Motivation in workplace. Shine Communications, a communications agency based in London and employing 56 staff, was voted by employees, the number one company, in the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For

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9.1   Managing other people

Motivation in the Workplace

Motivation is the drive that makes us do things: this is a result of our individual needs being met so that we are galvanised to complete the task.  Depending on how motivated we are, may further govern the effort we put into our work and perhaps increase output and the quality of that output.

Some people are motivated by a high wage or salary but others look for satisfaction from responsibility or a job well done.  Businesses rely on their staff being efficient, both in the quantity and quality of output.  If employees are not sufficiently motivated to meet these criteria, the business has a problem.

A study published in 1966 by Fredrick Herzberg, after he had interviewed a number of people from different professions, attempted to find out two things:

  • Those factors that motivated people in the workforce – factors that resulted in job satisfaction and further increased their efficiency

  • Those factors that prevented job dissatisfaction – these factors did not make employees happy but removed unhappiness from working.  Such factors, Herzberg referred to as ‘hygiene’ factors – those that if not satisfied would reduce employee efficiency.

Although some factors were found to fall into both categories, broadly speaking, Herzberg identified, Achievement, Recognition. The Nature of Work, and Responsibility as motivators, and How the Business was Run, Supervision, Work Conditions, and Pay as hygiene factors.

One striking finding in the study was that factors associated with encouraging motivation, have little connection with money, but are associated with personal development and achievement.  This is not to say that increasing pay doesn’t remove job dissatisfaction – it does, but only in the short term.

Shine Communications, a communications agency based in London and employing 56 staff, was voted by employees, the number one company, in the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For, 2012.  Over 500 companies entered this competition and were judged according to a number of pre-determined criteria, assessed by the answers to 70 questions.  Shine achieved top scores in 36 of the questions.

“I do believe if you look after your people and you are a consultancy, you are going get great results as you are looking after your best asset”, says Rachel Bell, the chief executive of Shine.  Bell, who was voted Best Leader, says she wants staff to reach their full potential and is always asking staff for advice.  Ten per cent of Shine’s annual profit is re-invested into training, and each member of staff has a personal development fund which can be used, for example, on training or conquering a fear.

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Lawrence Colling, the joint managing director, has worked at Shine for 10 years and has never felt the need to work elsewhere – “the fact that it has grown five times over, only results in more exciting clients”.  There is a flexible benefits scheme which can include membership of Tate Modern or raising money for charity, and this acts as an incentive to do well.  Flexible working is encouraged, with the head of social media working partly from his home in France.

Questions

  1. At Shine Recruitment the joint managing director had been at the company ...

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