Employee Motivation

Motivating Employees – Empowered and Appreciated

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Amanda Shank stated that she has worked for companies where she felt the owners just didn’t care. She also stated that those previous employers treated the employees as “just a number and that anyone could be replaced at any time”. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, Amanda’s old boss failed to meet three of the five basic needs. The first need that was not met was Safety. Because Amanda felt like she was “just a number and replaceable at any time”, she was in fear of losing her job. There are many things that are tied to this basic need and if not met, the employee will simply not be productive due to being preoccupied with the notion of losing the position. The employer must satisfy this basic need with all employees to get the employees to “buy in” to what the company believes in and be productive.

The second basic need that was not met would be Esteem. Employees that are in constant fear typically have low self-esteem and generally, this is directly linked to confidence. If a person lacks confidence, how can they make good business decisions? Low self-esteem can be problematic because it can lead to depression which, in turn, means low productivity. However, even if they do have low self-esteem and lack confidence they can be respected by others and be respected by others by being good at what they do.

The last basic need that failed to be met was Self-actualization. This basic need must be met if the employer wants/needs the employees to “think outside the box” and be at the top of their game. If the four basic needs prior to this need is met, then the employee has all the right ingredients to become a successful part of the organization. They will be productive and creative. A shining star among the staff and if it were my company, I would want all of my employees to be empowered and feel appreciated.

All that really needs to be done here to meet these needs is to care about...