedback

As brand ambassadors on the front lines of the business, employees can provide great insight. Do they have ideas on how to better deliver on-brand services? Do they see any discrepancies between what they do (or how they do it) with the brand’s core values?

Communication

The importance of day-to-day communication cannot be overstated. It is easy to forget just how important human communication is in today’s digital world.

Regularly review goals, objectives and procedures while providing good feedback.

Don’t bombard your employees with superfluous information, however. Be clear, concise, and consistent with your message.

Above all else, be honest. Employees can sniff out inauthenticity in a heartbeat. Nothing will disengage them faster than that. (Except, perhaps, if they hear important news through the grapevine rather than directly from management).

You also want to have an open line of communication with employees so they feel comfortable enough to share problems and concerns. Two-way communication will allow problems to be solved quickly and efficiently.

Just remember, it’s hard for someone to be excited about their work if believe their employer is ignoring or dismissing their concerns.

The fold

Merriam-Webster describes “the fold” as “people who have a shared faith or interest.”

In my experience, good managers and leaders make a practice of bringing their employees into “the fold”.

This helps make employees excited and invested in the future of the company.

Learn why good leaders must be teachers, and not just managers.

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Michael Barnett is the Co-Founder and CEO of Romp n' Roll. In addition to leading the Romp n' Roll management team, Michael is an active member of the International Franchise Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and serves on the Board of Directors for Connor's Heroes and Juniata College Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. He and his wife, Babz, were featured on the first season of ABC-TV's Shark Tank.