What is employee motivation and how can you inspire it?

Employee motivation is your employee’s passion for the role. It is also the self-motivation, energy and creativity that they bring to their work. However, it is just as much your role to inspire your employees to remain motivated. You can inspire employees by working out what makes them feel empowered in the workplace and harnessing it.

Extrinsic vs intrinsic employee motivation

There are two main types of employee motivation; extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Your employee’s extrinsic and intrinsic motivations can be inspired through different techniques, which you can find out more about below.

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is how an employee is motivated by their own goals and targets, and their reasons for coming into work. These reasons may be motivated by their own beliefs, and what they believe is important work. Qualities like curiosity, aspiration and desire to be part of a wider community all drive an employee’s intrinsic motivation. You can increase intrinsic motivation through praise. However, studies are divided over whether praise can increase motivation; some show that praise increases motivation while others show just the opposite. Therefore, you should decide for yourself what kinds of praise best suit each employee, as some may respond better to praise than others. Consider giving constructive criticism instead of overwhelming praise. It is a great way to be encouraging to your employees while offering suggestions for improvement.

Extrinsic motivation

An employee’s extrinsic motivation is driven by external factors like being rewarded. Rewards can include company perks, bonuses or promotions, alongside positive feedback. Like encouraging intrinsic motivation by praise, you should be careful about how many rewards you give out to employees for their efforts. When you reward your employees appropriately, they are more likely to stay working for your business. Rewards can help increase the well-being of employees, therefore increasing productivity and creating a positive work culture. According to one study, the most important thing you can do for employees is to show them recognition through rewards. What is also revealing about this study is that it suggests that cash rewards are no longer the primary motivator of employees. At the end of the day, you want to keep employees motivated, rather than complacent. However, your employees will be more willing to work hard for you if they see long-term personal gains. Another study suggests that employees are more likely to stick with your business in the long term if they perceive opportunities for their professional growth.

Most requested benefits at work that can help motivate employees

With a clear understanding of the different kinds of motivation in mind, you can now consider which benefits to put in place to inspire your employees to work hard and feel encouraged. The benefits package you offer will depend on your benefits budget, and what suits your workforce. According to a survey, some of the most requested benefits at work include work-life balance, career progression and strong workplace culture.

Helping your employees to plan their career path

Employees are often motivated when they know there is a tangible career path ahead of them. Not only that, it means that you are more likely to retain skilled employees as they can see that the more they learn, the more their skill-set will be valued and utilised appropriately by your company. Hold one-on-one meetings where you decide the appropriate career path with your employee, clearly outlining the objectives necessary to meet goals and targets along the way.

Learning and development opportunities

Creating learning and development opportunities will also help employees to plan their career paths. Use your regular one-to-one meetings with employees to find out where their strengths lie, and where there is some room for improvement. Learning and development is a great way to make your employees feel empowered and confident in their abilities.

This will also help them to feel more valued as part of the overall company, and that their contributions matter. The more confident your employee, the more motivated they will feel; this can be through contributing ideas and leading on group tasks.

Food and drink perks

A simple way to make sure that your employees are energised every day is by offering healthy food and drink options in the workplace. This does not have to be costly but is a fun way of helping your employees to rest during lunch breaks and feel ready to take on the rest of the day.

Some companies now offer baking courses and use delivery services to provide their workers with treats. If any of your employees work remotely, this might be harder to coordinate. Instead, consider offering discounts or vouchers for restaurants or bars in the area. Offering food and drink perks is a great way to keep employees happy in the office, and boosts your workplace culture.

Food and drink perks can be a big draw for candidates during the hiring process as well. If you choose to offer this company perk, make sure to include it in your job descriptions and advertisements.

Flexible working hours

Flexible working hours is one of the most requested benefits at work for UK employees. This is because employees are increasingly looking for a good work-life balance , especially if they take on other commitments like caring responsibilities outside of work. You may choose to offer flexible working hours alongside remote working, or hybrid working. This might be a more appealing option to employees who have a longer commute than others. You should negotiate flexible working hours with employees during a one-to-one meeting, to find out more about their requirements.

How to negotiate benefits with employees

You may find that while working for you, employees look to negotiate benefits or perks. They might suggest a few new ones of their own. Therefore, you should consider preparing for this in case the possibility arises. According to one survey, approximately 60 percent of employees considered it important for employers to be open to negotiating benefits. Sometimes negotiations involve an employee requesting a pay raise, but employees might negotiate benefits depending on their situation. Employees with young families may wish to negotiate flexible time.

They may also want to negotiate other perks or aspects of their role like:

• holiday time and pay;
• job description or job title;
• childcare support;
• wellbeing and mental health support;
• remote working;
• new equipment such as chairs, laptops or phones;
• allowance for training schemes or up-skilling.

Your employees might try to negotiate benefits face-to-face, or via email. A negotiation might come in the form of a counter offer of a benefits scheme you have already prepared for them. Employees who are serious about negotiation may confirm this in writing. They could also bring up any important contributions they have made to the company as support during the negotiation process.
During the negotiation process, consider first the contribution that your employee has made to your company. With a highly valued employee that you wish to keep onboard for the long-term, make sure to reward them appropriately. However, it is important to weigh the financial pros and cons of agreeing to an employee’s suggested benefits package. Be sure to do some market research to find out what businesses that are similar to yours are offering their staff. You may not want to offer fully remote working or flexible hours; it is up to you to decide what is appropriate to keep your employees engaged.

Benefits at work can help increase your employee motivation. When your employees are happier, both you and your clients will be happier with their results. Making sure that your benefits scheme is financially viable while rewarding your employees appropriately might be difficult at first, but will pay off in the long term. Talk to your employees to find out what benefits they are most excited about; tapping into what drives individuals in your workplace will save you valuable time and money. Most importantly, a great employee work benefits system should contribute to a thriving work culture that is reflected in output.

Further reading: Team-Building Tips and Activities to Boost Employee Morale and Engagement How to Motivate Your Employees How to Conduct an Employee Evaluation