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Tips for Motivating IT Workers?

Posted by Cliff on from the if-speeches-don't-work-try-burning-bushes dept.

RexCelestis asks: "I work for a small (35 employees) tech company that provides consulting and software to law firms of all sizes. Last year, our company moved from rewards based on the fulfillment of personal goals to a more general reward, based almost strictly on sales. Outside of the sales staff, very few of us have felt motivated by this plan. As we near the annual meeting, I'd like to offer a few alternative methods to help motivate employees outside of sales. Can anyone offer any suggestions to help drive a development team, support staff, and/or consulting group towards greater success?"

2 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. There is no IT in MoTIvate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    When Paul Newman asked Hitchcock about the motivation of his
    character in 'Torn Curtain', Hitchcock is reported to have replied,
    "Your motivation, Mr Newman, is the $250,000 you're being paid."

  2. Motivation and Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    At least one study has shown that providing increased monetary rewards will encourage staff to become money-hungry.

    Motivation often works best when you can provide varied rewards. It is quite natural to receive a $1000 bonus one year, and think "Great!" and then receive another $1000 the following year and think "So I didn't improve at all?" even though your actual salary may have improved. And of course it's even worse if the second year bonus is $700...

    Sales staff are often in the game because they are money driven, or have been trained to be, and this can be a problem when the company is being run by one, because they will often find it difficult to understand that other people might actually like to (e.g.) spend 1-2 hours a week working on free software, or have better coffee in the office, or have the office provide lunches, or childcare, or parking, or table-tennis.

    I doubt if there's an easy answer for you. Are the rewards legitimately shared, or is it desirable to conspicuously reward some people over others? That can also be dangerous and demotivating for the less recognised (who are also not necessarily less-deserving).

    I hope this gives you some food for thought, but I unfortunately doubt that you will get any real help from slashdot. Witness the clueless money-grubbing turkey who currently has top mod points on this thread :-(

    Maybe read some respected motivational theories, starting with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, then Herzberg's theory of Motivators and Hygienes and moving on through Carl Rogers' stuff (hopefully fairly quickly)... and so on. There is good understanding to be gleaned from all of these.

    Good luck!