According to Eric Chester, of Littleton Colorado, an employee expert, author and keynote speaker, there are tips that managers can use to encourage a better employee work ethic.

• Go one-on-one. Managers should work to create the relationships needed to encourage employee engagement. Understand employees' goals, aspirations, needs, home life, social circles and even hobbies to find ways to relate on an individual level in a way that increases trust.
• Establish a target. If your front-line employees can't articulate the core values of the business, everthing else falls apart. Core values should be brief, bulleted statements that define the values each employee must hold dear, rather than long, jaron-laden misson statements.
• Make instruction matter. Consistency in employee expectation is a key factor in successfully igniting the work ethic. Training programs designed around teaching expectations, organizational values and what happens when expectations are not met are critical to success.
• Make your success their success. Get creative with public appreciation, incentives, perks and compensation that can be tied to shared goals to give employees a sense of achievement, which in turn increases their engagement on the job.
• Listen, respond and engage. Continually ask for employee's feedback on what will help them deliver better results for the brand and customers/clients. Follow through and take action on their requests
• Light the path. Make the case that your business should be seen as not just a job, but a place to have a career. Communicate to employees about the opportunties for growth within the brand and establish programs that guide high performers along a path that helps them to reach high status, responsibilities and compensation in the organization.
• Always be canvassing. Managers should be able to articulate their ideal employee profile. Create a workforce with your ideal work ethic by identifying and reaching potential employees, communicating benefits to potential employees and enticing high-performing employees to identify others similar to them and communicate the brand promise.