Personnel motivation: the most effective methods and ways to stimulate employees

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Published: 08/16/2016

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To increase the efficiency of employees, the employer uses various methods of motivation and incentives, which can be both material and intangible.

The practice of many enterprises shows that it is material motivation that is the most effective, but also quite costly from a financial point of view . Therefore, the concept, types and specific methods of this type of employee incentives are worth considering in more detail.

• The concept of material motivation
• Types of motivation Motivation through rewards
• Motivation through punishment

Concept of employee motivation

In theory, one way to classify motives is to divide them into external or internal. External ones depend on the influence of other people and accompanying working conditions. Traditionally, external work includes work for money or material benefits, for status, recognition, for stability and “settlement.”

Intrinsic motivation depends on a person’s values ​​and interests. It's more permanent. It is considered more difficult to analyze. A person who is passionate about his work, realizes himself creatively, understands the meaning and importance of his work for other people, as a rule, works with greater dedication and is less dependent on salary fluctuations, relationships with superiors, and other factors.

There is another way to look at motivation. In its light, the term is explained as a process of influencing the employee’s desire, willingness to work, and encouraging him to perform tasks responsibly.

For this influence to be as effective as possible, it is important to identify truly significant motives for a person. Not everyone works for money, not everyone needs creativity. The opportunity to grow in one's career and take on more responsibility motivates one person to take action. For others, on the contrary, it frightens or demotivates.

Therefore, effective work with personnel is based on an understanding of human individuality, on a high-quality diagnosis of psychological characteristics, which we will talk about in the article a little later.

Key goals of non-material motivation of employees

The desire to be realized in a particular activity is a key motive that allows you to work as fruitfully as possible. An employee interested in the result does not look at his watch waiting for the end of the working day; his goal is to achieve success today and every day. It is wrong to think that only material benefits can stimulate the performance of employees. Non-material motivation of the team is no less important.

Non-material motivation is understood as a system of management actions aimed at encouraging employees without the use of bonuses and salary increases. Often these actions become the most effective tool for managing team work. The use of various methods of non-financial motivation makes it possible to reach a whole group of employees, and the effect of the measures taken is maintained for a long period.

A set of actions aimed at increasing the productivity of the team pursues several goals:

• support and development of team spirit;
• stimulation of a creative approach to work;
• increasing the number of loyal employees;
• increasing the performance of each team member;
• mastering new knowledge and skills;
• maintaining a friendly atmosphere while maintaining healthy competition.

Non-material motivation in an organization has a beneficial effect on the work of the entire team, supports corporate spirit, and convinces of the need for teamwork. The main task of such encouragement is to create a favorable atmosphere so that each employee feels like an important and necessary member of the team, acting in both personal and common interests.

Objectives of the study

Typically, determining the level of employee motivation is carried out for:

• reducing staff turnover;
• growth of labor productivity;
• developing a system of incentives to unlock the potential of employees;
• assessment of the existing incentive system, its adaptation to the organization’s objectives and working conditions.

Motivated employees don't just want to work. They work with joy and maximum efficiency, and strive to develop. But everyone lives in society, in a society that is unstable. Along with external changes, people’s work motivation also changes. Therefore, it is important to regularly review the personnel motivation system in the organization.

This is not only about economic crises. A routine parent-teacher conference at school can have a significant impact on an employee. And this affects the productivity of the employee, and, ultimately, the profit of the company.

Of course, an organization cannot solve people’s personal difficulties. Here, the only available solution is an incentive system that helps a person cope with personal tasks and, at a minimum, maintains interest in work.

In other words, regularly diagnosing employee motivation helps you respond to changes in society or the market. As a result, a timely study of motives together with a revision of the incentive system gives:

• low labor costs;
• increasing staff productivity;
• the opportunity to reduce control over the actions of personnel and pay more attention to the strategic development of the organization;
• improving the psychological climate in the team;
• employee retention.

