Q&a: Find Out What Motivates Your Employees.
November 22nd, 2008

Motivation is essential in the workplace. It is your job as a manger to motivate your employees. To do this one must learn what kinds of things will motivate them as each person is motivated in different ways. If you were to ask an employee or an applicant "What motivates you?" You might find that it is a hard question to answer. Sometimes it is more effective to ask other types of questions in which the answers give you clues as to what kinds of things motivate a person. One of the most effective times to find out these things begins with the first meeting. During an initial job interview you can find out a lot about a potential employee. These are some good questions to ask employees in order to find out what motivates them to do a better job.

"Describe an ideal working environment for you"

This question will tell you a lot about whether a potential employee is a good fit for your company. This will tell you if your future employee will be more suited for a desk job, a job in which he or she primarily would prefer to work in groups or alone, or perhaps if they would prefer to work outside or in the field. This question can tell you a lot about what kind of environment your employee will work the most efficiently in.

"Imagine that in the future, ten years from now, you are receiving an award. What would the award be for? What is the award and under what circumstances did you receive the award?"

A question like this one will tell you about what kinds of goals that the person has for himself. Also it will tell you what is meaningful to that person. One person might say that he is a great manager which would indicate that advancement is something that might motivate this person. Another person might say that he or she is receiving an award for community service, which might indicate that the person is motivated by helping others. This type of question can be worded a bit differently, but the outcome is the same, you will be able to tell what the goals of the person are which is an excellent way to determine what motivates that person.

"What goals outside of work have you set?"

This is a great question that will allow you to become more familiar with what types of things motivate a person outside of work. This question is different from asking what kinds of career goals that the person might have set since at times a person is inclined to say things they think you might want to hear. This question is different in that people are less likely to do that. Maybe they are setting personal goals such as, losing weight or being a better husband or wife. These kinds of answers would indicate that family and personal happiness is motivating to this person. Perhaps they want to climb a mountain or go skydiving! These types of answers might indicate that the person is motivated by new and exciting challenges.

"When you are ready to retire, what one thing would you have achieved in order to feel that you were successful in your job?"

This question will let you know to some extent what the person defines as successful. One person might say that if they had came to work on time and did the best they could do everyday then they have been successful. Another person might say that if they had saved enough money for retirement then they will feel successful. The idea of success is truly an indicator of what kinds of things motivate a person.

"Tell me about a time when you motivated another person on the job."

When a person can tell you about what motivated another person, especially if they were the ones doing the motivating, then you will know that they are "motivatable". In other words they are able to move forward. They are able to be motivated to work harder to achieve goals set either by the company or personally.

Use these questions to get clues into what kinds of things will be motivators for your employees. They will also help you to see what kind of job that is best suited for the individual. A job that is a perfect fit for an employee is a job in which that employee will be happy and motivate others around them

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