Search Results for: motivation

April 29, 2026

Motivation shifts rather than declines during periods of uncertainty, according to new poll

The results of a a new survey suggest that employee motivation does not collapse in uncertain conditions but instead changes shape, with leadership behaviour emerging as the decisive factor. The findings, based on polling conducted by Wiley Workplace Intelligence, indicate that the most significant risk to engagement is not ambiguity itself but a perceived disconnect between leaders and their teams. The data suggests that employees continue to seek direction and purpose even when clarity is limited. Rather than becoming disengaged, many respondents reported adapting their focus, placing greater emphasis on trust, communication and visible leadership. (more…)

March 21, 2024

A lot of people are not motivated by motivational phrases

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

A new survey of around 2,000 people commissioned by Preply suggests that 46 percent of workers are not motivated by motivational phrases in the workplace with 53 percent of those surveyed saying they would never use a motivational quote in their everyday lives. According to those surveyed, almost half of those would not be motivated by a motivational phrase with “Do the impossible” being the least motivating (57 percent). This is followed by “The sky’s the limit” and “Keep calm and carry on” both with 54 percent stating they wouldn’t be motivated by these phrases. (more…)

May 11, 2022

The truth about motivation, engagement and the employment of motivated idiots

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace, Workplace design

The current obsession with engagement and motivation is evident every time you read the business media these days. This is understandable in many ways, not least because it seems true that firms and employees are often working in an atmosphere of mistrust. But one thing that is often noticeable when a profession such as HR gets itself into a debate of this nature is the gap that can exist between practitioners and everybody else offering a view. So while academics can talk about definitions and suppliers seek to apply their solutions to the issue, it is often down to those who work at the sharp end to dish up the truth, however unpalatable or cynical that can seem to be. (more…)

March 7, 2022

Working outside ‘traditional hours’ can harm motivation, say researchers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Working outside traditional hours, and checking in at all hours of the day, night, weekends, and holidays, is not necessarily beneficial for the 21st-century workforce, according to new research from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Cornell University. The researchers address the issue of working ‘out of hours’ in the paper, “Working During Non-Standard Work Time Undermines Intrinsic Motivation,” published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. They set out to examine the motivational consequences of studying and working outside of traditional hours, such as weekends and holidays, among employees and college students. (more…)

September 23, 2021

UK employers more worried about motivation than resignation

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture, Working lives

Research from Omnipresent, in partnership with Remote Social, claims that four in 10 employers (40 percent) feel that COVID-19 has positively or extremely positively impacted employee retention. In contrast, less than a quarter (24 percent) feel that it has negatively or extremely negatively impacted this area. The survey considered the views of 250 HR managers and C-Suite professionals across the UK. (more…)

February 3, 2021

What we all get wrong about motivation and the hierarchy of needs

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Wellbeing

When it comes to understanding motivation, the stepping off point for most people is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The theory is now nearly 80 years old and its endurance is some kind of testimony to its insight. Yet a recent paper published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, authored by William Compton of Middle Tennessee State University argues that some of the ideas we most commonly associate with the theory seem to be myths. These include its most fundamental concept, the Pyramid of Needs.

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October 21, 2020

Young people suffer most from lack of motivation at work

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

New research by management consultancy Lane4, claims 44 percent of employees under 35 years old say that a lack of motivation has been hindering their performance at work since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March.

The study of over 1000 UK employees, carried out by YouGov, suggests that the performance of younger workers (under 35 years old) is twice as likely to be impacted by a lack of motivation than that of 45-54-year olds (22 percent), and significantly more likely to be impacted by a lack of motivation than the average for all age groups (28 percent). (more…)

February 11, 2020

Freelancers` motivations explored in new report

by Jackie Le Poidevin • Flexible working, News

Freelancers value the freedom and flexibility of being their own boss but their happiness is most closely correlated with how much money they earn, a survey of 7,000 freelancers has claimed. According to the report from Payoneer (registration required), the worldwide average hourly rate charged by freelancers is $21, up from $19 two years ago. This is significantly higher than the average salary in many of the 150 countries surveyed. Those who work exclusively in freelancing earn a higher rate and are more satisfied with their lifestyle than those who split their time working for a company. (more…)

July 3, 2019

Getting a sense of productivity and motivation

by Jeff Revoy • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

When business operators are planning their company’s office, price is often chief among their priorities. Keeping the fixed cost of real estate low helps companies project—and increase—their expected income. Price is not just a consideration when it comes to rent; assets such as office furniture are often purchased en masse and for purely utilitarian reasons. Sure, a business is saving money by designing a no-frills, utilitarian office, which some Feng Shui experts would agree with, but what they are ignoring is how space affects productivity, motivation and enjoyment. (more…)

October 23, 2018

Lack of motivation at work impacts both performance and mental health

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

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.

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December 12, 2016

Can an organisation simply buy employee motivation? ⁰

by Matias Rodsevich • Comment, Workplace

It’s the end of the year and like in most companies it’s probably time to start calculating and reassessing your employee’s compensation. But can you actually use money to motivate and retain your employees? A study by Willis Towers Watson found that only 20 percent of employers in North America actually believe merit pay is effective in driving high performance. Traditionally money was seen as the main incentive used to motivate employees. Higher productivity results in higher salaries and bonuses. For companies, it’s been used as the main tool to attract, retain and engage their people. Today we’ve learned that the key to motivation is much more complex than that.

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September 29, 2016

Podcast: bonuses, motivation and why business leaders might do well to steer clear of politics ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Podcasts, Premium Content, Workplace

I recently took part in a podcast hosted by business transformation consultant Rita Trehan. My fellow guest for the CEO Outlook podcast was Hari Kalymnios, author, trainer and Leadership Speaker at The Thought Gym. The episode featured a lively discussion focused primarily on two topical issues. First asking whether bonuses are really needed to motivate staff and what business might do to take a more sophisticated, informed and nuanced approach to motivation. Then secondly, and against my better judgement, in the light of Jeremy Corbyn’s recent spat with Richard Branson, whether CEOs and business leaders should steer well clear of politics and politicians and how they might make judgements about what is appropriate in terms of the topics with which they should engage and how they might disentangle themselves from the wider issues that often result. You can listen to the podcast here.