How to motivate employees to work: why the European motivation system does NOT work in Russia. History of my failures and mistakes

- How many people work in your company?
- Approximately half.

How to motivate employees? To answer this question, you must first understand why motivation is needed at all. It's not just because "everyone does it". So what are our goals in this area of ​​management?

Team motivation plays an important role in the development of the organization, conquering new levels. By neglecting various incentive tools, you:

  • you will never be able to implement many administrative technologies that greatly simplify the life of a business owner;
  • unlikely to be able to attract valuable personnel;
  • do not dare your team members to perform functions that are more or less significant for the business, because they are interested in salary, and not in achieving your goals;
  • you will always fight staff turnover, even offering a decent salary;
  • you will correct the mistakes of employees, resolve issues redirected to you due to the lack of interest of employees.

A person is so arranged that for successful activity he always needs some kind of intelligible, meaningful incentive. And not always the interest of an employee is limited to money. There are many ways to increase the productivity of employees by satisfying not only material, but also, one might say, abstract, immeasurable needs: the desire for self-realization, the need for recognition of merit, comfortable interaction with colleagues and management.

Motivation system

How can a manager motivate employees? There is a system of principles, methods, tools of motivation, which is successfully applied both in large corporations and in mid-level enterprises. Admittedly, this is a rather complicated, multi-stage work, but the results are definitely worth the effort.

Principles of motivation

A properly built motivation system is a mutually beneficial process in which both parties (management and staff) are satisfied: the first - with the achieved performance of the enterprise; the second - received incentive benefits of a tangible and intangible nature.

The strategy of motivating employees is based on several important principles.

  1. Setting clear, transparent goals and objectives that are understandable to the team: an employee cannot show enthusiasm in the implementation of the process when he does not understand its meaning.
  2. Compliance of remuneration with the tasks performed. Firstly, it is necessary to ensure that absolutely every employee understands what his salary consists of; he could freely calculate how much and thanks to what actions he earned for today, for a week, etc. Secondly, it is necessary to ensure strict adherence to the standards of encouragement adopted in the company. This is necessary so that employees firmly know that they will always receive a reward for achieving their goals.
    A negative example: the staff of the unit exceeded the plan, and at the end of the month received a bare salary. The direct manager explained that in this period their branch “did not pull out” the given indicators, so the head office cut the bonus fund. That is, in fact, people were punished who fulfilled their immediate duties and could not influence the work of other divisions of their branch in any way. Question: Will the team strive to fulfill the plan in the next period? Obviously not.
  3. Publicity and feedback. It is necessary to ensure that the team can express their views, wishes, report on emerging difficulties. This is not about catering to the whims of the state, but it is important that employees understand that their interests are taken care of, their opinion is asked for and taken into account to the extent possible. In addition, it often happens that, while dealing with global issues, the owner or director really does not notice the “field” conditions and offers those incentives in which employees are not interested.
    One of the feedback tools is to identify the expectations and requests of the team by anonymous or open questionnaires.
  4. The correct ratio of measures of motivation. How to properly motivate employees:
    - rely more on incentives than on negative incentives (the predominance of punishments will lead to a nervous atmosphere in the team, and then to “churn”);
    - to achieve the optimal combination of moral and material methods of encouragement.

If money isn't the only way to increase team engagement, what other incentives can be used? To answer this question, let's look at the levels of motivation.

Levels of motivation

If you ask a line worker what is the main motive for him in achieving the assigned job tasks, he will probably answer that this is a salary. But actually it is not.

The truth is that money is a need, not a motivator. That is, there is no direct relationship between the satisfaction of material needs and the effective work of an employee.

Ask the employee the second question: “Why are you not doing your job well?” He will answer: "As they pay, so we work." Let's say you agreed with this logic and increased the employee's salary. What have you done? You stimulated inefficiency!

Why is it important to motivate employees with something other than salary? Because money is the lowest level of motivation.

Trying to incentivize productivity with financial rewards alone is a surefire way to staff with employees who are completely clueless about any company goals. After a while of implementing such a policy, you will see that no one in the organization lifts a finger without an additional “carrot”, and all exhortations that profits are created by joint efforts are smashed against a wall of indifference. At best, you will be able to achieve "imitation of vigorous activity."

Therefore, every leader should know what incentives the scale of incentive motives consists of.

  1. money motivation.
  2. Personal achievements. A rather low level of motivation, at which the employee is driven by exclusively selfish goals: to get a promotion, to flaunt his status and success in front of friends and acquaintances. The personal qualities of such an employee are not too high: he still does not care about the tasks of the enterprise, but he understands that he will not achieve his goal if he does not prove himself. However, if he has a chance to easily get a promotion due to, say, nepotism, such an employee will certainly take advantage of this chance.
  3. personal beliefs. The employee is driven by the desire to fulfill himself. He is ready to work overtime to solve the current problem, takes on additional obligations. It is important for him to prove to himself and others what he is worth. Of course, such an employee needs appropriate remuneration, but he has a clear understanding that he is paid for the result, and not just for the fact of the effort expended.
  4. Call of Duty. It is hardly possible to artificially pull an employee to the highest level of motivation, but employees with a developed sense of duty are the best employees. They are imbued with the philosophy, culture of the company, take the successes and failures of the enterprise to heart, and are ready to continue working in a crisis without receiving proper material remuneration. For obvious reasons, it is difficult to expect such loyalty from line employees. This was possible only in the days of the USSR, when the state ideology promoted the priority of the interests of the collective over personal values.

