What motivates an employee?

The issue facing organizations today is whether to work towards employee engagement or inspiration. These concepts may sound very similar and one might wonder what the big deal is. I believe the difference is huge. An engaged team member works well but an inspired team member causes transformation. An engaged employee looks at the what is to be done, works well in teams and tries to excel at the job at hand. An inspired employee is well-aligned with the goals and objectives of the organization and want to grow with the organization. For inspired employees, work is effortless, and passion is steady. Even when they are faced with hurdles or see their passion draining, they can realign themselves and get back on track. They will not spend their time just sitting around or seething with anger and frustration as they resent their work and co-workers or searching for new jobs. As employers and leaders of our organizations, I believe we must strive to build inspired teams. And inspiration must come from within; it cannot be forced upon from outside. We can at best provide external motivators and an enabling environment.

So, can these external motivators be? Money? Higher salaries and perks? Swanky Offices?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory gives us the answer. As Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs points out, once the lower needs of employees are met, they want to satisfy higher growth needs. Simply put, employees will definitely not work for free (at least not always) since they have to pay for their basic needs of food, shelter and clothing and prepare for their future through investments, insurance, etc. But once they are financially secure, money ceases to be their lone motivator. They now have growth needs like reputation, validation, knowledge building, self-actualisation, etc. which become their motivators. So, employees’ goals and intrinsic ambitions at a given point in time are their motivators and we should look at ways to incorporate these into the overall functioning of the organization.

As #entrepreneurs and #leaders of our #startups, I believe we need to identify and understand what is that one thing that motivates our employees. When we understand this, we can find a way to align it with the goals of our organization and run our startups in an efficient manner with a set of inspired employees who go beyond tasks. No two employees will have the same set of needs or goals and we need to spend the time to understand what motivates each of them. How to do this? I have found communicating with my employees, every now and then, on a personal level useful. When entrepreneurs speak to their teams on a one-on-one basis, they get a sense of belonging and being valued.

The needs of employees from different sectors and settings will be different. Since I closely work with doctors, I would like to share what I have found motivates doctors. And let me start by reinstating the fact that money is at best a secondary motivator for doctors. What I have found motivates doctors the most is peer recognition. Doctors do not just want appreciation and recognition for their work from the management, they find it very satisfying and stimulating when their work is acknowledged, appreciated and lauded by their peers in the field either through formal recognition and awards or informal recognition through praise or referrals. For instance, an eye surgeon feels valued when fellow eye surgeons acknowledge their skills and good work.

They are also hugely motivated when they are empowered to take their own clinical calls and have comfort that they have expert advice available in case things are not going as per plan.

I have also found that doctors are hungry for knowledge and want to keep themselves updated with the latest trends and best practices in their field. Finding ways to keep this hunger satiated motivates them. This could include providing them with the opportunity and encouraging them to participate in doctors meets, conferences, seminars, conclaves, etc. at the regional, national or international levels. You could have a library (digital or physical) with the latest books and subscriptions to medical journals.

Well, these are some ways that have worked for me to keep my employees motivated and in turn, inspire them to give their best to the growth of the organization. I look forward to hearing what motivates your employees. 

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