To achieve these goals, it is important to take into account both the capabilities of a particular company and the individual characteristics and needs of individual employees. To diagnose the significant motives of candidates or existing employees, it is convenient to use test methods. The Laboratory of Humanitarian Technologies has developed several methods aimed at assessing the motivational sphere of personnel. They allow you to determine:

• why a person chooses one or another field of activity;
• what the employee works for;
• the structure of the employee’s motives, optimal working conditions for him;
• motivational “support points” of the employee, possible directions for his professional growth;
• decreased interest in work, job dissatisfaction.

An analysis of the reasons for low motivation and the results obtained shows how to retain valuable personnel, reduce staff turnover, increase staff loyalty and satisfaction, increase labor productivity, and responsibility for the results obtained.

Types of staff motivation

Material incentives

The simplest type of motivation: no need to immerse yourself in psychological exercises, delve into the needs of each employee - just give more money. As a rule, this works: no one has ever refused money. But there are also nuances: there is a special type of people for whom human relations or work for the benefit of the Big Idea are more important. Let's talk about finances first, and then return to romantics and subtle natures.

Statistics: ways to motivate staff

1. Increase in wages. At least by 5-10 percent. If you have few employees, these extra expenses are unlikely to greatly affect the profits of the online store, and employees are highly motivated. The first months after the increase, your entire team will simply fly with happiness!

This type of motivation also includes awarding bonuses - for example, a manager can be rewarded for a record number of closed orders, a courier for processing many addresses, an accountant for successfully completing reports, a marketer for a successful advertising campaign. If a person achieves the goal 100%, pay him a 100% bonus; if he achieves 80%, let the amount be less.

2. Discounts on services. Surely your employees have their eye on something from the assortment of your online store, or maybe they are already actively placing orders. Establish corporate discounts once and for all: team members can buy products with a 30% or other nominal discount. This will not only increase your profits, but will also encourage employees to work as word of mouth: let them tell everyone about your kindness and generosity, and at the same time advertise your products.

3. Payment for training. Now you can send employees to courses and trainings: individual and team. This helps unite your team and gives employees new knowledge. Don’t spare money on training: in the end, these costs will come back to you a hundredfold when employees begin to apply the experience gained in practice.

Factors of employee engagement and motivation

4. Renovating the office, buying furniture, arranging a dining room or rest room in the office. It seems that the employee does not receive anything in cash - but you are investing in his comfort. It is known that the convenience of the workplace directly affects labor productivity: try hanging on the phone all day while entering data into the CRM system with the other hand! Buy comfortable, ergonomic furniture for your employees, paint your office in bright, positive colors, and allow employees to have lunch and rest in a specially designated area.

5. Presentation of gifts. And these are not only traditional envelopes and bouquets for birthdays and March 8th. Employees should be rewarded not because of holidays, but because of a job well done. Remember how Soviet factories used to reward the best employees: they gave watches, vouchers to sanatoriums, hung photographs on the honor board and in corporate media. Take these ideas into service - even if not on an industrial scale. Among modern managers, resort packages, gym memberships, tickets to a show or performance are popular - just, of course, find out your employee’s preferences in advance.

Reward the best employees, write about it on the website and in the communities of the online store, on social networks - let customers know their heroes! If your company participates in professional competitions, try nominating your candidate in some category.

6. Pleasant little things. Material rewards can be replaced with other very tangible incentives: extra days off, free lunches, corporate mobile communications, medical insurance, the opportunity to leave work if necessary. And all this without unnecessary red tape, countless signed papers - simply at the will of the boss.

Future prospects

If you have far-reaching plans for an employee, tell him about it. Many leaders strive to make a career and move up the ladder - if they are absolutely sure that they will receive a promotion, they can easily do without an increase in salary or bonus. Your task is to keep your word: deception and destroyed hopes will not be forgiven. The market for your niche is not that big, and bad rumors can spread quickly.

Good word

So we got to those for whom human relationships are more important than salary. These are mainly women who go to work largely because of the good psychological climate, pleasant colleagues, and friendly atmosphere.

