Career motivation test - theoretical background, test structure and validation study highlights

1. Career Motivation
Test
Presentation by Ilona Jerabek, PhD
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2. About PsychTests
 Meat = development and validation of
psychometric assessments
 Gravy = satellite products facilitating
delivery of the assessments
 Side dish = compatibility systems, HR
consulting, training and coaching
 Desert = fun tests and quizzes
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3. About PsychTests
 Online since 1996
 More than 100 professional tests
 Career
 Personality
 Intelligence
 Sports
 Attitudes and beliefs
 Health
 Relationships
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4. Workshop Plan
 Introduction
 Various purposes of using assessments
 Motivators
 Theoretical background
 Overview of the main motivators covered in the Career Motivation
Test and how to manage employees according to their main
motivators
 Common combinations of motivators and how they play out in the
dynamics of everyday work life
 Validation of the Career Motivation Test
 Summary of results from studies
 Tidbits and insights
 Question period and discussion
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5. You can lead a horse to water, but
you can’t make him drink …
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6. Importance of Motivation
 Improves
 Performance
 Productivity
 Efficiency
 Engagement
 Morale
 Quality orientation and customer focus
 Facilitates adaptation to change
 Increases job satisfaction
 Decreases turnover and absenteeism
 Decreases undesirable behaviors
 Time theft
 Cyberloafing
 Cheating and theft
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7. Why and when use assessments
 Pre-hire evaluation
 Engagement strategies
 Management insight
 How to manage an individual
 Matching with teams & managers
 Development of policies, fringe benefits etc.
 Personal development
 Career development and planning
 Succession planning
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8. Theoretical Background
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9. Definitions
 Motivation is the activation or energizing of goal-
orientated behavior
 A number of theories attempt to explain and classify
motivation
 According to various theories, motivation
 may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and
maximize pleasure,
 may be fueled by a deficiency in satisfaction of specific needs
such as eating and resting,
 may be driven by a desire for an object, goal, state of being, or
an ideal,
 or may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism,
selfishness, morality, or avoiding mortality.
Source: Wikipedia
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10. The Candle Problem
Task:
Fix a lighted candle on a
wall (a cork board) in a
way so the candle wax
won't drip onto the table
below
Materials provided:
 Candle
 Box of thumbtacks
 Book of matches
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11. The Candle Problem (Sam Glucksberg )
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12. Soma-cube experiment Deci (1971)
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13. 13

14. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
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15. 15

16. Alderfer’s ERG Theory
 Variation on Maslow’s theory
 3 factors:
 Existence – lower order needs (physiological and
safety needs)
 Relatedness – middle order needs (belongingness
and external component of self-esteem needs)
 Growth – higher level needs (intrinsic component of
self-esteem and self-actualization)
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17. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Hygiene factors: don’t motivate if satisfied, but will
demotivate if unsatisfied
 Pay and benefits (financial rewards)
 Company policy and administration
 Relationship with co-workers
 Working conditions
 Status
 Job security
 Work-life balance
 Supervision
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18. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Hygiene factors (cont.)
 Supervision
 Micromanagement
 Lack of direction
 Lack of recognition
 Public reprimand
 Chain of command (ambiguity of roles, conflicting requests,
serving multiple bosses, conflicts between managers)
 Unfair division of work
 Nepotism and favoritism
 Excessive executive pay
 Frequent changes in standard operating procedures (moving target)
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19. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
 Motivators
 Achievement
 Recognition
 Work Itself
 Responsibility
 Advancement/Promotion
 Growth
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20. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
 Key findings as a result of this identification
 Bad environment can result in dissatisfaction, but good environment is
usually taken for granted and thus doesn’t have much impact on
satisfaction.
 The prevention of dissatisfaction is just as important as encouragement
of motivator satisfaction.
 Hygiene factors operate independently of motivation factors. An
individual can be highly motivated in his work and be dissatisfied with
his work environment.
 All hygiene factors are equally important, although their frequency of
occurrence differs considerably.
 Hygiene improvements have short-term effects on motivation. Any
improvements result in a short-term removal of, or prevention of,
dissatisfaction.
 Hygiene needs are cyclical in nature and come back to a starting point.
This leads to the "What have you done for me lately?" syndrome.
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21. Adams’ Equity Theory
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22. Adams’ Equity Theory
 Inputs  Outcomes
 Time  Job security
 Effort  Esteem
 Loyalty  Salary
 Hard Work  Employee benefit
 Commitment  Expenses
 Ability  Recognition
 Adaptability  Reputation
 Flexibility  Responsibility
 Tolerance  Sense of achievement
 Determination  Praise
 Enthusiasm  Thanks
 Personal sacrifice  Stimuli
 Trust in superiors
 Support from co-workers and
colleagues
 Skill
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23. Adams’ Equity Theory
 Employees expect a fair return for what they
contribute to their jobs, a concept referred to
as the “equity norm”.
 Employees determine what their equitable
return by “social comparison” – they
compare their inputs and outcomes with
those of their coworkers.
 Individuals seek to maximize their outcomes
(where outcomes are defined as rewards
minus costs).
 Staff perceptions of inputs and outcomes of
themselves and others may be incorrect,
and perceptions need to be managed 23

