The elements that drive your team can completely change the way you all work together – and meeting these needs can change the game!
I like to connect this idea to the struggles that happen at work. You can create a happier and more productive team when you take care of their basic needs. These can range from giving some simple comforts to building opportunities for personal growth. You can get better results when you look after these basics. It’s clear that neglecting them will lower morale and hurt performance. When you focus on these real needs, you’ll watch your team become more motivated every single day. You’ll be surprised by the results!
Let’s look at it together.
The Physiology
Employee motivation all starts with making sure that your workers have their needs met. That’s the main idea behind Maslow’s Hierarchy theory.
For example, when you have a steady paycheck that takes care of necessities like your food and your housing, you’ll be less distracted. Imagine trying to work when you’re always worried about paying your bills or your rent. You won’t be able to focus on the company’s goals when your mind is full of financial stress – but instead, your thoughts could drift toward trying to find a job that pays more when you leave this work environment behind.
A big part of meeting these necessities is when you’re able to work in a welcoming and friendly office. You need to be able to breathe in some clean air and feel comfortable temperatures throughout the day. You also deserve to have some functional bathrooms and a pleasant place where you can eat your lunch. Otherwise, you’ll feel the effects on your overall productivity!
I spent a little bit of time in an office during a brutal summer heatwave when the air conditioning completely broke down. Everyone did their best to try and stay cool – but the quality of everyone’s work dropped that entire week. Even the hardest-working people found it almost impossible to keep up with all of their tasks under those kinds of conditions. It’s a clear example of how people’s work will struggle – and how it can get better after those conditions are finally fixed. It seems basic. However, you can also expand on this idea to include different workplace parts.
Ergonomic furniture is another big part of this. If people have to sit in a chair that makes them ache all day long, they’ll get back pain and feel tired much faster! Even bright lighting can matter because it helps you to stay away from eye strain and helps you stay alert.
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Some businesses forget about having good break rooms. If you have a clean place to eat your lunch, it can help you recharge. If you’re forced to eat in a cramped or dreary space, then you’ll probably feel drained. You might even start to resent your work.
Job security also plays a giant part in keeping you motivated. You need to know that your position is stable so you feel ready for your best work. Non-stop worry about losing your job makes it hard to concentrate. It also stops you from building strong relationships with your coworkers.
When businesses give their employees comfortable working conditions, they’re showing that they care about your health. It builds loyalty and makes you more likely to commit for the long haul. You might also find yourself more naturally going the extra mile when you contribute completely in your position. It’s a powerful thing.
Safety And Comfort
You want to feel protected at your work, and learning that your job is stable helps you do your best. Businesses that take clear actions instead of giving vague hints can give you some idea about whether your position is safe and appreciated. One manufacturing firm found that vague messages about layoffs made top talent leave. You can see how that uncertainty only makes you worry about doing the best you can.
You might not realize just how much job security helps a business to grow. When businesses work to make you feel safe, you can experience about a 33% improvement in productivity. You might take fewer sick days and get more done because you’re not anxious about losing your job. That kind of calm environment lets you follow the work that you love.
You also need to see that ignoring job security can cost a business quite a bit. When you replace even one person, it can set a company back by nearly half of that employee’s yearly salary in hiring and training costs. If it’s a mid-sized business with a higher turnover, it can end up wasting over $100,000 each year just chasing new hires. You might find yourself stuck in a similar situation if the company doesn’t take care of its people.
You want to know that your future with a company is protected. So businesses should make sure that you have stable contracts and regular communication about finances and future plans. They can also give you some strong health insurance and wellness programs so you feel cared for and safe. These steps help you trust where you work even more.
You see that the best businesses build security into their culture from top to bottom. They have physical protection built in and work hard to create an area where you also feel emotionally supported. This type of environment helps you feel encouraged to innovate because you’re not always worried that you have to face unexpected challenges.
You feel a big improvement when conversations about company performance are open and honest with you. When managers share updates about how the company is doing and where it’s headed, you’re less likely to hear harmful rumors. This openness means you can have your work without always worrying about sudden layoffs.
You can see good examples like Google. When you put job security first, it pays off. Their work to make employees feel stable and appreciated causes 30% lower employee turnover, which saves them millions in hiring costs while building a team that’s experienced and gets more work done.
You need to feel safe when speaking up about problems without fear of backlash. You also need to trust that your health matters to the people in charge. When a company delivers on these basic needs, everything else tends to fall into place – it makes your work life better.
Self-Esteem
You build an environment where everyone feels like they belong by making sure that you stay in touch with your coworkers! You can see that when you feel this connection, you’re often more involved and productive at work. Think back to the very last time someone gave you a real compliment at work. That small gesture probably brightened your entire day – and it showed you just how much recognition can matter. Small acts like public praise or even just a quick peer shout-out can improve your spirits and help make you feel more appreciated.
