Lack of motivation at work impacts both performance and mental health

Over seven in ten UK employees want their employers to do more to motivate them claims a new study from Reward Gateway which suggests  that some of the alarming effects that being unmotivated has on employees included a worsening in mood (60 percent); reduction in productivity levels (48 percent); declining mental health (46 percent) and a reduction in quality of work (40 percent).  Over a quarter (26 percent) say their relationships with family and friends suffer and 2 in 10 admit to drinking more alcohol when lacking motivation.

The research claims that the less motivated an employee is, the more likely they are to value their salary as a motivator. In the UK, those that are not very motivated in their current job are most likely to say that they’re motivated by their salary (41 percent), good working relationships (37 percent), having a purpose (21 percent). Whereas, those who class themselves as extremely motivated in their current job are most likely to say that they’re motivated by job satisfaction (52 percent), feeling respected (37 percent), having a purpose (37 percent) and good working relationships (37 percent).

Despite these effects, those that aren’t motivated will still stay in a job for an average of 11 months, dragging productivity levels and quality of work down.

The research also claims that:

• Generation Z (aged 16-24) are most unmotivated by boring or unsatisfying work
• The older an employee is the more likely a bad manager will impact their motivation
• The older an employee is the more likely they will ‘grin and bear it’ with employees aged between 45-54 staying a mean 13.75 months in an unmotivating job while those aged 16-24 would only stay in an unmotivating role for 5.34 months (almost less than half the national mean).
• The younger an employee is the more likely that they take no pride in their work.
• Those who are not motivated at all are over 10 percent more likely to value a 3 percent pay rise than those who see themselves as extremely motivated.
• Those that are extremely motivated choose motivational drivers such as feeling respected and good working relationships.