1. Praise. Many bosses consider it beneath their dignity to praise an employee once again. Meanwhile, praise, even said casually or on an insignificant occasion, will do more than dry instructions and strict adherence to instructions. A simple “thank you” or “well done” - and now your employee smiles and does his task in a good mood, and the rest of the employees become loyal to you.

2. Possibility of communication between boss and subordinate. Employees often have questions that they have no one to discuss with: the manager rarely appears at work, and if he does come, he locks himself in his office and holds meetings. The rest of the colleagues are performing their tasks and cannot suggest a solution. Make a rule: communicate with employees at least an hour a day. They should know that in the event of force majeure, or even just like that, they can come to you and get practical advice or instructions.

3. Everyone has the right to vote. It often happens that the most lively members of the team come up with suggestions and ideas - the rest are shy or keep silent. Over time, such employees are no longer asked at all; they turn into gray shadows of more successful colleagues. If you have such silent people, give them a chance to prove themselves. Conduct a brainstorming session, a team game, a joint event. In unusual conditions, people reveal an unexpected side: perhaps it is the gray mouse who will come up with the most profitable idea.

4. Honor board. An old method that really works. Hang a stand in your office with the title “best employee of the month” and periodically update photos on it. Be sure to duplicate information on the company website in the news section or on social networks. Don't forget to reward the winner with treats or nice little things.

Honor board in the organization's office

5. Flexible schedule. How many unfortunate “night owl” salespeople come to work at 9 am and then toil until lunch, unable to wake up. And the poor “larks” - couriers idle during their most productive hours - in the morning, and in the evening, pumped up with energy drinks, they deliver orders home. Meanwhile, people’s lives can be made significantly easier by allowing them to work flexible hours or remotely. If you have remote employees, you already know that the quality of work does not suffer from the territorial factor. People know their tasks and deadlines, and whether they do them late at night or in the morning is none of your business.

Unusual ways

1. Taking into account the temperament of employees. Melancholic people work differently than choleric people, and phlegmatic people differ from sanguine people. We've already written about how to work with clients of all different personality types—the same principles can be applied to your own employees. Determining the type is simple: if you don’t want to understand in detail the personality of a subordinate, just conduct psychological testing.

2. Playing on ambition. This method was invented by Walt Disney, and now many managers have picked it up. In the empire of the famous animator there were many departments and positions, some prestigious, others not so much. The most unpopular were hotel laundries: people didn’t want to work there - it wasn’t prestigious. Disney renamed the laundry departments textile services: it sounded different and put workers on the same level as other departments. That is, nothing has changed except the name, but how pleasant it was for the employees! Nowadays, this method is also popular: the cleaning lady is proudly called the housekeeping manager, the laundress is the laundry operator, and so on.

3. Internal reward system - not from superiors, but from your own colleagues. The idea is simple: a corporate program is created in which everyone publicly leaves reviews, thanks or complaints about the work of their colleagues. Now it’s even easier to do this: in any messenger, special corporate chat, business application.

Employee motivation

Methods for analyzing motivation

To diagnose employee motivation, interviews and tests are most often used. It is good when it is possible to combine test diagnostics with a post-diagnostic conversation, which allows you to clarify or supplement the results obtained in the test.

Until recently, face-to-face testing was actively used, but now remote testing is increasingly being practiced.

Remote testing saves employee and HR time and allows for a flexible approach to completing work tasks. It should not be surprising that hiring of personnel is increasingly “drifting” into instant messengers and social networks. At the same time, motivation auditing also becomes remote. Remote assessment is becoming increasingly popular due to its simplicity.