You can see when you learn about how your hard work contributes that acknowledgment can mean quite a bit. Studies even show that employees who get regular recognition feel ten times more connected to their organization. When your manager takes even just a bit of time to point out a job well done, it helps to build trust. It can give you a sense of loyalty that strengthens the entire team.
You can build strong bonds without spending too much time or money on formal activities. A quick coffee break or even just a casual lunch with your coworker can sometimes do wonders for building a connection. This is better than checking out an overly structured event. These easy moments give you the chance to talk freely and get to know each other on a more personal level. When you do this, you open the door to more honest conversations and real interactions.
You lay the foundation for a team with trust. When you trust your teammates, you share your ideas more freely and take creative risks. You do this because you feel safe speaking up about problems or sharing your recommendations for changes. This feeling of safety makes it easier to collaborate better with others and can spark more creative ways to solve problems and develop services.
Just to give you an example, a colleague who stays late to help finish up a project is putting in effort that deserves its own kind of celebration! Someone who takes some extra time to mentor a new team member is also putting in effort that deserves its own kind of celebration! These real moments of support create a positive team culture that you can be proud to be part of. You get better results with quick recognition.
A basic “nice job” doesn’t always show how much someone’s work matters. But when you hear about what was done well, it actually helps you see your own results on the team. It motivates you toward future accomplishments.
You strengthen workplace relationships through the experiences that you share every day. Team-building exercises might help you get started. However, the bonds that grow over time come from regular and authentic interactions. Take every opportunity you can to work together and share these moments, and you’ll see how naturally your work relationships can grow.
Self-Actualization
Everyone wants to feel like they’re living up to their full potential at work. You might see that this desire can come from a deep need for personal growth. That feeling of fulfillment happens when you’re doing what you feel you were meant for, and it fills your days with joy.
When you and your coworkers get the chance to follow your own passions at work, you might see some changes. You can become more creative and have even more energy. You stay longer because each day feels more rewarding, and this energy helps your company grow with even more innovative ideas and services.
Managers and team leaders play a big part in helping to make this happen. They can give you some more freedom in how you do your work instead of watching your every move closely.
They make it possible for you to learn new skills with different assignments. They even allow you to help with passion projects during work hours, and it gives you the chance to be your best.
Successful businesses have seen these kinds of opportunities pay off firsthand. Google’s known “20% time” policy brought about breakthroughs like Gmail and Google Maps. This happened because their employees were given the space to work on the types of projects they cared about.
Some organizations save these opportunities only for their top performers, and you could miss out on hidden talent. Every person in your team holds untapped potential. Sometimes, the quietest voice just needs the right kind of challenge to try to be their best.
When you feel safe to take opportunities and to try new activities, you grow. An environment where mistakes turn into opportunities to learn can change. You can do even better when you have hard work that doesn’t overwhelm you and when you feel trusted to find your own solutions.
When you feel fulfilled, you might naturally look to lift others up as well. You might even find yourself sharing your knowledge or becoming a mentor. This kind of sharing sparks a positive cycle that can create continuous learning throughout your organization. It could be as easy as having some real conversations about your career goals. It might also mean helping someone find the role that matches them well, even if that role hasn’t been defined yet.
Level Up Your Incentives and Rewards
When you create a happy and motivated workforce, it all starts with learning about what makes each team member tick. Give them the right combination of rewards! You can see that businesses doing well combine easy approaches like real bonuses, skill-based challenges, and flexible work arrangements. These fit into modern life.
You might even see that some of your top performers light up with different types of incentives. Work and what inspires you to keep going have changed over time – you now have more control over how your team stays involved.
Employees nowadays care about a balance between their work and their lives. They look forward to clear opportunities to grow and to be recognized. You might find that leaning too much into one strategy can give you some quick wins. But it doesn’t keep everyone involved for the long term. So try to see what kind of motivation gets the biggest results for your team.
We can help you create the perfect combination of incentives with Level 6! We know that every organization is different, so we make programs that can give you some branded debit cards and employee recognition. And we offer rewards for top sales performance. These personalized services help you to build a workforce that stays involved and is passionate about their work.
Take the time to see how we help your team reach its full potential. Get in touch for a free demo and find out how our people-focused reward programs improve your ROI. They also bring out the best in everyone.
Claudine is the Chief Relationship Officer at Level 6. She holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology. Her experience includes working as a certified conflict mediator for the United States Postal Service, a human performance analyst for Accenture, an Academic Dean, and a College Director. She is currently an adjunct Professor of Psychology at Southern New Hampshire University. With over 20 years of experience, she joined Level 6 to guide clients seeking effective ways to change behavior and, ultimately, their bottom line.
