by Jerry Mooney
Any good business owner knows that motivating their workforce is one of the most important parts of their job. Without productive employees, you don’t really have a well-functioning business. But the mistake that a lot of bosses make is thinking that they can motivate everybody in the same way. That’s never going to work because everybody is different and we all have different priorities. We’ll all respond to different incentives and something that motivates one person might not be effective on their coworkers. Luckily, the majority of employees can be broken down into one of 7 categories. Understanding the different types of employee and how to motivate them is the key to being a successful boss.
The Expert
The expert is, above all, a person that wants to learn. They’re constantly looking for ways to expand their knowledge and learn new skills. They’re a huge asset to your company if you take advantage of that. However, if you don’t give them an environment with plenty of opportunities for personal development and progression, they’ll quickly become bored. They won’t do well if they’re just performing the same tasks day in, day out. You need to be providing them with constant training opportunities, which works in your favour too. The expert will be willing to take on other roles outside of their normal duties as long as you give them the knowledge that they need. For example, you could send them on a first aid course to get a bls certification and make them your resident first aider (which every company legally has to have). It’s far better than picking somebody who is reluctant to do the job. You can also give them extra training in health and safety so they can fill that role too. They’re also motivated by the opportunity to pass knowledge onto others and help them to be better, more effective employees. So you should give them training, but also enlist their help when you’re training other members of staff. When it comes to setting them goals, they love a challenge. If you’re setting them targets that they can hit easily, they’ll quickly get bored. Push their boundaries and they’ll constantly be improving and increasing their contribution to the company.
The Social Butterfly
These are people that thrive on social interaction with others. They work best when they have a good working relationship with their coworkers both inside and outside the office. This quality makes them a great team player which is always a bonus in any company. When you’re assigning them work, any group projects or other tasks that involve collaborating with other members of staff are perfect. If you need somebody to liaise with another department, you should definitely pick this person. When you’re trying to motivate them, you should put on social events for employees and try to foster a friendly atmosphere around the office. However, you should keep an eye on them and make sure that their love of socializing isn’t interfering with their work.
The Free Spirit
Some employees like an environment where they get a lot of direction about what they should be doing and how they should be doing it. The free spirit is the complete opposite. They want freedom and independence in the workplace so they can find their own way of working effectively. Any roles where they get the chance to use their own judgment on a regular basis are perfect for them. The best way to motivate them is to speak to them about the goals of the company and then delegate work to them. Leave them to it and put your trust in them, they’ll find the most productive way to do their job without your input. You should never micro manage the free spirit, it’ll only get on their nerves and they won’t want to do things your way. They also don’t do well in a position that has a lot of strict processes because they hate bureaucracy. You do, however, need to set clear boundaries for them to work in so they’re setting their own schedule and doing things their own way, but within reason.
The Defender
The defender is on the opposite end of the spectrum to the free spirit. This person values stability, direction and security above all else. They want an employer that will give them clear goals, a strict schedule and a clear career trajectory. If left to their own devices, they won’t know where to start and they’ll be very productive. They aren’t well suited to creative roles, they do much better in more repetitive roles like admin or accounting etc. where they’re performing the same set of tasks each day. The best way to motivate the defender is to communicate with them properly. Let them know exactly what you expect of them at all times and tell them whether you’re happy with the way that they’re doing things or not. You should also send them regular emails about the performance of the country as a whole because they like to be kept in the loop. They also value security so you shouldn’t put them in a role with flexible hours or a part time contract, they won’t be effective at all if you do.
The High Achiever
The main motivation for the high achiever is personal recognition. They want to earn the respect of their boss and their coworkers and they want to be rewarded for their hard work. Knowing exactly where everybody stands on the pecking order is important to them because they like to compare themselves to others all the time. That’s why they’re best suited to companies and departments that have a strict hierarchy where everybody has defined roles. A more fluid office environment where people take on different aspects of different roles doesn’t work for them at all. They also like to have visible rewards for their hard work as well as their position in the company. Things like a pay raise, a company car or other benefits are the easiest way to motivate these people. You need to pander to their need to be recognized by letting them head up important projects and conducting regular performance reviews with them. Make sure that the rest of the staff are aware of their rewards for good work. If they can’t show off a bit, they won’t put the work in.
The Materialist
There is only one motivation for this person; money. Above all else, they want to earn a high wage and live an above average lifestyle. They’re constantly looking for a way to move forward so if you don’t give them a clear avenue for promotion, their productivity will soon start to suffer. When you’re setting them goals, you need to link them to rewards, especially financial ones. Their strong focus on money and material goals makes them the perfect candidate for any commission based job, especially sales. If they know that there is a chance to earn more money, they’ll work a lot harder. Giving them a pay increase is another good way to motivate them, just be careful that you’re not doing it too often, otherwise, they’ll come to expect it and they won’t work for it anymore.
The Helper
The helper is the polar opposite to the materialist; their main priority when they’re at work is doing something meaningful and helping other people, whether that be employees or members of the public. They don’t mind how much they’re getting paid as long as they feel that they’re spending their time doing something important that gives back to society. As you’d expect, they work well in charities but that doesn’t mean you won’t find them in your business. When you’re trying to decide on a role, areas like corporate social responsibility and HR are ideal for them. They’re also motivated by feeling that their work is making a difference to the company as a whole. When you’re trying to set them goals, link them to the overall vision of the company, rather than just their department and they’ll work a lot harder. Giving them regular praise so they feel as though they are valued is important too.
If you treat all of these different types of employee in the same way, you’re not going to get the best out of them. What you need to do is make sure that you get to know them a bit, ask them what they’re looking to get out of their job and ask what their priorities in life are. You’ll get a better idea of which of these categories they fit into and then you can start taking the right steps to motivate them. Each personality type brings something different to the company so when you’re hiring new people, think about which is best for the position in question and take notice of the personalities of the candidates during the interview. If you do that, you’ll have a well rounded team that are highly motivated and your business will be far more productive.