24. Adams’ Equity Theory
 Employees who perceive themselves to be in an inequitable situation will
seek to reduce the inequity
 by distorting inputs and/or outcomes in their own minds (“cognitive distortion”),
 by directly altering inputs and/or outputs,
 or by leaving the organization.
 When individuals perceive inequitable relationships, they become
distressed - both the person who gets “too much” and the person who gets
“too little”.
 The person who gets too much may feel guilt or shame.
 The person who gets too little may feel angry or humiliated.
 Individuals who perceive that they are in an inequitable relationship
attempt to eliminate their distress by restoring equity.
 Those who feel under-compensated may work less, lower the effort, or even level
the playing field by other means (theft).
 Those who feel over-compensated may increase their effort. However they may
also adjust the values that they ascribes to their own personal inputs – can
develop a sense of superiority and actually decrease their efforts.
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25. Adams’ Equity Theory
E
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26. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
 Attempts to explain the mental processes related to
decisions to pursue goal-related behavior
 Postulates that
 behavior results from conscious choices among alternatives
whose purpose it is to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain
 employee's performance is based on individual factors such as
personality, skills, knowledge, experience and abilities
 Rewards
 should be directly related to performance
 Should be deserved and wanted by the recipients
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27. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
 Three variables:
 Valence (rating -10 to 10) - strength of an individual’s preference
for a particular outcome
 Instrumentality (rating 0 to 1.0) – perceived relationship between
performance and outcome (broken promises => low
instrumentality)
 Expectancy (rating 0 to 1.0) - strength of a person's belief about
whether or not a particular job performance is attainable
 The force of motivation is the product of these variables
 Motivation = (Valence * Instrumentality) Expectancy
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28. McGregor X and Y Theory
Companies managing according to Companies managing according to
Theory X believe that employees Theory Y believe that
 Dislike work, are inherently lazy and  Work can be as natural as play and
will avoid work if they can rest
 Have no ambition, avoid responsibility  People will be self-directed to meet
and would rather follow than lead their work objectives if they are
 Are self-centered and don’t care about committed to them
their job or the organization  People will be committed to their
 Resist change objectives if rewards are in place that
 The only way to motivate is by address higher needs such as self-
monetary rewards fulfillment
 Under these conditions, people will
seek responsibility
 Most people can handle responsibility
because creativity and ingenuity are
common in the population
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29. McLelland’s theory
 Focuses on an individual's desire  High N-Ach:
for significant accomplishment,  Choose moderately difficult task
mastering of skills, control, or high that are still challenging but within
standards reach
 Employees are not motivated by  Low N-Ach:
the mere need for money  Choose easy tasks to minimize
 Extrinsic motivation (e.g., money) risk of failure
could extinguish intrinsic  Choose very difficult tasks so that
motivation such as achievement failure is not embarrassing
motivation
 3 factors:
 Need for achievement
 Need for affiliation
 Need for power
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30. McLelland’s theory
 High in N-Pow  High N-Aff:
 Desire to establish and
 Desire to control
maintain friendly
others, influence their relations with others
behavior or be  Want to fit in and be
responsible for them liked by others
 Prefer work that has  Prefer work that
an impact on people involves interpersonal
and events and brings relationships, provides
public recognition and companionship (team
praise work) and that brings
social approval
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31. Goal-setting Theory (Edwin Locke)
 People are driven to reach a  Goal setting affects performance
clearly defined end state by
 This end state is a reward in itself  Focusing attention towards goal-
relevant activities and away from
 Goal efficiency is affected by: goal-irrelevant activities
 Proximity  Serving as an energizer; higher
 Difficulty goals will induce greater effort
 Specificity while low goals induce lesser
 Goal should be effort
 Affecting persistence
 Of moderate difficulty – not too
hard but not too easy (challenging  Activating cognitive resources -
but attainable knowledge and strategies which
 Objectively defined allow employees to cope with the
situation at hand
 Understandable for the person
 Clarifying performance
 Specific and measurable expectations
 Establishing a frame of reference
for feedback and self-evaluation
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32. Goal-setting Theory => Tips
 SMART goals: specific, measurable,
attainable, realistic, time-bound
 Set challenging but achievable goals
 Ensure buy-in – goal acceptance and
commitment
 Clarify goal priorities
 Give feedback on goal accomplishment
 Reward goal accomplishment
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33. Career Motivation Test
The scales and what they assess