Clearly, the most motivated member of the team is the business owner who is willing to stay up late, pay himself last. However, when closing top positions, one should try to select candidates with at least the third level of motivation: under appropriate circumstances, they can develop a sense of duty towards the enterprise.

How to motivate employees: types of motivation

In recent years, trends in the labor market have changed: many applicants, in addition to the salary level, pay attention to the company's social policy, working conditions, and career prospects.

Pecuniary incentive instruments

There are a great many tools of monetary motivation, and some of them are enshrined in law, for example, additional payments to workers in hazardous industries.

Monetary incentives include:

  • salary increase;
  • premium system;
  • allowances, commissions.

For the effective operation of monetary incentives, it is necessary to develop a set of key indicators for each position, which will allow rational and fair assessment of the performance of each employee. In addition, each employee will know on which criteria the bonus part of his salary depends, which will increase his desire for efficiency.

Material non-monetary incentive

Non-monetary incentives are better known as "social package". Some components of such a package (for example, providing employees with overalls and personal protective equipment) are guaranteed by law, others are being introduced at the request of management, which increases the company's attractiveness in the eyes of applicants and current employees.

Non-monetary incentives include:

  • provision of extended medical insurance (VHI);
  • compensation for meals, travel;
  • free professional development;
  • provision of service housing (with or without the right to further privatization); loans, loans for the purchase of housing;
  • payment for mobile communications, with - compensation of expenses for traffic, software, equipment;
  • provision of additional rest at the expense of the organization;
  • vacation allowances, gift certificates;
  • presentation of memorable gifts.

In large organizations, the composition of the social package usually depends on the hierarchical position of a particular employee, in small companies it can be the same for all employees.

Non-material incentives

Is it possible to effectively incentivize employees without offering them various monetary equivalents?

“I don't congratulate my employees on their personal holidays, I don't pay the highest salary in the world, but my team is highly motivated. I have a simple secret: in each employee I try to consider his professional talents, abilities, experience. And in the course of my work, I focus primarily on these things.”

The non-material system has no monetary expression, but operates with no less important intellectual, moral, personnel incentives:

  • public recognition of merit;
  • providing individual employees with a free schedule (a sign of trust and confidence of the manager in the high responsibility of the employee);
  • a change in the workplace (for example, when a diligent, responsible employee is engaged in work for which he clearly does not have the ability); employees of one workshop are periodically interchanged (thus two goals are achieved at once: each of them masters the entire cycle of operations, while people do not get tired of monotonous work);
  • non-monetary incentives associated with the increase, completion of the project, making valuable proposals;
  • organization of corporate events; overall culture of the enterprise.

The level of culture, corporate spirit to a large extent depends on the development of the company's ideology, the exact formulation of the mission, which should reflect the main commercial and social values ​​of the company.

Thus, we were convinced that, in general, employees are not completely uninterested in increasing labor productivity, if the motivation system is properly organized.

Let's see what specific incentive methods can be applied in certain situations.

Working with new staff

The trial period ensures the interests of not only the company, but also the new team member: this is the period of his adaptation, the time during which the trainee evaluates the internal corporate conditions and makes the final decision on employment. How to motivate a new employee?

The main tool for motivating an employee undergoing a probationary period is constant attention. After all, despite the fact that the demand from the trainee is less, he often has a harder time than the main employees, since it is necessary:

  • adapt to working conditions;
  • build relationships with the team;
  • get used to the regime and job requirements (which can vary significantly in different organizations).

Understanding these aspects leads to the conclusion that it is necessary to build a competent system for supporting new employees.

  1. Entrust the personnel service with the task of developing an adaptation plan for various positions (and for high-level posts, individual internship plans). The program should include:
    - introductory part - general principles of organization, personnel policy, acquaintance with the main activity;
    - familiarization with organizational documentation (rules of procedure, instructions);
    - Familiarization with the workplace (equipment, team, list of unit tasks).
  2. A curator is necessarily attached to the newcomer, usually the immediate supervisor or one of the responsible line employees acts in this role (which, by the way, can also serve as a motivation tool for the “old man”).
  3. A few days later, the curator draws up a plan for production adaptation: training in tools, methods, work standards, familiarity with the software.
  4. At the end of the training, the mentor, based on the grading system, formulates a conclusion about the results of the probationary period.

It should be noted that many organizations, wishing to increase their attractiveness in the eyes of applicants, colorfully talk about the advantages of work and are silent about the shortcomings. There is nothing wrong with trying to present your company in the most beneficial way, but it is important to avoid material misrepresentation, otherwise you should not hope to motivate an employee for a long-term cooperation.

Motivation for learning

There is a category of people who do not need stimulation when it comes to learning: they are happy to go to trainings or courses, because they enjoy the very process of acquiring new knowledge and skills. Other employees are focused on career advancement, and this serves as sufficient motivation for them. What about those employees who do not have their own need to improve their professional level?

  1. Show the specific benefits of training: inclusion in the personnel reserve, demonstrating the usefulness of new skills for an employee (for example, when introducing new software that simplifies work operations).
  2. Provide employees with material, psychological, informational, organizational support. For example, to clarify the relationship between the effort expended and the increase in the bonus part of the salary.
  3. Minimize risks. Some managers do not take measures to develop training because of their own prejudices, they say, a specialist will be trained at our expense and fly away to competitors. A student agreement helps to avoid such a danger, according to which the employee undertakes to work at the enterprise for a certain time, and in case of early dismissal of his own free will, to return a proportionate part of the funds spent on his training.

It is clear that it is better to entrust the case to someone who is interested in the process and achieving the final result. However, unfortunately, ideal situations rarely occur in business, when everyone can do only what they like.

