There is no secret: to have a successful company, you need motivated employees! But what is really behind the term “work motivation”? What are the motivational drivers for employees within organizations, and how can we adapt? We decipher all this for you.
What is work motivation?
Definition
Work motivation refers to a set of personal, economic, social and environmental factors that lead the employees of a company to invest fully in carrying out the professional missions assigned to them.
Two types of motivation can be distinguished:
- Intrinsic motivation. Action is guided by an individual's personal interest in completing a task. It is therefore not linked to the expectation of an external reward. Values or a stimulating work environment can lead to intrinsic motivation in an employee.
- Extrinsic motivation. This time, the action is driven by an external factor. It can be a reward (a good salary for example), or even recognition from a manager or team members.
The difference between motivation and commitment
The concepts of motivation and commitment are intertwined, but do not refer to exactly the same thing.
Employee commitment refers to the degree of involvement, loyalty and attachment to the organization. Motivation leads to commitment: it is therefore important to consider both elements in a linked way.
The importance of motivation for businesses
If it is necessary to worry about the motivation of your employees, it is because when it is at its highest, it leads to numerous profits for the company. At the same time, demotivation can have very negative consequences.
Motivation at the service of performance
Although this may seem logical, it is important to note that an employee motivated by his work and by his goals is naturally more efficient, because he gives the best of himself. With equal skills, he has a productivity bigger, and that leads to better overall business performance.
This can also have other beneficial consequences for the organization: a motivated person is more likely to talk positively about their business around them, becoming promoter for this one. This gives it a positive image and plays a key role for the employer brand.
The consequences of demotivation
On the contrary, demotivation has serious consequences in the world of work.
A study conducted by the University of Warwick showed that workers who were not motivated were on average 10% less productive than those who were not. Other consequences result from this: absenteeism is higher among these people, as is the turnover rate. These last two factors can have significant economic repercussions, as they inevitably involve costs in terms of recruitment And of training.
These elements show that it is essential to act effectively to increase or maintain motivation within teams.
The main drivers of employee motivation
It is essential to know the various motivating factors of employees in order to implement effective actions.
Recognition
It is one of the most important factors for motivation at work. Receiving encouragement from your manager or team members allows employees to feel valued. Rewards can be verbal (compliments) or material (bonus, extra time off, etc.)
Autonomy
It allows you both to show confidence to your employees, but also to let them work in their own way. Schedules, organization, prioritization of tasks: the more freedom a person has in their work, the more likely they are to be motivated. In fact, it favors Taking the initiative, which itself increases everyone's intrinsic motivation.
Interest and sense of missions
This is a very specific lever for everyone, but the company can still play a role at this level. Indeed, by taking the time to understand the values and aspirations of each employee, she can adapt the missions she gives to everyone. She can also participate in the development of her skills through training, for example.
Boredom or lack of meaning are very demotivating factors for employees.
Professional developments
It is important to take into consideration the skills and aspirations of each employee and to develop their careers accordingly. A person who feels restricted in their work can quickly become bored, affecting their productivity.
Well-being at work
Finally, well-being is one of the most important levers for strengthening employee motivation.
It applies to material working conditions as well as to the corporate atmosphere. Management has an essential place to play: without listening or benevolence, it is extremely difficult to maintain a high level of motivation among employees for years.
It is important to take into account all these motivational levers at work. In the same way, certain factors can be a source of demotivation: inadequate remuneration, too high or too low a workload, a poor working atmosphere, etc. It's up to you. assess needs of your employees and to adapt accordingly in order to offer them a stimulating work environment.
Create a motivating work environment for your employees
Motivation at work is therefore a key element in business performance. To stimulate it, it is important to set up good working conditions, to communicate sufficiently with your teams and to adapt management to their needs.
You can also encourage their initiative and commitment. by establishing bottom-up management or by setting up a participatory budgeting platform such as Teamstarter. With the latter, employees can propose projects and implement them as soon as they have raised the necessary amount to do so. Everyone can therefore get involved in causes that are important to them and for which they are naturally motivated to get involved.
As you will have understood, the motivating factors of your employees are multiple, but it is important to think carefully about this question in order for the company to be efficient. Before implementing concrete actions, it may be interesting to Calculate their motivation or engagement rate through personal surveys or an eNPS. This will allow you to make comparisons and possibly identify areas where you need to improve.
Sommaire
