ALT-2 Motivating Employees is Money or Recognition more Appreciated – Recognition
Money is an important motivator, but it only goes so far. After a while, a check alone isn't enough to spur us to accomplish even more at our job. While it is true that money is the primary reason we work, money is not really a sign of appreciation because it's something we are owed for the job we do. While we would all love to have jobs that we would do even if we weren't paid for it, that's simply not reality for most of us. Still, there is more to life than money, and employees need more than a paycheck to feel like their company values them.
The need for recognition is easily as strong as the need for money in many ways. And I believe positive recognition is more appreciated by employees because it is something we experienced long before we even knew what money was. As children, we tried to do things that would gain praise from our parents (finishing our vegetables, cleaning our room, not shaving the hair off the cat). This behavior usually occurred well before we reached the age of receiving an allowance.
As we got older, we strove for good grades at least in part for recognition, both from our parents and our peers. While some kids may have been paid a small amount for each A, that wasn't what motivated them. Getting your name on the honor roll, posted for all the school to see, meant more than a few bucks from your parents. That list told the school that you were special. That type of recognition is why Olympic athletes trained for years and competed so fiercely even before the days when they were paid to do so. The gold medal was motivation enough.
This has carried over into our work lives for several reasons. One is that, as I said above, recognition is a very basic need. Furthermore, in business our salaries are very seldom known to our co-workers. Therefore, being recognized by our bosses or our peers is one of the few ways in which we can stand out from the crowd. This brings out our competitive spirit and serves as a strong motivator.
It is said that flex time and comp time are the two biggest incentives you can give employees. I think that something as simple as a certificate of appreciation may be even more important to them. I know that when I was in the military, we would do unbelievably foolhardy things in hopes of getting a tiny ribbon or medal. Recognition isn't only appreciated, it's absolutely necessary.