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34. Motivators covered in the test
 Achievement  Recognition and
 Identity and Purpose Appreciation
 Independence/autonomy  Fun and Enjoyment
 Change and Variety  Power
 Creativity  Status
 Learning  Financial Reward
 Improvement  Balanced Lifestyle
 Inspiration  Mobility
 Social Factors  Stability
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35. Achievement
"I want to get ahead, and I am willing to make the
necessary sacrifices."
 Driven by a sense of
satisfaction at reaching goals
 Like to rise up to meet
challenges at work
 Energized by the opportunity
to move up or advance in their
career in some way
 Enjoy excelling at their chosen
endeavor
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36. Achievement
What works What irritates them
 Tasks they find personally  Not knowing what is expected of
challenging them
 Advancement within the company  Lack of alignment between
 Setting regular goals along with organizational goals and personal
concrete ways of measuring ones
progress  Lack of opportunities to improve
 Opportunities to introduce new skills
ideas  Stagnation
 Regular job evaluation/feedback  Lack of feedback about their
so that they know how they are performance
progressing  Lack of recognition
 Opportunities to develop new skills  Coworkers who are too laid back
and training in areas they are and not pulling their weight
interested in  Sharing credit with slackers, when
 Recognition for work well done
it comes to team work
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37. Identity and Purpose
“I am what I do for a living."
 Career is generally more than
just a job - it is, in fact,
important to their whole idea of
who they are and how they fit
into the world
 Their career and role in the
workplace give them a sense
of meaning and play a key role
in their personal identity
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38. Identity and Purpose
What works What irritates them
 A job that fits their values and self-  Idling
identity  Meaningless tasks
 Meaningful job that they can be  Lack of recognition
proud of  Environment that suppresses
 Fancy job titles, name tags
initiative or makes it difficult for
 Letting them shape their job employees to be engaged
 Giving them a choice of projects  Apathetic colleagues
and tasks or assigning to them  Companies that are cynical or
projects with personal dishonest
meaning/importance
 Recognition and appreciation of
their contribution
 Opportunities to "shine"
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39. Independence
“I need to be free to choose how I do things and stay in charge of
what I do at work.."
 Need to have a sense of
freedom in their jobs to make
important decisions, work on
their own schedule and choose
their own approach to projects
 Desire a high level of
autonomy and flexibility
 Are driven by a feeling of
personal empowerment
 Don’t like the feeling of being
closely monitored or controlled
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40. Independence
What works What irritates them
 Empowerment  Micromanagement
 Autonomy to take personal  Lack of authority; worst case is when
responsibility for their work the manager delegates the
 Trust on the part of the employer responsibility to them but not the
 Flexible work schedule authority to make decision and to
control the process
 Telecommuting
 Inflexible schedule
 Giving them responsibility for the entire
 Detailed timesheets
project or a large part of a project and
letting them develop the plan of action
 Delegate to them not only the tasks Watch out for
and the responsibility, but also  Ambiguity – if goals are unclear, they
sufficient decision power may go down the wrong path for a
 Sense of control over their day-to-day while
schedule  Scope creep (especially if coupled with
 Management by objectives motivators such as creativity and
 Turning projects into entrepreneurial improvement) – they will get plenty of
ideas as the project unfolds
endeavors or giving them ownership of
a project
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41. Change and Variety
"Variety keeps me going – can’t do the same old stuff
day-in and day-out."
 Are generally curious
 Crave the thrill of experiencing,
learning or doing something
new
 Thrive on diversity
 Likely to get bored or restless
in a position that involves too
much routine
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42. Change and Variety
What works What irritates them
 Innovative, flexible, and dynamic work  Boredom
environment  Idling
 A variety of projects and tasks  Routine tasks
 Rotation of routine tasks among  Strict, stifling atmosphere at work
employees  Ban on adjusting their work space
 Non-restrictive job description
(moving furniture, decorating, bringing
 Opportunity to get involved in projects plants, pictures etc.)
outside of the usual domain  Strict, all-business décor
 Minimize routine tasks, automate  Working on a production line
wherever possible  Following strict procedures
 Opportunities for training to learn new
skills
 Lateral moves within the company
 Opportunity to express new ideas
 Integration of some variety into the
usual routine
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43. Creativity
"I am an idea person and need to satisfy my creative side
through my work."
 Driven by a desire to express
their creativity
 Creativity can be expressed
through "typical" creative
endeavors (art, writing,
decoration, etc.) or by coming
up with innovative approaches
or solutions
 Would feel stifled and
frustrated if they had to stick to
the tried-and-true at all times,
or if they weren't involved in
any creative processes as part
of their work
43

