Understanding Motivation at Work

Motivation in a work context is defined as the internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested and committed to their job, tasks and to the organisations vision and mission.

It is beneficial to become aware of the conditions which enable you to demonstrate your full potential and perform at your very best. Understanding yourself and the key driving forces behind what makes you tick will help clarify what positions you would be most suited for and what kind of work may lead to greater job satisfaction and engagement. 

Motivation and your career

Knowing what motivates you is important to being employable:

• You are more likely to be motivated in an environment which matches your personal values.
• You are more likely to be motivated by what you prefer doing, feel energised by or are good at.
• It gives employers clues to your attitude, character and how to get the best from you.
• Employers want to know your ‘why’ because motivation is one of the ingredients essential to performance

Internal Motivation

Motivation is internal, it is an energy that comes from within and it sets out why you do the things you do and what you choose to do. If you are preparing for an interview or perhaps making a career change, ask yourself these questions to narrow down what motivates you.

• When am I at my best? How do I behave when I am at my best? What mindset do I have?
• What is my natural disposition? Am I more optimistic or pessimistic? How does it help me?
• When have my personal values helped drive me to successfully achieve something?
• When have I gone beyond what is expected of me? What would I do for free?
• What have I done of my own volition to improve myself?
• What demotivates me? How do I feel? How do I behave? How do I cope?

External Motivation

Motivation is also external and it also influences your behaviour. You find things motivating when that energy and commitment is released by the conditions or environment you’re in. From the examples below, identify which factors motivate you the most. Add to the list as necessary and this will help give you the blueprint when deciding on a new job or career pathway.

• Enough income (to pay the bills, pursue outside work interests)
• Stability and security
• Belonging, acceptance, being part of a group, team spirit
• Recognition from others, reputation, prestige, appreciation
• Belief in your potential, investment in your growth, personal support
• Development and advancement opportunities
• Having responsibility, authority, power
• Able to participate, voice your views, be heard
• A culture of learning, discovery, creativity, possibility, empowerment, trust

 

Did you know?!

In a study focusing on employee motivation, over 600 managers identified money, safety, security and pressure as the driving force behind why employees work. Guess what? 95% of them were incorrect!

The most important motivator for employees at work is referred to as ‘the power of small wins’ and what this mean is that employees are highly productive and driven to perform at their best when they feel as if they’re making progress every day toward a meaningful goal.

Get to know what matters to you - your interests, values, desires, work objectives and career aspirations. Then be sure to balance this with what matters to others - very few objectives are achieved without taking others into account. That is usually a good way to make sure that you are not only valuable but also invaluable.

Working with Millennials

The millennials joining your workforce now are employees born between 1980 and 2000 and they come with a fresh mindset, can-do attitude and seek leadership, friendship and feedback within their work places.

Read these 10 tips By Susan M. Heathfield (Human Resources Expert) on how to manage millennials:

(Amusing video on how to deal with Millennials)

Provide structure. Reports have monthly due dates. Jobs have fairly regular hours. Certain activities are scheduled every day. Meetings have agendas and minutes. Goals are clearly stated and progress is assessed. Define assignments and success factors.

Provide leadership and guidance. Millennials want to look up to you, learn from you, and receive daily feedback from you. They want “in” on the whole picture and to know the scoop. Plan to spend a lot of time teaching and coaching and be aware of this commitment to millennials when you hire them. They deserve and want your very best investment of time in their success.

Encourage the millennial's self-assuredness, "can-do" attitude, and positive personal self-image. Millennials are ready to take on the world. Their parents told them they can do it - they can. Encourage - don't squash them or contain them.

Take advantage of the millennial's comfort level with teams. Encourage them to join. They are used to working in groups and teams. In contrast to the lone ranger attitude of earlier generations, millennials actually believe a team can accomplish more and better - they've experienced team success.

Not just related to age, watch who joins the volleyball match at the company picnic. Millennials gather in groups and play on teams; you can also mentor, coach, and train your millennials as a team.

Listen to the millennial employee. Your millennial employees are used to loving parents who have scheduled their lives around the activities and events of their children. These young adults have ideas and opinions, and don't take kindly to having their thoughts ignored. After all, they had the best listening, most child-centric audience in history.

Millennial employees are up for a challenge and change. Boring is bad. They seek ever-changing tasks within their work. What’s happening next is their mantra. Don’t bore them, ignore them, or trivialize their contribution.

