Employee Motivation. How staff can be motivated in the workplace to increase productivity and profit.

Why Motivation Matters

How would you define motivation? The drive to get things done? A desire to achieve? Something inside you that pushes you to be better?

Your employees - and you yourself - must be motivated if the business is going to be successful. Without motivated staff a business cannot move on, be creative or competitive. Lacklustre, uninspired staff will give a lacklustre and uninspired performance and the business will stagnate.

So how do you motivate your team?

Money

Your first thought may be that people work primarily for money. After all no one wants to work for free do they? Especially in these uncertain times. However, while a fair wage for a days work is an essential consideration it is not the only thing that spurs people to work. It is true that paying a reasonable wage will get people to work for you initially. It may not be enough to keep them there. A lot of people are working at, or just above, the minimum wage, and if you do not offer them something extra you may find that they will look for employment elsewhere.

As an example I have previously found myself working in a library doing a very low status job as a book shelver. We sorted the books that were returned and reshelved them. And that's all we did. Occasionally we might help a student locate a book, but basically the job involved working alone pushing heavy trolleys of books around, and putting books back on shelves. After a few months this became pretty boring, but the wage was fairly good for such a low skilled job and so I stuck it out. However, after a year and a half of putting books on shelves I began to dread going to work. My stomach would sink as I approached the building, and I had reached the stage where the money no longer motivated me. I needed more from the job or i was going to die of boredom.

Extrinsic Motivation

Rewards at work such as money, a contract and decent working conditions are 'tangible' motivators. They are the basics that an employee can expect from their job. A desk, a warm room, suitable clothing and time for a break are the features of a work environment that should meet the employees expectations, but they will not remain motivated just because these things are in place.

Intrinsic Motivation

As well as providing a decent work environment and a fair wage an employer must realise that their staff are likely to be motivated by many different intangible factors.

People need to feel that their job has some value and is making a useful contribution. Their self worth must be encouraged and developed. Staff may be seeking ways to improve their existing skills and learn new things. They need some self development. Staff need to feel that their employer is aware of their contribution. They need to feel appreciated.

Theories of Motivation

Any business student will have been made aware of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.Maslow's theory (from 1943) suggests that peoples needs are arranged as a series of levels. As one level is attained so a human being will naturally aspire to reach the next level. These levels ranged from the most basic human needs of warmth, food and shelter right up to the level of 'self actualisation' when a person can be said to have reached their full potential and become everything that they can be.

 Once a lower level need has been satisfied it will no longer act as a motivator. The next level of aspiration becomes the new goal and drives an individual on to achieve it.

Achievement Motivation Theory (1988)

David McClellands theory emphasised the need for people to accomplish something. He suggests that people will work harder where they are given responsibility and are empowered to make decisions. He also suggests that a work environment where staff are given achievable targets and are encouraged to take calculated risks will produce highly motivated employees. Managers who give recognition and feedback are likely to create a workplace built on an expectation of success.

Job Characteristics Theory (1976)

Hackman and Oldham stressed the importance of the nature of the work. The task must have some worth and significance, there should be some variety within the role and while staff should not be too closely supervised they should be acknowledged and praised.

• Salary - reward your staff fairly
• Interesting work -as much as possible offer your staff variety and the opportunity to be creative
• Safe and pleasant working conditions- show your staff respect by making sure their equipment is suitable for the task, that they have clean wash rooms, a separate staff area to have a break, and that the workplace is safe
• Friendly supervision - give your staff support and guidance but trust them to complete a task without constantly watching over their shoulder or criticising
• Advancement in the organisation -do your staff have any chance of moving up, developing themselves and doing better? Do you offer training and do staff in low status jobs have an opportunity for promotion?
• Recognition - do you reward achievement and success? Offer your staff bonuses or an incentive scheme for individuals and teams. Do you congratulate staff for a job well done? Do you acknowledge their contribution to your success? Do you remember their names?
• Expect success- do you consider your staff as an assett. Do you expect them to do well or do they work in an environment where they are simply part of a bigger machine? Are your staff empowered, encouraged and rewarded?

Motivating people may be as easy as saying thank you for their work that day. People want to feel valued and appreciated. Allow them to make some decisions individually or as part of a team.  Ask for their opinions. What would they change? Let your staff feel that you have some faith in their abilities and their knowledge. Reward then with bonuses or prizes, and mention their achievements to others in the organisation. Give them interesting and varied tasks as much as possible.

Make sure your team feels respected, appreciated and challenged.

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