How to motivate an employee to complete the task? Consider the problem on the example of the sales department as the most important division that provides the organization with profit.

First of all, you should pay attention to the salary structure of the manager:

  • salary - a fixed part, should not exceed 40% of the salary;
  • the variable part should consist of bonuses for the implementation of the plan, a percentage of personally closed indicators, and other factors.

The percentage of profit (achieved indicators) often becomes the decisive factor in motivating all employees who are on piecework pay. This incentive is clear, easy to calculate, the employee is able to influence its size.

The second thing to do is to reconsider the "setting of tasks - measures of execution" link. For example, if you want to achieve a sales target, then you should not focus too much on employee time tracking. Of course, some discipline tools are needed. However, if we introduce strict control, an expanded system of fines, and other penalties, employees will be busy not with the level of sales, but with counting the minutes worked and inventing ways to get around the oppressive system. In fact, why work hard all day, earn an award if tomorrow it will be removed for being ten minutes late? It's easier to sit on the salary and not worry about anything.

Giving the employee a certain degree of initiative is essential. If you put a task in front of him and limit in the ways of implementation, then with a high degree of probability you can expect that the task will not be completed. In the context of the sales department, this refers to compliance with standards. Many executives require strict adherence to sales scripts, handling objections, etc. In fact, scripts are good as a general reference system to help close the deal, but experienced salespeople are quite capable of contributing a bit of useful improvisation. After all, the client doesn't stick to our conversation script.

In summary, we can say this: in order to understand how to motivate an employee to complete a task, you need to try to combine your requirements with his position.

When building a motivational system, it is important to pay attention to demotivational factors that can nullify all management efforts.

  1. "Do as I do". Bosses of any level often tend to identify their interests and abilities with the qualities of employees. “If I can stay late at work, then so can you, we all need it.” Not to mention the fact that each employee may have personal circumstances that do not allow processing. Therefore, the boss makes the mistake of comparing his level of motivation and the level of motivation of a line employee, which suggests a different incentive than an appeal to a sense of duty.
  2. "I am alone in a white coat." The opposite delusion, in which the manager believes that no one but him has other motives for solving production problems, except for material rewards. Accordingly, such a manager will use for the most part punishments, not rewards.
  3. "Form without content". A formal approach without a deep understanding of the processes and methods of incentives leads to the fact that the system spends resources on motivation where it is not needed and leaves really critical nodes unattended. As a result, the entire result remains only in the reports.

In an effort to acquire valuable personnel, managers sometimes hire employees whose knowledge and experience far exceed the proposed vacancy. It is clear that it will be difficult to motivate such an employee: he has nowhere to develop in this position, but at the same time, a discrepancy between job duties and his experience can lead to making stupid mistakes due to excessive self-confidence.

Conclusion

How to motivate employees to work is a question that worries any employer. The basic rules of the motivation system are simple: pay someone who gives a result; establish a system of criteria for assessing labor that is understandable to employees; Ensure transparency of incentive conditions.

The main rule of systematization is specificity. The more detailed the incentive algorithms and performance levels are, the more likely the team will strive to achieve them. However, detail and consistency are indispensable conditions in general or any of its business processes separately.

Only the business owner can work for an idea, the rest need an incentive: for example, at Airbnb, you can bring pets to the office to cheer yourself up. In the article you will find new ways to motivate employees - we promise that we will do without fur and barking.

8 rules of motivation, without which everything is useless

A motivated employee breathes enthusiasm and brings in more money. You just need to find the right incentive. There are over a dozen theories of motivation based on Maslow's pyramid of needs, Freud's psychoanalysis, and Jung's hedonistic approach, among others. The experience of practitioners was superimposed on the theoretical basis, thanks to which you do not have to comprehend the intricacies of psychology: everything has already been invented - take it and do it.

But before moving on to the main thing, read these rules: if you don’t follow them, then no ways to increase motivation will help you.

  1. The closer the incentive is to the interests of the employee, the stronger its effect. A business trip abroad motivates you better than a trip to a neighboring city.
  2. Stimulation based only on the feelings of the leader does not work. It is unlikely that yoga memberships will increase the enthusiasm of amateur boxing workers.
  3. Measure the level of motivation of each employee, for example, through a questionnaire. You can take a ready-made motivation test according to Gerchikov, a motivational personality profile according to Ritchie and Martin, or you can develop your own questionnaire.
  4. Always use the same measurement technique, this will allow you to track the dynamics.
  5. Take measurements quarterly.
  6. Encourage employees of all categories, not just salespeople.
  7. Introduce new ways of motivation every six months: the novelty effect will work.
  8. Use non-material motivation to solve tactical problems. For example, when recruiting employees, it is important to educate them on work standards. Master classes and trainings will help with this, and for employees they will be a pleasant bonus.
  9. Create a pleasant compensation system. These are salaries, bonuses and other cash bonuses that you pay employees for their work. If compensation does not suit them, then they will leave you or work worse.

How to increase employee motivation to work: methods and examples

For most people, the main motivator is still a pay rise. However, according to a 2015 study by the international recruiting agency Kelly Services, non-financial incentives, such as training or changing functionality, can also retain an employee.

And so that the employee does not even have the thought of leaving, it is important to constantly feed his interest. What steps and stages to implement motivation to take?

