In the professional world, employee expectations are constantly evolving and it is essential to be able to engage them in a sustainable way to maximize the performance of your organization. For that, Motivation is a key factor that influences both productivity and satisfaction, but also employee loyalty. There are two types of motivation: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Both play a fundamental role in this dynamic. We invite you to discover these two concepts to effectively mobilize talent in your company.
Intrinsic motivation: engaging through meaning
Definition of intrinsic motivation
La intrinsic motivation refers to the desire to perform a task or work for the benefit, pleasure, or personal satisfaction that it brings. An employee is intrinsically motivated if they find meaning in what they do, regardless of any external rewards they may receive.
Advantages and limitations
Investing in the intrinsic motivation of employees has many advantages. First of all, it is a powerful lever for the sustainable commitment of your teams. Indeed, when an employee finds a profound meaning in his mission, he is naturally more involved, more inclined to provide quality work, more loyal.
Intrinsic motivation is also a driver of creativity and innovation, because it encourages people to surpass themselves and to seek solutions in order to actively engage in solving complex problems.
The main limitation is that intrinsic motivation is unique to each person. While it is possible to create an environment conducive to the development of your employees, not all react in the same way and personal adaptations are to be expected.
The main challenges of intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is proving to be a powerful driver of long-term commitment for employees. Indeed, by finding a profound meaning in their activities, they are more likely to give the best of themselves on a daily basis. They also tend to be more loyal to their business, reducing recruitment and training costs. As an organization, it is therefore imperative to take an interest in this problem.
To encourage intrinsic motivation, it is essential to create a work environment that promotes autonomy, control and meaning. For example, this can result in the implementation of projects that allow your employees to increase their skills, by encouraging Taking the initiative or by recognizing individual and collective contributions. By focusing on personal development and the search for meaning, you create the conditions for a strong and authentic commitment.
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Extrinsic motivation: guided by external rewards
Definition of extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation refers to the will to complete a task or work to obtain a material or intangible reward, or to avoid a penalty. In the professional context, these elements are generally financial incentives (bonuses, salary increases), prospects for promotion or social recognition.
Advantages and limitations
This form of motivation is commonly used by businesses because it is tangible, easy to implement and to measure. It is quite simple to offer this type of incentive to everyone in an equitable manner.
The main limitation of extrinsic motivation is that it often leads to superficial, short-term commitment. If the rewards do not continue, interest in employees can decrease drastically and cause a radical drop in motivation.
The challenges of extrinsic motivation
Used wisely, extrinsic motivation can be an excellent driver of engagement for businesses. To do this, care must be taken to use it punctually and not to allow unhealthy competition between employees to develop, as this could endanger collaboration and team spirit.
Combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to maximize employee engagement
Complementary motivations
Finally, even if intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are opposed, they can very well complement each other provided the right balance is found.
To strengthen intrinsic motivation, you can offer your employees opportunities for personal development, such as training on topics they want to deepen. It is also important to give them enough autonomy so that they can thrive in the projects they are working on. This can be complemented by public recognition, or even material incentives, in order to create a balanced and motivating work environment.
Some tools can help you find the right balance: for example, this is the case with platforms for crowdfunding. By allowing your employees to propose and contribute to social and environmental projects, you are responding to their quest for meaning. They can also receive some recognition for their commitment, creating a virtuous circle in which personal satisfaction and external recognition reinforce each other.
Personalizing motivation
As you can see, the needs and aspirations of employees are diverse: the major challenge for companies is to adapt.
While some are primarily motivated by financial rewards, others are primarily looking for meaning in their work. To better understand everyone, it is therefore essential to communicate on this subject with the people concerned, in order to set up a truly effective talent management strategy.
Employee motivation is a crucial issue for companies, as it conditions both commitment and performance. Intrinsic motivation, based on meaning and personal interest, and extrinsic motivation, linked to external rewards, are two complementary strengths that are important to understand and integrate into your talent management strategy. While extrinsic motivation is easier to implement, it cannot work sustainably without intrinsic motivation. It is therefore essential to create an environment in which your employees can thrive and set up stimulating projects while being recognized for this. It's up to you to find a fair, balanced and personalized approach to unleash the full potential of your teams.
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