Job
content and not pay packets is the key to high productivity, according to
research by Investors in People into what makes employees give their best at
work.
Almost
half of respondents (43 per cent) cited the nature of their work or the
challenge the job presented as the main motivator in the workplace.
Only
14 per cent of the 2,000 staff polled said pay was the key influence, followed
closely by team spirit (13 per cent).
Employees
working for large organisations see lack of recognition from management as the
main reason for demotivation in the workplace (22 per cent). In comparison,
employees working for SMEs cite poor communication and lack of leadership as
the main demotivating factors.
Ruth
Spellman, chief executive of Investors in People, said: “Improving
communication and recognising employee contribution can make a real difference
to employee motivation and, ultimately, an organisation’s bottom-line. An
organisation that leaves its employees to drift without direction is on the
short road to ruin.”
Other
findings of the research include:
–
Job security is high on the agenda, with nearly four out of 10 employees (39
per cent) citing it as something they want from their employers. This is particularly
prevalent among men, with 43 per cent looking for job security compared to 33
per cent of women.
–
More than one-quarter (28 per cent) of employees see work-life balance as
something employers should deliver for them. This is more important to women
(32 per cent) than men (24 per cent).
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–
Recognition for the contribution an employee makes to an organisation becomes
more important as employees get older (11 per cent of 16 to 23 year-olds, and
24 per cent of 55 to 64 year olds).