Depending on the purpose, the following HTI Lab tests are used:

• Motivational framework (MOST).
  A study of 16 parameters provides a “three-dimensional portrait” of motivations, shows a person’s true goals, and the optimal ways for him to achieve them. Reveals where, how, and for what the subject is ready to work with full dedication. Describes the ideal conditions and means of motivation for an employee.
• DeMetrics shows
  “motivation in reverse.” This is a standardized method for determining demotivation and job dissatisfaction. In addition to satisfaction, the test helps to assess the significance of a particular job factor and compare it with the degree of satisfaction. The methodology evaluates the level of remuneration, relationships in the team, interest in the process, recognition of merit, and other factors.
• The “Structure of Work Motivation”
  (STM) test evaluates 12 motives with one more indicator: external and internal motivation. This is a summary indicator showing interest in work, the desire to immerse oneself in work tasks and organizational processes.

Analysis at different stages

Research into the motives of candidates for a position and those already employed are different. It is hardly worth expecting the applicant to share the company's goals or objectives. It is much more important to understand:

• why the person left his previous job;
• what are the motives for searching for a new job?
• what motives dominate the applicant;
• how quickly and well he will fit into the team;
• whether the candidate strives to develop professionally and personally.

The motivation of employees already working in the company is directly related to loyalty. But this is not a constant value. For example, a person is looking for a job while in a difficult financial situation. At the employment stage, his most striking motive is money. And when he started working and gained financial stability, he already begins to think about how creative his tasks are. Do you like your colleagues? Is it beneficial? That is, after some time, completely different motives came to the fore.

Another example from life. About 20 years ago, the deputy director of one of the delivery services was thinking about opening his own business. The director conferred with the HR manager, and then invited the ambitious deputy to buy a franchise from the company. Thus, the person realized his aspirations, and the company retained a valuable employee and made a profit.

Reasons for low motivation

Sometimes we may see a sharp decline in productivity or engagement in an employee who was previously effective. The reasons for this can be different, but the most common are:

• lack of qualifications. Sometimes an employee is simply unable to complete the assigned work and hides it;
• underestimation of personal or professional qualities important for an employee;
• violation of agreements between the employee and the employer;
• non-recognition of merits by the company's management;
• ignoring employee initiative;
• hiding intermediate or final results. It is important for employees to see how they are approaching the solution of the problem step by step. The inability to see this, to feel the result of labor, to count it leads to disappointment;
• lack of career growth or changes in status in the team;
• assignment of tasks not included in the scope of primary responsibilities;
• professional or emotional burnout.

Just 2-3 items from the list are enough to reduce an employee’s desire to work. Now let's see what to do with low employee motivation.

How to motivate an employee?

Let's discuss what ways there are to increase staff motivation. Motivated employees can be identified by the following characteristics:

• the employee works with maximum efficiency;
• the employee not only enjoys performing assigned tasks, he enjoys the work.

When the level of motivation is low, material or non-material incentives are used to increase it. Financial incentives

includes:

• wage system;
• organization by the company of a system of payments in case of incapacity for work (sick leave, maternity benefits);
• guarantees of monetary compensation in case of job loss;
• staff medical insurance;
• other payments comparable to income.

The financial incentive system itself is not always effective; when income grows, it has a low effect. Therefore, it is complemented by a system of non-material incentives

. It includes:

• improving the emotional microclimate in the team;
• organization of additional education in the workplace or compensation for training;
• team building;
• moral encouragement (certificates, award certificates, incentives from management);
• other methods that do not involve cash payments.

Motivating all employees with the same means is not as effective as finding your own type of “key to the heart” of each person, which resonates as much as possible in each individual case.

For example, it is important for a young mother to be able to flexibly determine work hours, sick pay, and the ability to be absent for important events in the child’s life. It is important for a young, ambitious employee to participate in professional events and be involved in making important decisions. And for an older employee, such factors as taking care of his health, the opportunity to work without rush jobs, and feeling gratitude to the company for all his many years of achievements may be important.

