Employee Recognition

Balancing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators for Long-Term Employee Engagement

Achieving Sustainable Employee Motivation and Productivity

Are you tired of seeing your team's motivation and productivity levels plummet? Fear not, for I have gathered some incredible insights from Founders and CEOs who know the secret formula to keep employees engaged and performing at their best. From investing in employee growth to acknowledging accomplishments and valuing progress, we've got you covered. Get ready to discover the top 10 strategies that will keep your team motivated for the long haul. Let's dive in and take your team to the next level!

Photo by Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash

• Invest in Employee Growth
• Mission-Driven Culture and Rewards
• Personal Brand Ownership and Recognition
• Value Employees and Personalize Rewards
• Combine Performance Bonuses with Growth Opportunities
• Tap into Inner Drive and Offer Incentives
• Tailor Motivation to Team Aspirations
• Empower and Recognize Team Innovations
• Personalize Career Development and Acknowledge Success
• Acknowledge Accomplishments and Value Progress

Invest in Employee Growth

We invest in our employees! We acknowledge the reality that we know they will not be with our company forever — we know they will one day move on, and that's okay. We want employees to view their time with us as an opportunity but also a springboard. For example, we will invest in training for an employee that will benefit our business in the present, but the big picture is that it is more likely to benefit their next employer when they move on. We still feel that it's a win, and although it does sometimes backfire, most of the time, it creates sustained loyalty.

Emily Dills, Founder, Seattle Nanny Network, Inc.

Mission-Driven Culture and Rewards

In my journey as the CEO and founder of BlueSky Wealth Advisors, balancing intrinsic and extrinsic motivators has been a cornerstone of fostering a productive, engaged, and long-term dedicated team. From my experiences, establishing a mission-driven culture that aligns with individual passions and goals is a significant intrinsic motivator. Meanwhile, acknowledging individual and team achievements through public recognition and rewards addresses extrinsic motivations effectively.

For example, we implemented an initiative where team members contribute to shaping our community outreach programs. This empowered them and allowed them to engage with causes they were passionate about, thus fulfilling an intrinsic need to make a difference. Coupling this with tangible rewards, such as performance bonuses and extra vacation days for outstanding contributions to these projects, created a holistic motivation strategy. This approach has amplified our team's productivity and deepened their connection to our firm's values and mission, driving long-term engagement.

Moreover, my involvement in coaching youth sports has reinforced the value of recognizing both effort and outcome. Similar to coaching, in the workplace, I've found that celebrating small wins and providing constructive feedback promotes continuous improvement and fosters a positive environment. Balancing intrinsic values, such as personal growth and a sense of belonging, with extrinsic rewards, like bonuses and career advancement opportunities, has proven to be effective in keeping our team motivated and focused on delivering exceptional service to our clients.

David Blain, CFA, Chief Executive Officer, BlueSky Wealth Advisors

Personal Brand Ownership and Recognition

In my decades of experience across various industries, managing teams, and leading my own company, OneStop Northwest LLC, I've found that achieving the right mixture of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators is more of an art than a strict formula. Integrating my understanding of corporate brand management into motivating my team has been particularly effective. For instance, emphasizing the value of personal and professional brand ownership serves as a strong intrinsic motivator. This approach encourages employees to align their personal values with those of the company, fostering a deep sense of purpose and pride in their work.

On the extrinsic side, recognizing contributions in meaningful ways — beyond just monetary rewards — has proven to increase motivation significantly. Inspired by the project management and collaboration successes we've had with implementing Zoho applications at OneStop Northwest, I introduced a system where team contributions are acknowledged through professional development opportunities, such as workshops or software training that aid in their personal growth and efficiency. This boosts their skill set and morale, showing the company's investment in their future.

A particularly impactful example was a project that required cross-departmental collaboration. The team exceeded our expectations, not only in terms of deliverables but also in fostering a cooperative work culture. The shared sense of achievement and contribution to the company's vision heightened intrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation was addressed by recognizing their success in a company-wide meeting and providing additional resources tailored to each team member's professional interests. This dual approach reinforced their value within the company, encouraging sustained engagement and productivity. By aligning individual passions with the company's objectives and recognizing achievements meaningfully, we've cultivated an environment where motivation thrives on both levels.