1. Standard does not mean bad

Typical ways to increase staff motivation are time-tested and give a positive result. In addition to the salary and bonus for achieving KPI, these include:

  • material awards for achievements;
  • promotion;
  • empowerment;
  • additional paid leave;
  • payment for the VMI policy, sports activities;
  • loans at a reduced rate;
  • providing a company car;
  • food subsidies;
  • payment for tuition at courses, trainings and educational institutions;
  • presentation of diplomas to the best employees;
  • business trips to industry exhibitions.

However, the options don't end there. An example of successful employee motivation is the experience of Promsvyazbank. Its incentive system includes a number of interesting bonuses:

  • an award for the best ideas included in the database of rationalization proposals;
  • compensation for the cost of tourist trips with children;
  • payment for the study of foreign languages ​​by an employee and his child;
  • co-financing of obtaining a second higher education;
  • payment of additional contributions to the pension fund;
  • gifts dedicated to significant family events;
  • a system of discounts from partner companies: in car dealerships, branded clothing stores, travel agencies, etc.

Of course, not everyone can invest huge amounts of money in HR, but some of the above is quite realistic to adopt.

2. Unusual motivation chips

Employee motivation methods may not revolve around money and gifts at all. Consider a non-compensatory motivation system. Original methods can not only cheer up an overworked team, but also become a competitive advantage for the company in the labor market. So, puzzled by the search for the best specialists in programming and game design, The Russian developer of computer games Nival Interactive offered its employees:

  • training with eminent artists and cameramen - teachers of VGIK;
  • work in innovative projects, including foreign ones;
  • free work schedule;
  • office space, organized taking into account the requirements of the team;
  • recreation areas.

Giving more freedom to employees is a Western trend, which is still feared in Russia. But in vain. This is evidenced by the experience of Google, where the 80/20 system operates: employees are allowed to spend 20% of their working time on their own projects. The company estimates that about half of new products such as Gmail, Google News and AdSense have come from this system.

Take on board a few more non-standard ways of motivation:

  • lunch with the director (practiced by German Gref at Sberbank);
  • publication in the media (the employee acts as an expert);
  • sports activities for all employees (for example, weekly football);
  • interest contests (vocal, dance, sports);
  • free taxi and meals for employees who are forced to work late;
  • encouragement to quit smoking.

You can also use the experience of large Western companies and create better motivation for your employees.

3. Motivation on the machine: add the spirit of competition

Another effective way. It is suitable when employees have a common task and the same. In this case, the first one who reaches the desired indicator receives an additional incentive: tangible (cash bonus, souvenirs, discount) or intangible (for example, the status of "Manager of the Month").

It is convenient to implement this method of motivating employees of each department on the basis of: the manager sets KPIs and monitors the achievement of goals by employees in real time: the amount of completed transactions, the number of processed applications or cold calls. Moreover, this rating is visible not only to the manager, but also to the employees themselves. For example, on the desktop, you can display information on all employees: their sales and calls plan, current position in the ranking, their contribution to the company's profit in the form of a diagram, etc. As a result, managers online compare their successes with the achievements of their colleagues and strive for new heights.

SalesapCRM system desktop with employee report

How not to become a demotivator

Whatever system of motivating employees in an organization you choose, it will not work if despotism and distrust reign in the company. Therefore, try to create an atmosphere of openness and creativity. This is facilitated by:

  • respect for subordinates;
  • minimization of the number of rules;
  • participation of employees in the discussion of decisions regarding their duties, working conditions, etc.;
  • training from company leaders;
  • recognition of the contribution of employees to the success of the company;
  • providing employees with benefits for the company's products;
  • setting clear measurable goals.

Even More Ideas

Proper motivation of employees should inspire the team. If you seriously decide to increase the enthusiasm in your team, we advise you not to limit yourself to our advice and draw ideas from special literature:

  1. Radmilo Lukic“Material motivation of sellers. Principles, Opportunities, Limitations”, 2010
  2. Svetlana Ivanova“Motivation is 100%. And where is his button? ”, 2015
  3. Klaus Cobiell“Motivation in the style of ACTION. Delight is contagious, 2011
  4. Natalia Samoukina“Effective staff motivation with minimal financial resources. costs”, 2006
  5. Elena Vetluzhskikh“Reward system. How to develop goals and KPIs”, 2017
  6. Sarah Holliford, Steve Widdett"Motivation", 2008
  7. Max Eggert"Motivation. What makes you give all your best at work, 2010
  8. Steve Chandler, Scott Richardson"100 Ways to Motivate", 2014
  9. Svetlana Ivanova"50 tips for non-material motivation", 2017
  10. Reinhard Sprenger"Myths of motivation", 2004

It's all about motivating and increasing the motivation to do work by employees. The main methods of influence for the authorities. Intangible incentives in the workplace and at work.

The content of the article:

Employee motivation is a question that interests almost every leader of any group of people. After all, in order for the productivity of their work to grow, a very great interest from each participant in the process is needed. Many modern firms conduct casting, looking for ideal managers with staff, arrange trainings in psychology, and much more. All this just to in some way arouse the interest of their employees even more strongly.

Why is staff motivation necessary?


A person who has relatively little time in business will ask a similar question. Inexperienced workers who do not quite understand their business will begin to think the same way. But smarter and more experienced managers know the value of this skill.

