What are the top factors that motivate workers?

Employers will be happy to hear that more than eight in 10 (83 per cent) Canadians say they care about their work.

And those who say they care about their work are more likely to put in more effort (89 per cent) than those who are unsure (80 per cent) and those who don’t care (75 per cent), according to report by LifeWorks and TELUS Health.

In addition, 75 per cent of workers say they often try to exceed expectations at work while 14 per cent are unsure and 10 per cent disagree, finds the survey of 3,000 respondents in October.

Nine in 10 workers have felt stuck in their role over the past year, with one-third (33 per cent) feeling that way often or always, according to a previous report from Ceridian.

What motivates workers

So, what would make workers put in more effort? More pay, say 41 per cent of respondents, according to Lifeworks.

Other factors include more meaningful work (12 per cent), more flexibility (10 per cent), more recognition (seven per cent) and more respect).

However, 24 per cent report that nothing would encourage them to put in more effort at work as they already work hard, according to the report.

Those who say that nothing can make them make more effort have a mental health score of 72.3 out of 100 for the month of October, far above the 64.9 national average, according to the report.

Meanwhile those seeking more pay (62.9), more flexibility (62.8), more recognition (62.8), more meaningful work (61.9) and more respect (60.0) all have mental health scores below the national average.

Currently, 47 per cent of workers in the U.S. say they would like to receive more recognition for their work, according to a previous study.

Motivating your team

Having a motivated team helps increase employee engagement and productivity and gives teams high morale, according to Jeff Murphy, former director of communications at Snacknation.

Here are some effective ways to motivate employees, he says:

• Create a company culture of recognition and appreciation.
• Celebrate milestones.
• Engage with your team virtually.
• Encourage professional development.
• Encourage bonding outside of work.
• Let employees experience things outside the office.