44. Creativity
What works What irritates them
 Giving them creative projects or  9 to 5 jobs with no flexibility
tasks that require creative thinking  Micromanagement
 Environment that is conducive to  Sticking to tried-and-true solutions
creativity; one that minimizes rigid  Boredom
guidelines
 Routine tasks
 An atmosphere of openness to
 Strict, stifling atmosphere at work
new ideas and encouragement of
"out of the box" thinking  Ban on adjusting their work space
 Management open to innovative (moving furniture, decorating,
approaches bringing plants, pictures etc.)
 Some "down-time" is necessary in  Strict, all-business décor
order to play with new ideas  Working on a production line
 Opportunities for nurturing  Following strict procedures
creativity (brainstorming sessions,
creativity training, etc.)
 Opportunity to showcase their
creative endeavors
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45. Learning “Learning is a life-long process."
 Driven by a desire to gain new
knowledge and insight, or to
learn new skills
 Overall, they are motivated by
a "thirst for knowledge", which
may be specific to their field or
extend to all domains
 Tend to be life-long learners
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46. Learning
What works What irritates them
 Tasks that require gaining new  Lack of opportunities to learn new
knowledge things
 Training and courses in their areas of  Managers and colleagues who don’t
interest or outside of it value education and knowledge
 Intellectually stimulating atmosphere  Environment where going a little
that encourages growth deeper than expected is discouraged
 Minimizing routine; avoiding "non- or even punished
thinking" tasks  Positions where there is no challenge,
 Research-related tasks as often as no unknowns, nothing to new to learn
possible  Lack of intellectual stimulation on the
 Find or create opportunities for job
movement within the company (vertical  Routine tasks that don’t lead to
or lateral) learning new things
 Opportunities to share new knowledge  Meaningless tasks
(training, coaching, mentoring)
46