There are several performance indicators that are growing rapidly following the increase in staff interest in them. Their efforts in this case bring much more profit, benefit and a number of the following things:

  • Having a goal. The psyche of many people is arranged in such a way that the presence of any final landmark makes the path to it faster and more accurate. That is, if a person knows what he is working for, and he himself really wants to achieve the final result, then this will happen much faster. Compared to disinterest, having a goal greatly speeds up any process.
  • Increasing profit. The income from each case depends on the amount of work done. It, in turn, is directly proportional to how this volume is performed. In companies where a person's salary is calculated depending on output, productivity is much higher than with a fixed salary. Many employers like this scheme.
  • Quality improvement. Every company owner will agree that they prefer to choose employees who are interested in their occupation. In this case, they will not only sit for the required number of hours and complete tasks. They will try and practically put their soul into their work. People whose work is related to creativity are even more vulnerable and need to have their own interest. Without it, the whole process may not move at all, despite the good conditions of the employer.
  • Cohesion. The presence of such a trait is very important for any team. Especially in the case where the result depends on the cooperation of several people at once. If all of them are interested in achieving a single best end result, then the work will move at a very high speed and productivity. Otherwise, such orders are carried out slowly, there are constant quarrels and misunderstandings in the teams.

The main methods of motivation depending on the type of employee


Today's modern society has brought business and personnel management to a whole new level. At the beginning of the 21st century, a science called socionics appeared. Its essence is to divide people into several groups. All of them differ in their interests and motives, which help them to perform any amount of work.

In accordance with this, the methods of motivating employees are chosen based on their belonging to a particular group:

  1. Focused on prestige. For this group of people, the greatest satisfaction comes from honor among the public. It is important for them to be in the center of attention, constantly listening to praise from their superiors. This attitude makes them work better and faster just to get recognition from those around them. To interest such an employee, you need to do this by moving up the career ladder, which will help to achieve a very great result. Sometimes the authorities apply horizontal promotion to such individuals. This means that the level of the position does not change much, but it sounds a little different and has its own privileges. Nevertheless, the employee has a feeling of some special importance and necessity.
  2. Supporting uniqueness. There is a category of creative people and scientists. The main motivation for them is not something material or prestigious, but freedom of action. For such employees, it is best to create individual working conditions or a comfortable team, and you can be sure of getting optimal productivity in the near future. If we add periodic refresher courses to all this, then the result will not be long in coming. In such an environment, brilliant ideas and ideas will continue to be born, which will make it possible to advance in the business market and increase the flow of money to the company.
  3. Concerned about personal interests. Nothing attracts any person on the planet more than having their own benefit. Many modern innovative corporations work according to this principle. All of them purposefully, even when looking for an employee, encourage him with hopes for improving personal comfort. Many people are lured into thinking that the company's products or technology can help them in some way. For example, often this principle is used by the inventors of detergents and cleaning products, various devices that help in the household. Thus, the employee tries twice as hard and diligently, because he does it for himself too.
  4. Comfort Lovers. There is a category of people who want to live today. That is, it is important for them that it is good at this particular moment and minute. Such individuals need to provide optimal working conditions. This includes a comfortable place, technically equipped, air conditioners or heaters, depending on the time of year. Some employees turn their attention to the availability of the optimal lunch break or canteen that could satisfy their need. When fulfilling such requests, employers often receive a good response.
  5. Financially dependent. This setting works in almost every group of people and provides a positive effect. After the pay increase, many employees are actually doing their quotas better and more productively. But, unfortunately, it doesn't last very long. In most cases, after a short period of time, new demands for an increase come from people. All this will be repeated at a certain interval until the management stops satisfying these requests. Ultimately, such a mechanism leads to an even greater storm of negativity among the staff. Therefore, it is recommended to use it in rare cases and only if there are weighty arguments.

Varieties of employee motivation

Many publishing houses of our time write about how to properly motivate staff, because this issue, as already mentioned, is of great interest to many companies. The value of knowledge that will help them build relationships between employees in a different way is very high, but this requires special efforts. To date, there are many methods and techniques used for this purpose. But each of them still consists of similar basic elements. These are peculiar little tricks that help employers achieve a positive result without using additional funds.

Non-material motivation of employees


The basis of such a mechanism is always a change in personal attitude towards the staff and their communication with them. This includes all activities that are beneficial spiritually. These elements are invisible, but tangible to workers.

Among the most commonly used types of non-material motivation of employees are the following:

  • Clarity of the task. Not all people quickly grasp someone else's colloquial speech. Many need some time to process and understand what they have been asked to do. The same situation often occurs at work. Because of their busyness, bosses prefer to hand out work over the phone or on the go. As a result of this behavior, some of the information said is lost, confused and not performed. Ultimately, a dissatisfied employer loses not only profit, but also a valuable employee. To prevent this from happening, you need to clearly formulate your wishes. It is best that they be recorded on paper or in electronic form, and each employee individually. In this case, everyone will be able to be guided by the existing norms, and there will be no confusion in the future.
  • The atmosphere in the team. This recommendation is rarely followed correctly. After all, good relationships, if they have developed, often turn into lengthy heart-to-heart conversations, irrelevant discussions and the collection of gossip. Because of this environment, workers are more likely to be distracted than they are working, and there is practically no efficiency. But it is also bad in a different scenario. When the team is divided into winners and lagging behind, the quality and overall performance of the enterprise suffer. It is best that the relations among the staff are simply good and carry only a healthy spirit of competition.
  • Introduction of new amendments. Not all employees like changes in the production process. Most people who hold any position for a long time prefer to leave everything the same until retirement. Well, the new staff cannot come to terms with such a decision, which brings discord between the company's employees. It is necessary to make adjustments to the work of the enterprise constantly. Due to the release of new methods, changes in the direction of the company, this becomes the responsibility of its leaders. To do all this very carefully, so it is always worth warning about such changes in advance. You can take a certain period of time to adapt to new products and allow you to seek help from your superiors.
  • Involvement in solving important problems. Often all the staff at work independently divides themselves into higher and lower clans, which is very bad. In such a situation, small workers of the enterprise decide that their work is practically invisible and does not require special efforts. They refer to the fact that there are more important employees who should notice all the problems and problems, as well as solve global issues. This opinion must be changed by organizing a regrouping of people. The employer can independently choose teams, challenge them with important points and suggest finding the best way out. People will feel the trust of their superiors, try not to let them down, even if their position in the enterprise does not change after that. It is also a good chance to find new talents and evaluate the existing staff again in practice.
  • Creating a convenient work schedule. For many people, when choosing a place of work, hourly reference points are a decisive factor. This is especially true for women with children, students or people living far away. The presence of such attendant problems often prevents them from getting the job they want, even if they are good specialists in their field. Therefore, such a factor should be taken into account and, when hiring, try to meet a person, think together about a possible schedule. Sometimes it is also useful to change it during the process to improve performance and adjust to any new circumstances.

