

The result here is extrinsically motivated, as it is driven by avoidance of disapproval from someone else or anxiety about another’s feelings. An employee may work overtime to complete a project because she doesn’t want the work to fall on a colleague or because she fears criticism from a manager, not because she gains satisfaction from finishing the task. For example, extrinsic motivation might be a response to the promise of a financial bonus, additional vacation days, or public recognition.Įxtrinsic motivation can also be a response to personal relationships. However, extrinsic motivation is also part of those rewards that go beyond wages and salaries.

Extrinsic motivation plays some role in most employees’ efforts, because employees get regular pay to complete work.

That is, they look outward rather than inward to have their needs fulfilled. Extrinsic Motivation & Employee EngagementĮxtrinsic motivation occurs when workers are driven to complete tasks in order to receive something that is beyond their own control. Employees tend to respond well when they have at least occasional time to test out new ideas and master new skills. Research indicates that, at organizations with high engagement, team leaders help workers use their strengths, give staff members recognition, and hold frequent coaching sessions with employees.Īdditionally, an ideal workplace provides opportunities for curiosity and exploration to support intrinsic motivation. This can be discussed during the hiring process as well as during regular goal setting and development meetings. Work should challenge employees, and as employees increase their knowledge and skills, they may need to take on new responsibilities in order to stay engaged.Įmployers can also help ensure that employees understand how their roles fit into the greater structure of the organization, emphasizing that their work has purpose and meaning. Employers also need to fill these jobs with employees who have the right skills and knowledge, but who also have room to grow. Designing jobs that allow for some level of autonomy – independent decision-making at times, for example – is a good place to start. There are lots of possible strategies, and not all of them will work for every employee. How can employers and employees create a work environment that cultivates intrinsic motivation?

As such, intrinsic motivation can be very influential in terms of heightening both employee performance and employee engagement, because it empowers people. Intrinsic motivation is also connected to a sense of autonomy – people feel more independent when their rewards come from within rather than controlled by an external source. Intrinsically motivated behaviour is tied to our sense of competency – when we have the skills and knowledge to do a task well, and we can see meaningful outcomes from the task, we are more motivated to complete it. It derives from doing a task that a person finds satisfying for its own sake, rather than as a means to achieve some other end. Intrinsic Motivation & Employee EngagementĪccording to Canadian Organizational Behaviour, intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual.
MAX HEADROOM PEPSI DRIVERS
To understand employee engagement, employers need to understand two key drivers of workers’ behaviour: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Employers may also have anecdotes about employees who were unexpectedly engaged – perhaps given a task that management worried might be too difficult, only to shine in the work. However, many business owners could likely tell tales of engagement strategies that didn’t work as planned – financial incentive programs that seemed to lower rather than improve performance, or public praise of employee efforts that was met with apathy. This is a vital question for business owners, managers, and staff in any business, as motivation is an essential influence on employee performance and employee engagement, two of most companies’ top concerns.Īccording to a 2019 Gallup study, companies with high employee engagement experience higher productivity, better retention, fewer accidents, and 21% higher profitability.Įngagement is directly correlated with business success and is increasingly a focus for today’s employers. What propels you and your team to achieve?