47. Improvement
“I want to make the world a better place."
 Ready to give their all on the
job for the satisfaction of
knowing they have helped
make the world a better place
 Energized by the idea of
contributing to the world in a
positive way, be it on an
individual, organizational or
societal basis
47

48. Improvement
What works What irritates them
 Opportunities to improve the  Indifference
conditions at work  Complacency
 Opportunities to improve processes  Lack of drive to innovate
and efficiency at work  Lack of morality in coworkers
 Engaged staff – passionate about the
 Companies that are cynical or
product/services dishonest
 Create opportunities for charity work
 Meaningless tasks
(organize a company sponsorship,
etc.)
 Projects that have some affect on the
community or a wider society
 Connection between their work and
the causes they support
 Communicating vision - how the
company's work is beneficial to others
 Corporate citizenship - company’s
involvement in community, charity
involvement
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49. Inspiration
“I want to make people think or feel something, to be
moved by what I do."
 Driven by the satisfaction they
obtain from knowing they have
inspired others, either through
creative means (artwork,
literature) or by opening minds
to new ideas (through
teaching, personal coaching,
etc.)
 Essentially, they want to affect
people in some way or move
others to feel or experience
something
49

50. Inspiration
What works What irritates them
 Opportunity to express their ideas and
perspectives  Lack of opportunities to inspire others
 verbally  Lack of purpose in their job
 through writing  Lack of vision
 some other art form
 by doing what they are good at -
 Lack of opportunity to share their
serving as an example knowledge and ideas
 Opportunity to interact with others in a  Inability to have any input into projects
meaningful way  Lack of respect
 Opportunities for mentoring, coaching
or training
 Give regular feedback on their work
 Environment that encourages "out-of-
the-box" thinking
 Leadership roles (team leaders,
management positions)
50

51. Social Factors
“I'm a people-person and I need human
interaction to feel fulfilled."
 Want their work to satisfy their
need for contact with other
people
 Enjoy the feeling that they are
part of a group or community
 Energized by social interaction
 Like sharing their thoughts and
ideas
 Are generally strong
communicators
 Often extroverted
51

52. Social Factors
What works What irritates them
 Team work  Bullying and unfriendliness
 Opportunities to collaborate with  Social isolation
co-workers and interact with
 Solitary work
clients
 Opportunity to help others  Lack of social activities
 Clients  Limited communication with others
 Coworkers  Staff full of introverts
 Social activities and team building
exercises
 Friendly, supportive environment; Watch out for
good team  Chatterboxes
 Creating a feeling of belonging
 Managers who truly care about
their direct reports
52

53. Recognition/Appreciation
“I need a word of thanks or some positive encouragement to show me that
what I'm doing is noticed and appreciated."
 Want to feel valued and see
the visible signs that others
appreciate for their work
 Essentially, they are driven by
the positive feelings they get
from the knowledge that they
are making a valuable,
recognized contribution to the
company
53

54. Recognition/Appreciation
What works What irritates them
 Opportunities to excel  Unfairness
 Regular feedback  Credit grabbers
 Regular recognition (company awards,  Managers who only give negative
any show of thanks, pat on the back) feedback but never praise for a job
 Varied ways of showing appreciation well done
(boss taking them for lunch, mention of  Disapproval and criticism (they may be
exemplary performance at a team able to take it but it makes them feel
meeting, etc.) anxious)
 Bonuses in recognition of work well  Being systematically outperformed
done (landing a contract, finishing a  Lack of feedback
long term project, coming in under
budget, etc.)
 Diplomacy during performance Watch out for
 People who take it too far – extremely
evaluation
 start with positive feedback high need for approval is unhealthy
 Those with dependency issues
 explain shortcomings as
 Selective attention to negative
“challenges”
 develop concrete action plan for feedback
improvement
 reiterate positive aspects
 Feeling of belonging to a team
54