Material motivation of employees


It is not difficult to guess what underlies this technique. Many are wondering how to motivate employees other than money. Of course, this is not always just such compensation. Today, there are many other types of material incentives that are not measured in banknotes at all. Due to the fact that for many people such attention from the authorities is very flattering, it is used more often than others.

There are such types of material motivation of personnel:

  1. Status to highlight. This is an interesting marketing ploy that was invented a very, very long time ago. Today, many companies successfully use it. The essence of the method is to create invisible bets and raises. For example, "the best employee" or "the most creative employee" can be chosen at any time interval in almost every enterprise. To reinforce this not only verbally, you can create a board with photos, announce at meetings, celebrate financially. A slightly different option is to choose the leaders of small teams or companies. Putting responsibility on one person means showing your trust in him, making him take a more responsible attitude not only to his work, but also to monitor the correctness of its performance by other employees.
  2. Control of rewards and punishments. A smart leader always tries to stick to the golden mean between these two branches of power. After all, only in this case it is possible to maintain discipline, authority and productivity at the same time. We must not forget to praise and encourage in some way a person for the work done, to remind him of his importance and necessity. This will help to gain respect and motivate for further cooperation. But it is important not to overdo it with such actions. Also, do not forget about preventive measures. It is best to adopt the company's charter, which would record all the rules and regulations, as well as the penalties that follow for their violation (fines). In this case, all violations will be clearly traced and noted fairly.
  3. health care. This point is especially important for people. That is why they are very fond of when he is represented in the company at a high level. Safety rules, a clear regime of work and rest are important today, but are already considered more of a duty than an encouragement. Now employees are attracted by additional services in the form of holiday vouchers, regular corporate events and gift certificates for various types of services. Not a single employee will refuse such a presentation. Moreover, from him then there will be several times more return than before. The feeling of gratitude motivates to improve working capacity and quality.
  4. Attention to the person. Very much employees love those bosses who are close to them. They intersect at work, not only at meetings, but also during the labor process. A pleasant moment would be congratulations on your birthday and the presentation of a symbolic gift in the form of a package of coffee, for example. Professional holidays, name days or simply World Women's Day should always be noticed and taken into account. Such attentiveness should be perceived by people very well, and the rating will be the highest. Employees will no longer be able to fail such a caring employer, and they will not want to.
  5. Gift Rewards. This kind of motivation has a more subtle and hidden meaning. After all, outwardly it will manifest itself in the form of small gizmos that will be awarded on a special occasion. For example, souvenirs for thought up bright ideas or a cap for the “best cashier of the year”. Such rewards can take a completely different form, for example, a coupon for a meal in a buffet, tickets to a theater or cinema, medals from props. No matter how outwardly these things look, the person who received such a prize will feel special, try better to get to this place again.
  6. VIP privileges. This is true for the leaders of reputable firms who can afford to provide such services. It can be a card of some well-known fitness center or golf club. To get it, you need to complete the monthly plan in the shortest possible time, find a dozen clients or sell real estate. The conclusion of such large transactions allows a person to receive not only the expected payment for the performance of work, but also to be pleasantly surprised by the attention and care of his superiors. In the future, this is very motivating.
How to motivate staff - look at the video:


Few people know how to properly motivate employees. Despite the existence of so many ways, this problem continues to bother many employers. In order not to ask such a question so often, it is worth taking just a few steps to meet employees, support some of their needs and ensure normal working conditions. The use of additional incentives is also welcome and has a good return on staff.

What are the basic principles and approaches to increase the motivation of employees of the organization? What methods are used to increase motivation? What are the mistakes in developing a motivation system?

Being a top-level leader is not easy. The commander at work, who distributes only orders and fines, does not retain highly qualified specialists. How to make subordinates get moral satisfaction from work and not look towards competing firms?

We will consider the problems of motivation and their solution in our new article. This is the HeatherBober business magazine and Anna Medvedeva, a regular contributor to publications.

At the end of the article, you will find an overview of the mistakes that are made when developing and implementing motivation systems. Read and anticipate mismanagement in your organization.

1. Why is employee motivation necessary?

A new employee in a team is usually full of ideas and enthusiasm. In this he differs from the bulk of workers who are no longer so zealously fulfilling their official duties. But after some time, the newcomer merges with the general mass of employees and also becomes more passive.

This state of affairs is typical for most enterprises. This makes the management think that employees need some kind of incentive that encourages them to be active, positive and self-development. Therefore, in institutions interested in increasing income and productivity, they introduce a motivation system.

What it is?

This is the internal need of employees to perform their work duties efficiently and effectively, as well as the creation of conditions for them that cause this need.