Millennial employees are multi-taskers on a scale you’ve never seen before. Multiple tasks don’t phaze them. Talk on the phone while doing email and answering multiple instant messages – yes! This is a way of life. In fact, without many different tasks and goals to pursue within the week, the millennials will likely experience boredom.

Take advantage of your millennial employee’s computer, cell phone, and electronic literacy Are you a Boomer or even an early Gen-Xer? The electronic capabilities of these employees are amazing. You have a salesman in China? How’s the trip going? Old timers call and leave a message in his hotel room. Or, you can have your millennial text message him in his meeting for an immediate response. The world is wide, if not yet deep, for your millennial employees.

Capitalize on the millennial’s affinity for networking. Not just comfortable with teams and group activities, your millennial employee likes to network around the world electronically. Keep this in mind because they are able to post their resume electronically as well on Web job boards viewed by millions of employers. Sought after employees, they are loyal, but they keep their options open – always.

Provide a life-work balanced workplace.Your millennials are used to cramming their lives with multiple activities. They may play on sports teams, walk for multiple causes, spend time as fans at company sports leagues, and spend lots of time with family and friends.

They work hard, but they are not into the sixty hour work weeks defined by the Baby Boomers. Home, family, spending time with the children and families, are priorities. Don’t lose sight of this. Balance and multiple activities are important to these millennial employees. Ignore this to your peril.

As always, when I characterize a group of employees based on age, or any other characteristic, some employees will fit this description; some employees will fit part of this description; some employees will not fit this description.

Yet, I believe that, if you heed these tips, you will steer your organization forward, more times than not, with a positive approach to managing your millennial employees.

Job Search Advice Nobody Tells You

Struggling to show your interviewer or potential employer the unique contribution you can make to their organisation? Well, never fear. The team at Snagajob have got you covered for the tips, and we at Career Exchange have you got you covered for your next job in allied health! 

1. Practice the drive or transport route to your interview

This will allow you to plan how much travel time you will need and also ease those pre-interview nerves by knowing where you are going.

2. Don't be better, be different

Play up your unique skills and attributes or things you have done that are likely to impress your interviewer (volunteering, travel, extra-curricular activities, starting a side business) 

3. Patience is a virtue

Finding the perfect job is often not as easy as it seems because if the job appeals to you - it will likely appeal to others too! Realising that the job process may take longer than anticipated will help you overcome any rejections more easily and give you more of a chance to reflect and improve for the next opportunity.

4. Listen and learn

Listen to the feedback interviewers give you. Learn from the mistakes you and others make and apply that to your job search. The more you know, the easier the process will be.

First Day Butterflies...

Congrats!! You just landed a new job which means all those countless hours of resume refining, research and interview practice have paid off! So why the nerves?! You clearly impressed with your resume and handled the interview jitters well enough to stand out from fellow applicants and you obviously have the right skill and attributes for the job. 

So take a few deep breaths and remind yourself of the following tips when the butterflies in your tummy begin to get the better of you… 

Preparation

Think of your first day as an extended interview and prepare accordingly. Plan to arrive early to work to give yourself time to settle into your new surroundings, chat to your colleagues and your boss. Your preparation can start the night before work as well! Get plenty of sleep and put some thought into your work attire.

Dress for success

Do your research and take into consideration what is usually worn in your new workplace. However, for your first day, take this idea and add a touch extra to ensure that you’re making a good first impression. For instance, if the office attire includes trousers and a button up shirt, add on a tie to your first day outfit.

Make a good first impression

Now that you have your outfit sorted, make sure that your body language is open and welcoming. Take the initiative to say hello to people in your new office and ask them a little about their jobs. Not only will this make you feel more at ease, it gives you an opportunity to discover some useful information about your new organisation.

Confidence is key

Be confident, not cocky. Show enough confidence in yourself so that your new work colleagues won’t doubt your position in the organisation. One way to show your confidence is to put yourself out there and invite your colleagues to lunch. 

Relax!

Don’t forget to breathe! Remember that first day nerves are completely normal and will subside in time once you start getting into a routine. Don’t feel disheartened from an unsettling first day. Remind yourself why you were so excited when you landed the job and more importantly, that you were hired because somebody believed that you could succeed in that role.