Motivating Employees

Motivation is one of the most crucial elements of an organization’s functioning. This is what gathers people together and gets the work done in the best possible way. Motivation is given a great attention, because it influences every part of the business. An organization cannot be functioning without people. It cannot be successful without its employees working together as a team toward the same goal. However, motivating people is one of the most difficult tasks for every manager. Every employee in the company is, first of all, an individual. As any individual, each employer has its own needs and beliefs. Managers have to find the way to set a required environment for everyone to feel satisfied and necessary for the company.
“Motivation represents the forces acting on or within a person that causes the person to behave in a specific, goal-directed manner. Because the motives of employees affect their productivity, one of management’s jobs is to channel employee motivation effectively toward achieving organizational goals. However, motivation isn’t the same as performance.”1 The most highly motivated employees may not be successful in their jobs; especially if they don’t have the competencies needed to perform the jobs or they work under favorable job conditions. Job performances involves more than motivation, motivation is an important factor in achieving high performance.
Some advantages on employee motivation: achieving goals; gaining a positive perspective; create the power to change; build self-esteem and capability; managing your own development and helping others with theirs.
Companies such as Apple motivate their employees. There are many methods Apple gives to motivate its employees. According to Maslow’s theory, low-order need should be taken as priority. In Apple position, they have fulfilled their employee needs of physiological by setting an average salary of $ 108,4832 which basically can ensure survival. Apple also provides a wide range of applications to protect the safety need of workers such as the development of health and safety standards, training more employees to identify hazards or providing safety equipment. Furthermore, the Apple 2013 report3 illustrates the improvement in Apple research to provide employee a better workplace including support of social networks, work group and enhance worker-supervisor relationships.Beside the satisfaction of priority needs in Maslow’s theory, Apple Inc. is focusing more on the higher-order needs. An example of assuring the Esteem need, Apple rewarded its executives by giving them a recognition bonus of salary from 3 to 5 percent4. This method indicates the approval of Apple to its employees who has effectively finished their works. Another example for esteem need is that Apple’s worker can receive a free IPhone. It is not only a benefit to the worker but also an effective motivator because it would increase employee responsibilities when they see the end result of their effort. At the highest needs in Maslow’s hierarchy, Apple has successfully motivated its workers by creating more opportunities for employees to participate in education and development programs. Motivating employees is critically important for the success of a company. Apple is worth as a leader, their strategy is a perfect example because they was not only getting employee to do something or fulfill their needs, but also getting these employees want to do and work for Apple.
While not every employee will be motivated by the same thing, focusing on a list of key motivating programs can help. Your plan can include everything from monetary incentives,rewards and recognitions, building programs that support work-life balance, to simply creating a fun, relaxed office environment. The opportunities are endless and the reward substantial.Employee incentive programs are one of the easiest ways to incentivize your workforce. While not every program needs to be monetary in