Employee motivation is one of the most crucial aspects of an organization. These employees are to an organization like oil is to a well-drilled machine; the latter cannot function without the former. This is because motivated employees make the organization function more smoothly. This makes the management’s job easier and translates to higher profits. In this article, we will analyze why employee motivation is important and what benefits it incurs. Moreover, we will also give some tips on how to improve motivation in the workplace.
What is motivation?
Motivation is the word derived from the word ’motive’ which means needs, desires, wants, or drives within the individuals. It is the process of stimulating people to actions to accomplish their goals. However, motivation can be of two types: Intrinsic and Extrinsic.
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation deals with one’s internal desires and wants. Hence, intrinsic motivation is unaffected by external factors. When a person is intrinsically motivated, they do things for their inner satisfaction rather than for external gains. Intrinsic motivators include good quality, challenging work, self-assurance, and so on. These motivators tend to last longer since they drive the individual from within.
Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation deals with factors external to the individual. This may include monetary compensation and other material gains. External motivators usually motivate employees to an extent, but after that, intrinsic motivators take over.
Benefits of Motivated Employees
The importance of employee motivation can be seen in the benefits that it accrues to an organization. Here are some of those benefits:
Increased Productivity
The biggest benefit of motivated employees is that they tend to work more efficiently. A motivated employee will always get more done in the same amount of time than an unmotivated one. This will enable you to get more out of every person.
Read: Improve Productivity at work
Increased Workforce Loyalty
A motivated workforce is a loyal workforce. Everyone wants to work in an environment where their organizations keep them motivated and happy. Hence, this keeps employees loyal to their employers, willing to work hard every day to prove themselves. Intrinsic motivators are key here since every company with sufficient finances can offer monetary benefits and other external motivators. To retain these employees, their jobs must be made so engaging and interesting that they are unwilling to leave them. This could be done with increased autonomy, a promotion, regular positive feedback, and constant appreciation. Hence, employees will feel wanted and at home.
Higher profits
Other benefits of a motivated workforce translate to this one: Higher Profits. A motivated, productive workforce that is loyal to the company will have optimum performances and will help the company grow. Moreover, their efforts will translate to higher earnings as the work more diligently and efficiently.
Improved work environment
A workplace with motivated employees will have positive energy and will attract top talent. This positive energy translates to a more amicable working environment that everyone will want to work in. Moreover, not only will this enhance your reputation as an employer but give you an easier workforce to manage. Furthermore, the top talent in the job market will want to come work for you if your reputation is of such stature.
How do you motivate employees?
As per the benefits mentioned above, employers should engage with employees more and motivate them. An important aspect of motivation to keep in mind here is that of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivators offer longer-term benefits as compared to external motivators. Hence, to optimize their employee motivation tactics, companies should find a balance between both to improve motivation in the workplace. This will ensure a more productive, loyal, and amicable workforce that will eventually lead to higher profits in the future.
Here were some tips on how to improve motivation in the workplace. If you found this article useful, let us know in the comments below!
