ëOne size fits allí wonít work for motivation, warns SHL

Employers advised to tailor motivation for different employees
Low motivation leads to procrastination, stress and job hunting
Almost one in three (30%) employees donít find their manager motivational

Research by SHL, the global leader in talent assessment solutions, has found that there are striking differences in what motivates different employees and only a quarter (25%) of employees find their manager motivational all or some of the time. The findings are a warning that employers canít rely on a broad-brush approach when it comes to getting the most out of employees.

For example, men are much more likely to be demotivated by poor senior management (38%) and poor line management (29%). Women, on the other hand, are more affected by criticism (17%) and poor relationships with colleagues (19%) than their male counterparts. Women are also more likely to be motivated by being offered a cup tea (15%), whereas men are more inspired by the promise of after work drinks (15%) or a workplace crush (7%).

Age can also have an impact on motivation, with young employees (aged 18 to 34) more likely to be demotivated by uninteresting work (35%) than those over 35 (26%). Young workers are also more motivated by company culture and their work environment than older colleagues.

Worryingly, almost a third (30%) of those surveyed said they rarely or never find their manager motivational. Managers in the legal, financial and banking industries fare the worst (39%), with those in media, marketing and advertising faring the best (19%). Londoners were the least motivated by their managers, with 34% saying they were rarely or never motivational.

Low motivation can have destructive effects in the workplace. The majority of respondents (46%) said that it leads to stress while a large number find it causes procrastination (43%) and almost a third (30%) agree that it would result in them looking for a new job.

The current economic situation doesnít appear to be having the negative effect one might expect, with 15% of respondents saying they are actually more motivated as a result – reasons for this include fear of redundancy (53%), increased workload (23%) and more career opportunities (18%). Almost two thirds (63%) said that the economic situation hasnít had any effect on their motivation, while another 15% admitted it has made them less motivated.

ìA motivated workforce is crucial to ensure employees are happy, engaged, productive and good advocates for the company,î commented James Bywater, Head Psychologist, SHL. ìIt doesnít 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.î

In recognition of the importance of assessing what motivates different people, SHL has updated its motivation assessment tool, which drills into which elements are important by individual. This information is invaluable for managers when deciding how to manage and get the most out of their team. The new version includes an updated Employee Motivation Report, which has been re-designed for ease of use, including five sections denoting motivating and de-motivating factors plus hints and tips on how best to manage the individual.