News & Information

 

FEATURED PRODUCT

OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry as of January 2011
This book contains the occupational safety and health standards for the construction industry promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), effective January 2011.

Learn More »

CCH® HR MANAGEMENT - 02/02/09

Research shows that employers should tailor motivation efforts for different employees

Employers should expect striking differences in what motivates different employees, according to SHL, a provider of talent assessment solutions. An SHL survey revealed that only a quarter (25 percent) of employees find their manager motivational all or some of the time. The findings offer a cautionary note to employers who rely on a broad-brush approach when it comes to encouraging employee productivity.

For example, according to the SHL research, men are much more likely to be de-motivated by poor senior management (38 percent) and poor line management (29 percent). Women, on the other hand, are more affected by criticism (17 percent) and poor relationships with colleagues (19 percent) than their male counterparts. Age also can have an impact on motivation, with young employees (aged 18 to 34) more likely to be de-motivated by uninteresting work (37 percent) than those over age 35 (26 percent). Young workers also are more motivated by company culture and their work environment than older colleagues.

Surprisingly, almost one-third (31 percent) of those surveyed said they rarely or never find their manager motivational. Managers in the legal, financial and banking industries fare the worst (39 percent), with those in media, marketing and advertising faring the best (19 percent).

"Low motivation can have destructive effects in the workplace," Dr. Hennie Kriek, president, Americas, SHL, said. "The majority of respondents (46 percent) said that low motivation leads to stress while a large number find it causes procrastination (43 percent) and almost one-third (30 percent) agree that it would result in them looking for a new job."

The current economic situation does not appear to have the expected negative effect. Fifteen percent of respondents said they are actually more motivated as a result of the economic downturn - reasons for this include fear of redundancy (53 percent) and increased workload (41 percent). Almost two-thirds (63 percent) said that the economic situation has not had any effect on their motivation, while another 15 percent admitted it has made them less motivated.

"A motivated workforce is crucial to ensure employees are happy, engaged, productive and good advocates for the company," commented James Bywater, Global Consulting Manager, SHL. "It doesn't always take a lot, but it is important to ensure that you are motivating the right people in the right way, as everybody is different. Some people are motivated by money, competition and high pressure, while others prefer encouragement, team working and being appreciated by colleagues. Getting it wrong can lead to unenthusiastic and unproductive employees, which can have a devastating effect on the bottom line."

Visit our News Library to read more news stories.