What is motivation at work?

Work motivation refers to all the internal and external factors that enable a worker to invest in his or her professional missions. Motivation at work has a particular impact on the commitment, productivity and well-being of teams. According to the2024 United Heroes Observatory of Corporate Commitment, only 26% of French employees are fully committed to their work. Motivation at work is therefore a crucial issue for companies.

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Work motivation is an important area of research in psychology. Expectancy theory (Vroom) states that motivation is determined by 3 beliefs:

• Expectation: believing that effort will lead to performance
• Instrumentality: believing that performance will lead to results
• Valence: the value placed on results

According to Vroom, these three conditions must be met for an employee to achieve results.

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Types of motivation at work

There are two categories of work motivation:

Intrinsic motivation

It comes from the individual. It is linked to the personal satisfaction derived from performing a task. This type of motivation can be found in passionate occupations such as cooking, art... It can also be a matter of enjoying a challenge, finding meaning in one's job or achieving personal goals.

Extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors, notably the work environment. Extrinsic motivation is not linked to the individual, but comes from the benefits he/she derives from carrying out his/her tasks. Extrinsic motivation can come from salary, promotion, benefits or recognition at work.

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The importance of motivation at work

Nurturing motivation at work has many benefits for the company.

Enhanced performance

Employees who are motivated by their work are more productive and efficient in the performance of their tasks. This is bound to have an impact on the company's overall performance.

Job satisfaction

Motivation at work contributes to general well-being. Motivated workers are workers who find meaning in their missions.

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They also help to foster a good working atmosphere. What's more, individual motivation leads to collective motivation. A motivated employee will therefore motivate his or her colleagues.

Reduced absenteeism and staff turnover

Employees who are motivated by their work are less likely to be absent regularly and to quit. They will be more loyal to the company. Fostering motivation therefore means reducing absenteeism and staff turnover.

Innovation

Motivation generates the desire to think further, to come up with new ideas, to be creative on different projects.

Corporate image

Finally, a person who is motivated and therefore satisfied with his or her work will speak well of his or her company. The person becomes a promoter of the organization, giving it a positive image.

A drop in motivation occurs when an employee no longer sees any benefit in doing his or her job. This lack of motivation is not without consequences. Over time, the employee loses productivity and commitment, and may eventually want to leave his or her job.

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Motivation in the workplace is therefore an important issue for companies. Particularly since high staff turnover entails considerable financial costs in terms of recruitment and training.

What are the levers of motivation at work?

The company has a role to play in nurturing this motivation. Even if the needs and motivating factors are specific to each individual, there are some main levers on which the company can act:

Recognition at work

Acknowledging the work you've done is a real lever for motivation and commitment. An employee who feels recognized will feel valued and useful in his work. This in turn motivates them to devote themselves fully to their tasks. There are various ways of implementing recognition at work. These can include verbal recognition, recognition of singularities, or skills enhancement.

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See also our blog article on recognition at work

Working conditions

This includes a healthy work environment, ergonomic workstations and, above all, the importance of well-being at work. Healthy, positive relations between employees also contribute to a motivating work climate. Management also plays a key role. It is important to foster relationships where elements such as listening, caring, communication and clear objectives are prioritized.

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In psychology, according to goal theory (Locke and Latham), goals that are both specific and ambitious help to motivate individuals.

Autonomy and responsibility

Autonomy allows you to show your employees that you trust them, both to carry out their tasks and to do so in the right way. Giving employees responsibility means allowing them to carry out their work in the way they want. By taking responsibility for their work, they're bound to be invested in getting the job done.

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Autonomy and responsibility also encourage initiative-taking. Teams will be more inclined to propose new ideas, projects or processes.

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Discover how to develop autonomy in the workplace

Development opportunities

Offering the possibility of training, upgrading skills or taking on new missions are key factors in motivation. A person who feels he or she can't progress in his or her job is likely to become bored. They will then lose motivation and productivity.

Rewards and benefits

Salary remains one of the main drivers of motivation at work. That's why it's important to offer a fair and attractive remuneration package. This can include bonuses, gratuities, luncheon vouchers or even vacation vouchers. However, it's a mistake to think that compensation alone is enough to retain talent. Several levers need to be activated, in line with employees' needs.

The 4 P's: levers of individual motivation

The 4Ps of motivation at work aim to identify the main drivers of individual motivation among employees. It's important to identify the motivating factors for each of your employees, because what makes sense for one may not necessarily make sense for another.

The elements that make up the 4P are as follows:

• Peace
• Power
• Passion
• Profit

Let's take a closer look at what each one represents:

Peace

Some workers are looking for a calm, stable working environment. They need to feel secure. They resent conflict, excessive stress and uncertainty. They want to preserve their physical and mental well-being.

To activate this lever, we need to act on relationships. This can involve promoting transparency, communication and a positive corporate culture.

Power

Power refers to decision-making and the ability to influence. People whose motivational lever is power need to feel they have a real impact on the organization's development.

The key here is to involve these employees in decision-making and give them autonomy.

Passion

Here, motivation stems from an employee's interest in his or her work. It's intrinsic motivation that drives employees to commit themselves fully to their jobs. They need to feel enthusiastic about their missions and enjoy what they do.

To activate this lever, we need to take action at work, for example, by promoting a stimulating work environment. Tasks that stimulate the release of dopamine are often perceived as more motivating and enjoyable.

Profit

In this case, motivation comes from the financial and material benefits the employee derives from his work. They need to know that their work is financially rewarded.

To motivate and retain this employee, the company must act on the benefits offered. An attractive remuneration package is particularly important.

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The elements of the 4Ps can be interconnected. For example, adequate compensation can address both the peace and profit levers.

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What's more, these motivational levers are not fixed for workers. They evolve throughout their working lives.

It is essential to take these motivating factors into account when recruiting and retaining talent. HR teams and managers need to be able to identify these factors in their employees, so they can put in place the right motivational strategy.

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In conclusion, we can say that motivation at work is a key factor in employee well-being and performance. It also has a real impact on the company's success. It develops through intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which can be combined. Finally, we are not all equal in terms of needs. Employers must therefore adapt to each individual in order to influence motivation at work.

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To find out more, take a look at our webinar "Understanding the 4Ps to boost your teams' motivation".