How is one employee motivated differently to another? Do they both share the same response to the same style of recognition or reward? Why is it that a simple pay rise can lead to greater fulfillment to some in the team and yet not seem to entirely satisfy others.

According to research and validated psychological inventories, as individuals, we are all motived by different drivers, in differing degrees. HOGAN INVENTORIES ® which measures an individual’s values and motives divide these themes into our different – beliefs, lifestyle preferences, aversions, preferred associates (types of colleagues and friends) and preferred work occupations.

The HOGAN INVENTORIES ten scales of motives and values are the following –

• Recognition- A desire to be known and visible
• Power – The desire to succeed and outperform the competition
• Hedonism – The pursuit of fun and excitement
• Altruistic – A desire to help others and better humanity
• Affiliation – Needing and enjoying frequent and varied social contact and interaction
• Tradition – A belief in old fashion values such as family, thrift and hard work
• Security – a need for predictability and structure
• Commerce – An interest in earning money and realizing profits
• Aesthetics- A need for self-expression, and a dedication to quality
• Science- An interest in science, and preferred date based rather than intuitive decisions.

Surely then it stands to reason, that employees who have different degrees of intensity in each of these motives, will seek and respond to reward and recognition accordingly. For some, the reward of a job well done might be further security, whereas for others it might be the ability to practice more self-expression and freedom to explore.  Those members of your team who lean towards power as a motive might prefer to receive the conspicuous signs of success, such as the larger office or the upgraded car, whereas to others their satisfaction may lie in being offered the opportunity to mentor a colleague.

How do your team members profile?  Can you tailor make your reward and recognition scheme to suit their individual motives and values?

Ask, explore  – and the evidence will be very easy to find.  Implement accordingly, and your team will be fulfilled and super productive.