Motivated employees – please do not disturb!

One of my favorite questions during recruiting interviews has always been about what potential employees expect from a good leader. It’s not unusual to get the response “someone who can motivate me every day”. While this isn’t necessarily the best starting point for a successful working relationship, I have found myself increasingly interested in different forms of motivation and exploring how they contribute to top performance.

Benefits for all

Motivated employees are known to significantly boost profitability and significantly lower employee turnover. Motivated workers are more committed than average to their company, even when no one is looking. They’ll wear that branded company sweater on the weekends because they identify so strongly with their employer. And they’re ready to go the extra mile – even if that mile is uphill.

Motivation contributes significantly to the company’s success and the positive perception of the brand. But where does it come from, and how can you make more of it? Rewards and incentives are already a standard part of many benefits packages. With the next generation of employees looking for personal purpose in their professional lives, companies cannot afford to ignore the “intrinsic motivation” of their employees.

Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation

Before we examine the question of how a company can strengthen its people’s intrinsic motivation, let’s make a short and very simplified excursus on the definition of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: If I am motivated, it basically means that I want to do something. Intrinsic motivation means that I take that action because the activity is interesting or pleasant to me by nature. If I am extrinsically motivated, on the other hand, I perform an action because it leads to an external result. In the workplace, intrinsic motivation is about autonomy, competence and purpose, whereas extrinsic motivation is primarily about status, bonus, power, profit sharing and career.

Top performers need both

Even though extrinsic motivational factors may appear somewhat “negative” at first, it is important to understand that extrinsic motivational factors are also decisive for top performance. Even those with strong intrinsic motivation will be influenced by certain extrinsic incentives that contribute to an outstanding overall result. With regard to the world of work, it is said that there must be a fair wage base to enable intrinsic motivation. However, we also find that extrinsic incentives such as status, titles, winning a project or beating the competition can help to strengthen intrinsic motivation in the long run and motivate employees to try even harder to be the best.

How can companies promote employees’ intrinsic motivation?

The measures available to encourage intrinsic motivation among employees are as diverse as the companies themselves. What these measures have in common, however, is that they deal with issues such as “creating freedom” (autonomy), “strengthening the personal development of employees” (competence) and “identifying with the employer” (purpose). These intrinsic factors can be further strengthened and complemented by extrinsic incentives, especially in the area of competence. Ultimately, all elements that contribute to employees’ career success can also benefit intrinsic motivation.

Build on the good

Many companies will be pleased to discover that, done right, traditional and existing measures such as regular staff appraisals, individual further training, personal coaching, leadership development programs, demanding special tasks, job rotations, assignments abroad, expert platforms and so on automatically boost intrinsic motivation.

Many forward-thinking companies have also explored measures to promote autonomy, including the introduction of part-time models, flexible working hours, childcare, annualized working hours or an on-site gym. When it comes to strengthening identification with the employer, sporting events such as informal tournaments or joint participation in running events are highly effective. Other measures include communication platforms like monthly drinks, lunch roulette or regular CEO live events as well as participation in cross-company networks.

Ditch demotivating factors

Ideally, employees will perceive motivational measures as appreciative and supportive. Measures that address the innate need for competence, autonomy and social inclusion maintain intrinsic motivation, strengthen it and enable people – and their companies – to fully exploit their potential.

Given that motivation is a matter of strategic importance, it’s not enough to simply implement as many measures as possible to strengthen employee motivation. It’s also vital to eliminate as far as possible the factors harmful to intrinsic motivation. Key culprits are restricting autonomy, micromanaging processes or cultivating a climate of mistrust where a fear of making mistakes stands in the way of taking responsibility. Besides promoting intrinsic motivation, employers need to ensure that their culture does not interfere with it.

The right mix

For many employers, it remains a challenge to win over intrinsically motivated employees and then retain them. The right combination of motivational measures will depend on various factors such as the size of the company, the industry, the content and characteristics of the work. To get the focus right, employers need to ensure they have a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of motivation. They can then put together a catalog of measures to support the desired outcomes. An excellent starting point for all business leaders is to hone communication skills and truly engage with employees. After all, a motivating mindset always starts at the top.