New Globoforce Study Pinpoints Three Big Mistakes Companies Make When Motivating Employees

The Globoforce Work Human Research Institute recently asked 2,700 American workers to name what motivates them at work . . . and what demotivates them too.Based on the study, the Institute identified what it calls the Three Biggest Performance Management Mistakes . . . Mistake #1: Rarely, if Ever, Talking to Employees about Performance The study found that 19% of employees like to get feedback in scheduled meetings, 20% like to get it in annual reviews . . . but that 60% like to get feedback continuously, as events occur. The lesson? The more you talk to employees about their performance as things happen on the job, the greater their motivation becomes.Mistake #2: Relying too Much on Managers to Motivate Employees  The study found that teams can play a bigger role in motivating employees than their bosses do. Why? Because 65% of employees report that their coworkers know more about what they are doing than their managers do. Motivation and encouragement work best when they are “crowdsourced” from a combination of bosses, peers and company leaders.Mistake #3: Withholding Rewards  The study found that 58% of employees find “in-the-moment,” immediate rewards for good work more motivational than annual bonuses. The lesson? Immediate rewards offer the kind of ongoing motivation that keeps workers engaged.The Tie-In with IngagementWe believe the findings of the Globoforce survey tie in closely with what we have found in our work at Ingage Consulting. Regular feedback and encouragement are a very big part of what it takes to keep employees motivated and engaged.