Dylan Cleppe, Co-Founder and CEO, OneStop Northwest LLC

Value Employees and Personalize Rewards

In my experience, the most effective balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators involves creating a culture where employees feel genuinely valued and part of something bigger than themselves while also recognizing their efforts tangibly. For instance, at Weekender Management, we incorporate intrinsic motivators by involving our team in decision-making processes and emphasizing their role in our collective success. This approach has fostered a strong sense of belonging and investment in the company's future, leading to higher engagement and productivity.

Externally, we've had great success with personalized recognition programs. Instead of generic bonuses, we tailor rewards to each employee's preferences or needs, such as extra days off, customized gifts, or opportunities for personal development. This strategy boosts morale and demonstrates our deep appreciation for their individual contributions.

A specific example that comes to mind is when we transitioned our marketing strategy at Weekender Management. We involved the entire team in brainstorming sessions, allowing them to contribute ideas and strategies. This empowered them by giving them ownership over the project and led to innovative solutions that significantly increased our brand engagement.

Coupling this with performance-based bonuses tied to the success of the campaign provided both the intrinsic motivation of being part of a successful team and the extrinsic reward of financial gain. This dual approach maximized productivity and reinforced a culture of achievement and recognition.

Garrett Ham, CEO, Weekender Management

“Empower your team through personal growth, recognize their accomplishments, and ensure that their values align with your company’s mission to achieve sustained motivation and productivity.” — Annette Harris

Combine Performance Bonuses with Growth Opportunities

In my experience in the people and culture field, I've learned that finding the right balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators is essential. Employees are motivated by tangible rewards and internal fulfillment, so it's important to address both aspects. This means offering competitive salaries and benefits to meet external needs while fostering autonomy, mastery, and purpose within the organization to tap into their intrinsic motivation.

To portray this further, consider the following example: Organizations can implement a performance-based bonus system alongside opportunities for skill development and allow employees to select projects aligned with their passions. This approach creates an environment where external incentives and personal fulfillment contribute to long-term engagement and productivity.

Darsha Patel, Associate Consultant, NamanHR

Tap into Inner Drive and Offer Incentives

Finding that sweet spot between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is huge for keeping your team pumped in the long run. From my experience, you can't just rely on external rewards like bonuses and praise, as motivating as those can be. The real key is tapping into people's inner drive — giving them challenging work that resonates with their values, a sense of autonomy over their projects, and opportunities for professional growth.

At the same time, you want to pay attention to the extrinsic side. Pairing those intrinsic motivators with fair compensation, performance-based incentives, and public recognition for big wins can be a powerful one-two punch.

One cool example I've seen is tech companies giving developers dedicated time to work on their own passion projects. They get to flex their creativity, learn new skills, and scratch that innate itch to build cool stuff — all while still moving the company's mission forward. With that kind of setup, plus mentorship opportunities and internal mobility, you're really fueling both the intrinsic desire to grow and the extrinsic desire for career advancement.

Zachary Bernard, Founder, We Feature You PR

Tailor Motivation to Team Aspirations

Finding the right equilibrium between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators is akin to crafting a bespoke suit: It must be tailored to fit the unique contours of your team's aspirations and the organizational culture. At Zibtek, we've navigated this balance by integrating both motivators into our engagement strategy. We recognize that while extrinsic rewards like bonuses and promotions can spark immediate engagement, intrinsic rewards foster a deeper, more sustainable commitment.

A Balanced Approach:

Our strategy pivots on the understanding that while extrinsic rewards can effectively recognize achievements and foster a competitive spirit, they don't necessarily nurture a love for the work itself or a deep connection to the company's mission. Conversely, intrinsic motivators — such as personal growth opportunities, meaningful work, and autonomy — cultivate a genuine passion and loyalty that transcends the allure of external rewards.

Real-Life Application:

A standout example of this balance in action at Zibtek involved a software development project that required innovative solutions under tight deadlines. Extrinsic motivators were initially deployed, promising bonuses for timely completion. However, we quickly complemented these with intrinsic motivators. We emphasized the project's impact, allowing team members to solve complex problems and contribute significantly to client success. Moreover, we afforded them autonomy in how they approached the project, fostering a sense of ownership and creativity.

The Outcome:

The project was completed on time and exceeded client expectations in innovation and quality. The team's engagement levels soared, not just from the promise of a bonus but also from the satisfaction of overcoming challenging problems and making a meaningful impact. This experience underscored the power of blending intrinsic motivators with extrinsic rewards to foster a motivated, engaged, and productive team.

