Poor teamwork, shoddy attention to detail, higher absence rates. If you’re dealing with some of these issues within your team, it’s possible you’re seeing a lack of motivation.
When our reason for ‘doing what we do’ feels out of step with our workplace and employers, it can have a negative impact on our energy, enthusiasm and quality of work.
So, what motivates your people – and how can you help them stay motivated?
In this article, we’ll explore:
- Why employee motivation is so important in healthcare
- 7 Highly common motivating factors for care employees
- How to discover what motivates your team members
Why motivation should matter to healthcare leaders
We’ll get to the importance of employee motivation in just a second. But first, let’s quickly define workplace motivation – and look at its two main types.
What is employee motivation?
An employee’s motivation can be thought of as two things: 1) it’s why they do the work they do, and 2) it’s the driving force that keeps them turning up and working hard each day.
While some of your team members might get their motivation from within, others will find it in external factors that their employers can either provide or influence.
The difference between internal and external motivation
Internal or ‘intrinsic’ motivation is the drive to do a job because it makes you feel good, interested, challenged – or some other positive sensation that comes from within.
External or or ‘extrinsic’ motivation is when an employee performs their role because it brings some kind of reward from the outside world – eg. pay, praise or promotion.
Why is employee motivation important in healthcare?
Organisations that work to understand their employees’ motivations, and create a positive working environment that helps them stay motivated, can enjoy a number of benefits:
- Higher staff retention and lower turnover costs
- Lower staff sickness and absenteeism rates
- Better quality work and higher productivity
- Improved creativity and problem-solving skills
- Greater teamwork and company engagement.
Finding and keeping good staff, complying with the CQC’s strict standards, delivering exceptional care as a team – all of this requires people who feel driven and engaged.
So, strong motivation is clearly a crucial factor in a high-performing social care team.
But how do you know what motivates your care employees?
What motivates your social care team: 7 Highly common employee motivators
The following list isn’t exhaustive, and not all employees are motivated by the same things. Some will have multiple driving forces, while others may be inspired by one factor alone.
But here are seven of the most common motivators for social care workers.
1) Make a difference
A US study into what makes healthcare workers stay in their jobs revealed that their employer’s authentic commitment to providing quality, person-centred care is key.
Wanting to make a difference is why many people get into healthcare in the first place. Do your values, mission and culture align with this goal? If yes, expect to reap the benefits.
2) Pay the bills
Experts in motivation think of pay as a ‘hygiene’ factor. In other words, satisfactory pay alone can’t act as a motivator, but unsatisfactory pay can be a prime cause of demotivation.
Nevertheless, care staff expect their commitment to be rewarded with pay that allows more than just ‘getting by’. Employers who can’t deliver shouldn’t be surprised by low motivation.
3) Become a better carer
Many of us are motivated by setting and meeting goals. For healthcare professionals, having confidence in their skills and knowing they’re becoming better carers all the time is vital.
Want to take a shortcut to high motivation? Put continuous learning and professional development at the heart of your culture – and give people regular opportunities to grow.
4) Balance work and life
For some, the flexibility of care work is an essential part of its attractiveness. Shifts allow them to meet important needs away from work, which keeps them highly motivated at work.
Avoid one of the big workplace demotivators by getting people’s conditions right. Routinely asking staff to jeopardise their work/life balance and wellbeing is not a good strategy.
5) Feel appreciated and recognised
Appreciation is a hugely underrated workplace motivator. And in social care, one UK study suggests that employees value spontaneous praise almost as highly as financial reward.
Do you celebrate and reward contribution? Do you praise and thank staff regularly? There’s a direct line from these simple acts of appreciation to your team’s motivation levels.
6) Develop a career
Some people find a professional level that suits them just fine, without feeling the need for further career progression. Others? Improvement isn’t enough; they need advancement, too.
Those who want to move up the ladder need proof that your organisation is the place to do it. Do you plan career progression with your team, and develop future managers internally?
7) Form strong personal bonds
Whether it’s with those in their care, their managers or their peers, the attachments they form at work are the most meaningful part of the job for some of your employees.
Is your working environment one that fosters strong teamwork in the pursuit of person centred care? Never forget that human relationships are at the core of what you do.
How to uncover a team member’s motivations
Nothing beats asking people what they value as a way to uncover motivation. It really can be that simple. The trick is figuring out how to then deliver on those needs, if possible.
Use your weekly 1-2-1 catch-ups to talk generally about motivation in their personal and professional lives, as well as more specifically about how they’re feeling this week.
Here are a few questions that could guide your conversations:
- What did you do at work this week that made you feel proud?
- What’s important to you away from work? Do you get enough time for it?
- How happy are you at work, on a scale of 1 to 10? What could make you happier?
- If one thing could improve our workplace culture, what would it be?
- What’s your favourite thing about being an employee here?
Also, small and regular surveys can be a great way to keep tabs on current motivation levels. Why not start with a simple survey on the motivational factors above?
For example, you could ask employees to agree or disagree with the following statements on a scale of 1-5, regarding their previous month at work:
- I received praise, recognition or feedback from a manager or colleague
- I made a positive difference to the lives of the people within my care
- I became a better carer by undertaking professional learning or training
- I had a good balance in my personal and professional commitments.
