Exploring survey results
Continuing our exploration of employee drivers (see previous posts), we move on to factors that motivate people at work. Again from a list of around twenty of the same options that they were given for factors of Attraction; we asked employees to rank the top three things that would motivate them in the work environment.
Top of the list surprisingly is: Good pay
Slightly, but consistently behind is: Challenging work
And slightly behind that is: Personal development.
It is interesting to see that ‘challenging work’ and ‘personal development’ which were major attractors also show up as motivators.
What is surprising is that ‘pay’ comes out on top. Hertzberg’s research and indeed much of our own experience would not have placed pay in that position. And there is no evidence to suggest that it is a reflection of the current economy; the result is the same over the twelve-year period which has seen boom times as well as a flat economy. Given the nature of the surveys, we wonder whether employees are sending a message to their employer. If asked the same question outside of the employer: employee relationship, would they have answered it differently? We think so, and believe Hertzberg is still relevant.