Non-material motivation

There are many more types of non-material motivation. These include:

• Praise from the administration of the organization. If the manager notices not only the mistakes of his subordinates, but also the successfully completed work, and does not skimp on praise, the employees strive not to disappoint management in the future. Therefore, institutions still use honor boards today as a form of reward for conscientious employees.
• Career advancement. Every subordinate knows that for the high-quality performance of his job duties he is guaranteed a promotion. This increases his status among colleagues and promotes career growth. However, moderation must be observed, otherwise this will lead to competition within the team, and teamwork will have to be forgotten.
• Advanced training at the expense of the organization. Training will improve the professional level of staff and will be an excellent way to motivate each employee to work better.
• Creating a friendly, warm atmosphere. Lack of cohesion among colleagues negatively affects the work of the organization as a whole, while a friendly team can easily cope with the most difficult issues.
• Creating and taking care of the company's image. An organization that has gained popularity in the market attracts not only potential clients, but also makes working in it prestigious. This means that this is an excellent motivation.
• Organization of joint leisure. Teamwork is not only joint work, but also relaxation. Field trips, sports competitions, joint visits to the theater, museum, and exhibitions can unite the entire team, and each employee will value their workplace. This staff motivation is based on the principle: those who rest well work well.
• Having feedback is a great motivation for employees. If every subordinate knows that his opinion is not indifferent to management, and is not afraid to offer ideas for modernizing work, this has a positive effect on the entire enterprise.

The choice of material and non-material methods of motivating staff remains with the manager. Only the director has the right to decide which incentive methods will be most effective in today’s market conditions and will help achieve maximum staff productivity.

Development of ways and methods for employees of the organization

Before stimulating staff motivation, it is imperative to examine the starting point, write down the goals. Then you need to outline in detail the employee’s area of ​​responsibility and the key indicators by which his work will be assessed.

The further task is management through setting priorities and capabilities of the company. Let's see what this looks like practically.

An engineer at one of the manufacturing companies was interested in advanced technologies. For stable implementation of the plan, he was rewarded with a referral for additional training. The “cherry on the cake” was the payment for postgraduate education with the purchase of modern equipment for working with new technologies - specifically for a ready-made specialist.

Generally speaking, methods that work well are those that:

• personalized (everyone is given their own offer);
• as transparent as possible;
• actively use non-material incentives. After all, it is impossible to increase wages indefinitely. But taking care of a healthy atmosphere in the team, open communication, and the opportunity to make suggestions is an accessible measure.

conclusions

Regular determination of the level of employee motivation and analysis of results over a year and a half shows:

• general atmosphere in the team;
• opportunities for non-material incentives for employees;
• possible ways to increase labor productivity, directions for personnel changes.

The use of certain non-material incentive methods in an individual organization depends on the capabilities of the company.

The best way to study motivation remains testing. The choice of test depends on what motives are to be identified and the accompanying conditions. For example, whether we are talking about testing a working employee or a candidate for a vacancy, whether we are studying ways to stimulate an employee or the reasons for his dissatisfaction.

What is staff motivation and incentives and what is their difference?

The focus of our new article will be two concepts - motivation and stimulation of personnel.

These terms are closely related to each other and are often mistaken for the same thing. But their essence is somewhat different, so first we will select a definition for each.

Motivation is the encouragement of each employee to work for results, created by some external measures and supported personally by the employee himself. Motivation is always based on some kind of need.

Motivation can be internal and external. External stimulation is often confused with stimulation. What it is?

Stimulating personnel is the use by management of influencing factors that act as the very driving force that increases the productivity of each employee and the entire team.

We can conclude that motivation is an internal urge to activity. It can occur without the influence of external measures. This is how it differs from incentives, which most often involve harsh measures.

Example

Sergey works as a sales representative. The size of his salary directly depends on how many retail outlets will be on his client list.

The company has its own motivation system, but Sergey became a leader even before its implementation. He became one of the best employees simply because every summer he realizes his dream - he goes on vacation to the sea. And for this you need to accumulate a certain amount during the year.

All motivation and incentive activities have the ultimate goal of increasing the efficiency of labor and the profitability of the enterprise. Therefore, it is appropriate here to talk about the release of personnel - another concept of the management process.

The release of personnel is a reduction in the volume of work or its complete reduction.

What happens when staff are released?

Read about current trends in the field of motivation in the article “Staff Motivation.”