The correct system of motivation, that is, the one that gives results, involves the combination of two types - motivation collective and personal.

It's great when a team becomes a team of like-minded people who work together towards a common goal, and at the same time everyone is aware of this very goal. But no global goals inspire as much as personal ones.

And if the management manages to delve into the system of needs of their subordinates and harmoniously link personal motivation with collective motivation, then we can say that a positive result is guaranteed.

Inspire your employees- one of the main missions of a good leader. After all, if he becomes a leader not only by position, but also thanks to his personal qualities, the team will follow him and conquer any labor peaks. A flexible approach to business always wins.

Many will ask the question: what to do with outright loafers? Who are not motivated by any benefits and whose only goal is to receive a salary for being present at the workplace?

Competent leaders simply get rid of such. Yes, it's tough, but the main danger of parasites is not that they get paid for nothing. And not even that their work has to be done overtime by other employees.

The main danger of idlers This is demotivation for the whole team. One such element is able to “infect” with apathy and nullify the motivation of the entire team.

Here we will briefly describe each.

Method 1. Financial incentive

There are two types of financial incentives. The table will clearly show you their essence.

Types of financial incentives for employees:

Needless to say, that material incentives are the most tangible and strong form of motivation.

Method 2. Non-material encouragement

How to increase motivation with non-material rewards?

There are also different ways to do this:

  • changing the work schedule to be beneficial for employees;
  • corporate events;
  • recognition ceremonies;
  • change in the status of an employee;
  • workplace change, etc.

The main goal of non-material incentives is to increase interest and job satisfaction using intellectual and moral incentives. And also add positive to the workdays.

Method 3. Applying sanctions

This is the so-called negative motivation. That is the system of punishments.

Forms of negative motivation:

  • fines;
  • deprivation of status;
  • public condemnation;
  • in special cases - criminal liability, etc.

Such methods of motivating employees are effective, but only in certain cases. And they must be applied immediately after the implementation of undesirable actions.

The most reasonable option is bilateral motivation , that is, a combination of punishments with rewards. Moreover, rewards should act as a primary factor, and punishments - as a secondary one.

The system of employee motivation is diverse and largely depends on the specifics of the enterprise.

We have chosen universal tools and principles that will be useful to any leader and will come in handy in any team.

Tip 1. Ask employees about the results of their work

This does not mean total control of the activities of each employee. Of course, some degree of control is present here, but the main goal is different. Such a reception is necessary first of all for the internal composure of employees.

Not everyone will count at the end of the working day, for example, the number of calls made and how many of them were effective. If the manager becomes interested in this, the level of self-information of the employee will increase, as well as internal motivation after a visual analysis of their own achievements.

The information from the article "" will complement this topic.

This is necessary to track the degree of interest of their employees in the results of labor. The majority of managers have a vague idea of ​​the level of motivation in their team or do not have it at all. This gap is filled by ordinary communication with the team.

At pre-scheduled meetings, discuss not only working moments and plans for the future. Try to understand what is important for employees now, what drives everyone and what impedes progress.

In the course of detailed conversations, employees are convinced that management is interested in the lives of their subordinates, and the manager receives important information about the motivation of his employees.

Tip 3. Formulate instructions for employees as clearly as possible

The same applies to the reward system. The more specific the request is, the more specific the results will be.

Every employee needs to know:

  • what he does;
  • why does he do it;
  • how long does it take for him to do it?
  • what he gets for it.

Largely due to the specifics, the system of employee motivation becomes successful.

The employees themselves will help you with this. Many of them in the course of their work experience interesting and useful thoughts, which are sometimes useful to put into practice. The main thing is to be able to listen and find a rational grain even in the most unusual and, at first glance, unpromising ideas.

To create a bank of ideas, start a separate notebook or file (whichever is more convenient for you) and record all the ideas of employees in it. Do this, and you will see that most of your colleagues have an extraordinary mind and imagination, and many have a sense of humor.

Any employee who is set for career growth also strives for learning. A person who finds himself in his place acquires new skills in his professional field with interest and pleasure. Therefore, motivation with knowledge is a very powerful lever for self-improvement.

Let's add a little nuance. Provide an opportunity to gain new knowledge that will be useful to an employee in your production. Otherwise, you can prepare a specialist for someone else.

Tip 6: Give Employees Unscheduled Vacations

There are many variations of this incentive. For certain achievements, employees receive additional rest in the form of time off or, for example, the opportunity to come to work later or leave a little earlier on certain days.

Example

The company selling stationery introduced the accounting of goods sold per week. Every Friday evening a sales report is made.

Based on the results of the report, the most active sales manager is calculated. As a bonus for success, he gets the right to go to work on the coming Monday not in the morning, but in the afternoon.

This motivation of employees is very relevant, for example, for young professionals.

We have already talked about monetary rewards above. Here it is worth mentioning separately about the accrual of annual bonuses. Such bonuses are very important for every employee, and this is natural. After all, a large reporting period is closing, and the rewards for it are the highest.

Example

If the set goals were achieved by 90% or more, the bonus is charged at a rate of 100%.

80% of goals achieved - 50% bonus.

Less than 70% - the premium is not charged.

4. Help to increase employee motivation - an overview of the TOP-3 companies providing services

Now let's turn to some companies whose field of activity is related to training in the field of business management, as well as the provision of services for the development of motivation systems.

Professionals always know better how to do it and teach it to others.

1) MAS Project

The unique management system developed by this company will help improve the workflow for both management and staff.

