What Motivates Employees at Work?

Increase office productivity by motivating employees in other ways besides financial means.

While money seems to be the most common tool managers use to motivate employee, modern research is proving that not only are there other ways of motivating employees. but that money does not motivate everyone. For instance, Frederick Herzberg found that if workers are unhappy at work because of pay, that increasing their pay will not solely motivate them. In addition, in a July 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review, authors Nitin Nohria, Boris Groysberg and Linda-Eling Lee presented that the four fundamental methods of motivation are the drives to acquire, bond, comprehend and defend. The authors also found that to successfully motivate employees, employers must satisfy all four drives of each employee.

Acquiring Rewards

Companies with a clear reward system in place, as well as opportunities to qualify for raises and promotions are more likely to motivate their employees. Employees must think that the rewards are attainable and fairly distributed. If the company provides raises and bonuses, but no one understands the process or thinks that only the boss's favorite employee gets rewarded, then there will be no motivation for the employee to work harder.

Corporate Culture

The company's corporate culture significantly impacts the motivation of employees. If the corporate culture is based on collaboration and friendships, then the employees will be more likely to work together, cheer on other employees, congratulate a colleague who accomplishes a goal and motivate others to do better. Having a positive corporate culture, where employees are not competing against each other but instead work together will foster an environment where employees feel motivated.

Clear Job Roles

Employee motivation is influenced by what their perceived role is within the organization. If employees believe that their role is meaningless and does not contribute to the company's success in a meaningful way, they may feel disassociated and not inclined to put in the extra effort. Motivate employees by clearly defining their roles, letting them know their importance in the company's success, who is reliant on their work and that their work is valued.

Trust in Leadership

Employees must trust their leaders in order to be motivated to work harder. If employees do not understand why the leaders are asking them to do things in a particular way and/or do not think the leaders are fair or honest, then employees are more likely to lose faith, and ultimately, lose motivation.

References

• Harvard Business Review: Employee Motivation: A Powerful New Model
• Psychology Today: How to Motivate Employees - What Managers Need to Know