Conclusion:

Balancing intrinsic and extrinsic motivators is crucial for long-term employee engagement and productivity. At Zibtek, this balance has enabled us to achieve immediate goals and build a culture of passion, loyalty, and innovation. The key lies in recognizing and nurturing the inherent drive within employees to learn, grow, and contribute to something meaningful, complemented by tangible rewards that recognize their achievements.

Cache Merrill, Founder, Zibtek

Empower and Recognize Team Innovations

Use extrinsic motivators to provide a sense of autonomy, competence, or relatedness, which serve as intrinsic motivators. We structure our extrinsic motivators, like bonuses and public recognition, to empower our Torokhity Weightlifting team in their pursuit of continuous development, which also acts as intrinsic motivators. We have an 'Innovator of the Year' in-house recognition program.

We encourage team members to propose new improvements or ideas in our offerings each year. The winner, selected by a company-wide vote, receives a bonus and public recognition. The true reward lies in seeing their idea implemented, which contributes to their sense of autonomy and competence. It strengthens their connection to their purpose and community, thus successfully reinforcing intrinsic motivation under a system of extrinsic rewards.

Oleksiy Torokhtiy, Founder, Torokhtiy Weightlifting

Personalize Career Development and Acknowledge Success

In the bustling world of truck and trailer sales and services at Apple Truck and Trailer, striking the right balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for our team has been instrumental in fueling long-term engagement and productivity. From my experiences, I've learned that recognizing individual achievements and fostering a culture of growth are vital components of employee satisfaction and efficiency.

A particularly effective strategy we've employed revolves around personalized career development opportunities coupled with public acknowledgment of individual and team successes. For example, we've initiated a program where employees are rewarded with specialized training sessions that enhance their skills and align with their professional aspirations. This approach serves as an intrinsic motivator by offering personal growth and enrichment, increasing their commitment and passion for their work. We also introduced a 'Sales Achievement of the Month' award to complement this, providing extrinsic motivation through public recognition and financial bonuses for outstanding performance. This dual strategy boosts morale and reinforces the value of their contributions to the company's objectives.

Anecdotal evidence from our own team suggests that this blend of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators significantly elevates performance levels. For instance, after launching the specialized training rewards, we observed a remarkable uptick in innovative problem-solving approaches among our sales team, directly contributing to a 20% increase in sales over the ensuing quarter.

This demonstrates the potent impact of a well-balanced motivational strategy, underpinning the importance of recognizing and nurturing team members' professional and personal aspirations. Through such initiatives, we've fostered a highly motivated workforce, driven not only by the prospect of rewards but also by a genuine passion for their work and a deep-seated sense of belonging within the company.

Michael Sensano, Sales Manager, Apple Truck and Trailer

Acknowledge Accomplishments and Value Progress

In the dynamic legal practice environment, balancing intrinsic and extrinsic motivators has been a pivotal aspect of maintaining an engaged and productive team. From my experience, an essential strategy has been fostering a culture where accomplishments are acknowledged, and individual progress is valued, which addresses both types of motivators.

For instance, we implemented a "Highlight of the Month" feature within our practice, recognizing exceptional contributions not just in terms of achieving goals but also in embodying our core values like innovation, teamwork, and client service. This approach has provided intrinsic motivation by making team members feel valued for their unique contributions, boosting morale, and fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. Regarding extrinsic motivation, we complement these acknowledgments with tangible rewards, such as bonus days off, gift cards, or opportunities for further professional development tailored to each individual's career path and interests.

One memorable example was when a team member went above and beyond to assist in a high-stakes case, contributing to a positive outcome for our client and demonstrating exceptional dedication and teamwork. Recognizing this, we celebrated their contribution in our team meeting and awarded them with a professional development opportunity they had been eyeing, which aligned with their career aspirations. This motivated that particular employee and set a precedent that hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed, reinforcing both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators within our team's culture.

Justie Nicol, CEO, Colorado Lawyer Team

To sum it all up!

Balancing intrinsic and extrinsic motivators is crucial for fostering a productive, engaged, and dedicated team. By acknowledging contributions in meaningful ways and recognizing personal and professional brand ownership, employees can align their personal values with those of the company, fostering a deep sense of purpose and pride in their work.