If you run a business, you will learn:

  • increase the productivity of each employee;
  • synchronize the goals of the company and the goals of employees;
  • manage projects and tasks;
  • regulate areas of responsibility;
  • control the employment of staff;
  • conduct quality planning and meetings.

Thanks to the MAS Project system, employees will learn:

  • track the achievement of goals and earned bonuses;
  • manage your tasks;
  • manage your employment;
  • be aware of their role in the common cause;
  • understand their own areas of responsibility;
  • view all the information in one resource.

You can safely trust MAS Project. The system created in the course of solving real business problems is the most reliable and viable.

2) business relations

This company is the first in Russia to start training in the field of relationships. Since 1996, she began her activities, and in 2007 she opened a corporate direction.

During their professional activity, the firm's specialists have become experts in the field of working with relationships. “It is the attitude to work and life that determines the result” - the main postulate on which the entire learning process is built here.

Among others, the company offers corporate training "Business Context", after which many organizations have already made a breakthrough in business development. The training consists of 70% practice, which allows it to dramatically increase the level of staff involvement in the work process.

3) Moscow Business School

Personnel management courses offered by the Moscow Business School will be useful not only for business leaders, but also for everyone whose activities are directly related to hiring, training, motivation and professional development of employees.

After completing this training, you will easily:

  • understand legal and financial management issues;
  • develop employee motivation and reward systems;
  • evaluate and hire employees;
  • engage in staff training and development.

Business coaches and teachers of Moscow Business School are also employed in other areas, which allows them to develop their own teaching methods based on personal experience. After completing the training, you will also receive tips for further development.

5. What are the mistakes when increasing the motivation of employees - 5 main mistakes

Any motivational program of an enterprise is imperfect and often makes mistakes - this is inevitable.

We have selected the most common ones. After all, if not all, then many problems can be avoided, knowing their causes.

Mistake 1. Ruble punishment

This is the most ineffective employee motivation in the organization. I would even say that the deprivation of bonuses and fines have the opposite effect.

As a rule, such measures are taken in order to stop systematic violations, and not in order to increase the level of work. On the one hand, this is logical. On the other hand, such an approach is extremely undesirable, since it embitters people and kills any desire to perform their duties in a quality manner. And even more so - to develop.

Mistake 2. Lack of a feedback system

Any system of motivation requires adjustments during implementation. But any change made at the suggestion of employees, that is, direct participants in the process, will be much more efficient and rational.

Feedback helps to correct mistakes as correctly as possible. It also establishes a trusting relationship between leaders and the team. Each employee feels not only his importance in production, but also the weight of his voice for management.

Without feedback, it is impossible for an employee to objectively evaluate the results of their work. What are its advantages and weaknesses? In which direction to develop? What knowledge and skills are missing to make the result of labor more efficient?

It is not surprising if such an employee sooner or later applies for dismissal, even if he copes with his duties and receives a decent salary.

Mistake 3. Excessive attention to individual employees

The selection of favorites in the team invariably suggests the unprofessionalism of the leader and his bias in dealing with management issues. Even worse, when such actions directly indicate a personal relationship that has nothing to do with the work process.

A competent motivation system will tell you how to identify an employee worthy of encouragement. And this will be visible not only to the management, but also to other members of the team.

Mistake 4. Unwillingness to train employees

Savings on training is always in doubt. It is impossible to increase the level of labor without increasing the level of qualification. And the second, in turn, is impossible without special training.

The opportunity to learn additional skills and develop is a weighty argument in favor of the company. Even qualified specialists are guided by this factor when choosing a place of work.

Any rational system of motivation provides for the training of employees. And every experienced leader knows that the cost of improving the skills of employees always pays off.

Understanding what motivates employees is essential for any leader. Understanding the ways people are motivated is essential for any entrepreneur. There are several management theories about how to motivate employees. Here are 16 ways to put these theories into practice .

  1. Recognition – When someone does something well, praise them. Where possible praise them in public. Always criticize behind closed doors.
  2. Training – Offer training to your employees. They need this to succeed in their jobs.
  3. Work environment – ​​create a good working environment, this will increase their productivity. Don't kill their enthusiasm with pointless rules and procedures.
  4. Team spirit - people like to work in a team and will work to make the team successful.
  5. Feedback - Give feedback as soon as possible.
  6. Improve employee performance by delegating responsibility – if they are responsible for a particular task, ensure that the task can be done and done well, especially if the task contributes to a team effort and performers can expect to be recognized for their contributions .
  7. Credibility - Don't stand behind your employees or they won't feel trustworthy and won't be held accountable for their tasks.
  8. Communication - Tell your employees what's going on and make sure they communicate with each other.
  9. Reduce Distractions – Today's organizations have many factors that distract their employees from work. If as a manager you can eliminate some of these distractions, your team will be more productive and more motivated.
  10. Goal Setting – It is easier to work towards a goal than to work without a goal. Team goal, when team members are held accountable for achieving the goal, this is especially good.
  11. Involve your employees in the decision-making process - let them know that you value their experience and opinions on a particular issue.
  12. Criticizing actions, not people - this should be obvious.
  13. Listen and effectively address the causes of employee complaints – show them that you value their contribution to the business and respect their feelings.
  14. Creating a climate of trust and open communication – make sure employees can come to you with problems. You must give them a sense of responsibility and be willing to accept mistakes. You shouldn't punish them for the same mistake multiple times.
  15. Show that you have confidence in your employees by giving them the opportunity to take responsibility and showcase their best qualities.
  16. Money - pay them fairly. Bonuses can be used to encourage the achievement of goals.

Don't forget that there are other ways to motivate your team, but these 16 should help get you up and running.