Employee Motivation and Production Maximization

Employee Motivation and Production Maximization

Getting employees to do their best work is one of the most challenging aspects of being a manager. Individuals act based on many different types of motivation. From the very basic need to survive to intrinsic motivation, to motivation that is associated with outside forces and rewards. Managers need to understand how to identify important motivational actions and activities as well as how to motivate employees to do their best and help increase productivity. In their understanding of motivation, the manager can increase the efficiency of the employees as a team, while making the work environment pleasant and enjoyable as possible for his or her staff. The emotional triggers to motivation are often easy to identify, but hard to completely understand or take advantage of. Clear expectations can go a long way in establishing a positive corporate culture and ensure that employees are treated fairly and rewarded for maximizing their productivity.

Individuals have many reasons for working hard. Some of these reasons are intrinsic while others are externally applied forces. An example of an intrinsic motivation would be when a person is motivated by their own pride in their work. When an employee takes pride in his or her reputation and product, they feel the need to continue to produce good work (Holzer, 2008). Their motivation comes from the inside. Conversely, when an employee works hard to complete a project after a completion bonus is offered, or after some other sort of incentive is given for timely completion, this is an external motivation (Holzer, 2008). It is built around an employee's drive to acquire, or fill a financial or monetary need. These needs are different for every employee.

If an employee is rewarded for their good work and loyalty to their company, they are more likely to form a long-term bond or commitment to that company (Holzer, 2008). It is easy for an employee who does not feel valued to walk away from their job. It is not so easy for an employee to do so when they know they are a valued part of a larger group or a team. Managers need to engage employees to understand what motivates them as well as to get feedback in how the workplace and work environment can be improved. Managers also need to take their employees seriously and understand that they are the first cog in the machine that creates a product or delivers a service (Perry and Hondeghem, 2008). Trust in the employee and the employee's trust in the company and in their manager's ability to be fair and to understand their value is also important. If an employee cannot trust their employer, or if the employer/employee trust is violated in any sort of critical fashion, it is hard to get the employee to invest their own time and interests into the company.

Employees who enjoy their jobs are more likely to take pride in their work and to be more productive (Cartwright and Holmes, 2006). It is therefore important to create a positive work environment for employees where they feel comfortable and are able to work in a manner where they can utilize their skills to the fullest. This also means giving recognition and praise where praise is due. Employees who are not praised for their good work often feel just as alienated as those who are punished unnecessarily. Employees need to feel valued, and while it is certainly not possible to place every person into their dream job, the employee must feel as though they positively contribute and that they are a part of a larger team (Mygind, 2007). This belonging that is felt by many employees is part of the desire to form a bond with other workers in the same situation. Every day employees in certain industries form bonds with each other, and through their shared work and life experiences, they develop a group mentality that helps cement them to their working roles and motivate them to succeed and to be more productive (Mygind, 2007). This bond also needs to include the manager, and as the manager is often put in a supportive role, an employee workforce that feels supported, valued, and fairly treated will tend to strive to maximize singular and group productivity.

Some employees work hard and are motivated by the fact that they have to pay a certain amount of bills every month or they are working toward a financial goal (Perry and Hondeghem, 2008). For many people, especially those who are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's, they are motivated by the idea that they need to have built up a savings in order to retire. This is another form of financial motivation, but it seems to play out quite commonly among working professionals. In fact, many companies have retirement plans and financial tools for employees to help reach their retirement goals. These, coupled with medical and other benefits help to motivate an employee directly. But these external motivations are just that, external, and in no way create a bind or association between the employee and his or her output or product. In this way, external motivations tend to be less effective (Perry and Hondeghem, 2008). Retirement plans also help to create a commitment to a particular company as many employees are required to work for a certain number of years or quarters in order to fully maximize their benefits.

If the employee's actions or professional output is tied to the success of the company or group, and not only to their own personal success, employees will tend to work harder to accomplish more (Gagne and Deci, 2005). This has been shown to be true of CEO's and other workers whose compensation comes partly in the form of stock options or incentives (Heinrich, 2007). If the employee has something invested in their work or in the company besides their own desire for a paycheck, they will typically be more effective and efficient employees. In this way, the employee's productivity is tied directly to the performance of his or her financial assets, and the employee is motivated to do their very best to maximize their financial gains. This type of motivation, which comes after the employee invests their own interests in their employer, fosters reliance on other team members which creates a bond in and of itself (Holzer, 2008). If the transparency of their reliance on other employees is apparent, and clear, then they feel as though others are counting on them to do their best work, and the cycle of self-investment is complete.