All resources
cart category image
Performance
February 1, 2018

Intrinsic Motivation: Unlocking its power for motivation at work

Henrik-Jan van der Pol
Henrik-Jan van der Pol
CEO
time clock
3
min read
5
(
13
)

As a leader who wants to get the best out of your top employees, you can give them a pay raise, offer non-wage perks and benefits, and share positive feedback. These things are great, but they don’t get to the core of what motivates people. Intrinsic motivation is what really makes your workforce happier and more productive.

Extrinsic motivation vs. intrinsic motivation

There are two main types of work motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation originates outside the individual and refers to behavior driven by the prospect of external rewards. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, arises from inside the individual and refers to behavior resulting from the prospect of an emotional response, like the feeling of enjoyment an employee gets from their work.

Dangle a carrot in front of them, and they will follow: employees who are extrinsically motivated will do things to receive a pay raise, bonuses, or simply recognition for their excellent work. Introducing such rewards is easy, and if your goal is to increase the performance of your employees, don’t hesitate to invest time in money in your workforce.

It’s important to realize that trying to motivate employees through external rewards is a double-edged sword; it can increase performance until the point extrinsically motivated employees receive their reward, but, as countless studies found, it also overrides intrinsic motivation. Great employees deserve great working conditions, but the prospect of money or praise shouldn’t be what drives people.

Coming from the Latin word “intersecus” that translates into “from within,” intrinsic motivation is by nature hard to influence from the outside. However, it’s possible, and it’s not rocket science. Research found that people are happier when they share the values of their peer group. Therefore, the key to making your employees’ work more enjoyable is enabling them to identify with the company’s shared values and goals. It’s within a leader’s circle of influence to give your organization a personality employees can identify with and hire people who share your values.

The proven value of intrinsically motivated employees

While the impact of external rewards on employee motivation and performance is scientifically disputed, the positive impact of intrinsic motivation in the workplace is well supported by scientific evidence. Here are some pieces of research that caught our attention:

  • Recent McKinsey data shows that employees who are intrinsically motivated are 32% more committed to their job, have 46% higher job satisfaction, and perform 16% better than other employees.
  • A 2012 study from Cho and Perry showed that intrinsic motives have three times the impact on employee engagement levels than extrinsic motives.
  • Research from O’Driscoll and Randall found that intrinsic rewards like feelings of joy or personal fulfillment have greater impact on employee retention than extrinsic rewards like money or recognition.
  • Intrinsic motivation is a prerequisite for “organizational citizenship behaviors,” a phenomenon where employees are willing to go beyond their formal job roles to help their team move forward. A meta-analysis based on 168 independent samples found that organizations were significantly more effective and efficient where citizenship behaviors were observed.

Four strategies to build intrinsic motivation

We know that intrinsic motivation increases employee engagement, satisfaction, and performance. But how can leaders influence something that originates inside employees? Here are a few recommendations:

1. Stop micromanaging  teams and employees

If you are micromanaging people, you are killing intrinsic motivation. Research has shown that the more talented an employee is, the more frustrating is it for them not to have the freedom to prove their talent. Grant teams autonomy. Encourage team leads to trust that team members are capable of deciding what’s best for the team.

2. Assign projects that match with employees’ personalities and interests

Ask your employees what work they enjoy doing and excel at. Would you ask a highly analytical employee to design a customer training program? Or would you ask a service-oriented employee to do it? For the service-oriented employee designing a training program would be a natural fit. Maybe that analytical employee would design an awesome program, too, but they would probably find other things more enjoyable.

3. Mutually agree on goals to achieve

Just as parents have closer relations with their children than a babysitter, who cares for their child in return for money, a goal means more to you if it’s your own. Communicating the strategic direction of your organization and giving managers plenty of scope while setting their goals will trigger the kind of intrinsic motivation that ownership brings.

4. Unite your workforce behind a shared goal

Set an inspiring goal for your company and communicate it to everyone. If your employees know the direction and share the purpose of your organization, they will find their work much more meaningful and enjoyable. Consider implementing a framework like OKR that helps turn strategy into measurable and motivational goals everyone can work toward.

FAQ

No items found.
Create a free
Perdoo account

Turn your winning strategy into tangible results, with Perdoo.

See Perdoo in action

How useful was this article?

Please rate the post by selecting one of the options.
Rate this post
Share this post:
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
This is some text inside of a div block.
Ready to get started with Perdoo

Ready to get started?

Start with your team now. Free for up to 5 people.
close-image

Request a demo

Required
Required
Please provide a valid email address
Please select your position
Company name field is required
Select number of employees

You successfully requested a demo!

Someone from our team will follow up with you shortly.

You successfully requested a demo!

A new tab will open where you can book a convenient time for your demo. If this tab doesn’t open, click here.

Back to website  →
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
close-image

Talk to Sales

Required
Required
Please provide a valid email address
Company name field is required
Select number of employees
Message is required

Talk to Sales

Thanks for contacting us!
Our Sales team will be in touch with you shortly.

Back to website  →
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
close-image

Get support

Required
Required
Please provide a valid email address
Company name field is required
Select number of employees
Message is required

Get support

Thanks for contacting us! Our Customer Support team will be in touch with you shortly.

Back to website  →
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
close-image

Apply for Startups Program

Fill out this form to apply for a 50% startups discount
Required
Required
Please provide a valid email address
Please select your position
Company name field is required
Select number of employees

You successfully applied!

Someone from our team will follow up with you shortly.

Back to website  →
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Close Cookie Popup
Cookie Preferences
By clicking “Accept All”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage and assist in our marketing efforts as outlined in our privacy policy.
Strictly Necessary (Always Active)
Cookies required to enable basic website functionality.
Cookies helping us understand how this website performs, how visitors interact with the site, and whether there may be technical issues.
Cookies used to deliver advertising that is more relevant to you and your interests.
Cookies allowing the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language, or the region you are in).