55. Fun and Enjoyment
“Time flies when you’re having fun. If I’m not enjoying what I’ve
chosen as my career, it’s simply not the right one for me."
 What they are doing in life is
not as important as whether
they enjoy doing it
 Would like to work in an
organization where enjoying
oneself is part of the corporate
culture, and encouraged by
management
 Want the work itself to be
inherently entertaining …
whatever that means to them.
55

56. Fun and Enjoyment
What works What irritates them
 Ensure good job fit
 They may tolerate a certain amount of
 When possible, assign projects based
on interests and strengths “unpleasant” tasks, but their motivation
 When dividing tasks, allow people to might take a hit if it’s too much
volunteer  Micromanagement
 During pre-hire interviews, ask about  Strict, stifling atmosphere at work
what they enjoy (fun means different
 Ban on adjusting their work space
things to different people
 During performance evaluation, ask (moving furniture, decorating, bringing
what aspects of their job or what plants, pictures etc.)
projects they enjoyed the most and the  Strict, all business décor
least (=> and customize the job
description if possible)
 Social events
Watch out for
 Generous vacation packages
 Time-wasters
 Flextime
 Time management issues
 Light-hearted, playful, fun environment
 Management by objectives  Entitledness
56

57. Power “I want to be the one in charge."
 Feel energized by being in a
leadership position
 Naturally take the lead in a
group
 Need to feel that they have a
certain level of influence over
others
 Enjoy making important
decisions
 Enjoy responsibility
 Have a healthy (or not) dose of
competitiveness running
through their veins
57

58. Power
What works What irritates them
 Leadership opportunities  Following a weak leader
 Offering management training and  Ambiguous chain of command
development of leadership skills  Flat organizational structure with
 Opportunity to lead projects (as no room at the top
team leaders)  Micromanagement
 Giving them autonomy,
responsibility and decision-making Watch out for
power (don’t forget to define their
 Power tripping
boundaries)
 Consider a job title/description  Poor social and communication
with some clout skills
 Opportunity for advancement  Lack of consideration for the social
 Career development programs factors
 Unhealthy competition
 Healthy competition
58

59. Status
“I want my job to carry some weight in society."
 Driven by the social standing
and the rank that their job will
bring them
 Need to feel that they play an
important role in society and in
their company
 Desire respect and
acknowledgement for their
contribution
59

60. Status
What works What irritates them
 A job at a company that is well known  Demeaning jobs
 A position within a company that has a  Lack of purpose
 PR disasters (feel personal shame to
lot of pull
 A job title that is meaningful to them
be working for the company)
 Lack of respect
 Anything that adds to their prestige
 Lack of appreciation and recognition
(name plate, reserved parking, being  Not having a business card
invited to important meetings)
 Nepotism, favoritism
 Opportunities to shine through their
 Being bypassed for a promotion
work (needs to be handles with extra care)
 Public recognition of work well done
 Opportunity for advancement within
Watch out for
the company  Unhealthy competition
 Appointment to committees  Credit grubbers
 Healthy competition
60

61. Financial Reward
"Work should afford me the lifestyle I deserve. I work hard, but I
want a high return on that investment."
 Strive for the big pay-off that
comes as the fruit of their labor
 Want to feel that their salary
and benefits equal the value of
the time and energy they
invest in their work
 Extremely sensitive to
compensation issues
 Know their value and are not
afraid to flaunt it
61

62. Financial Reward
What works: What irritates them
 A competitive salary and benefits:  Being or feeling
employers should stay on top of undercompensated
the industry standards.  Perceived inequity, especially
 An established system for raises compared to colleagues with
that they can work towards “worse” performance
 Merit-based raises  Struggling financially
 Performance bonuses  Seeing things they “should” be
 Commission able to afford but are not
 Perks: incentives, bonuses, stock
options, profit sharing, expense Watch out for:
account, company car, cell phone,  Entitledness
living allowance  Overgrown egos
 Job hoppers
62

63. Balanced Lifestyle
"I work to live, not live to work.”
 Need to feel that they have an
active, fulfilling life outside of
work
 Although their careers may be
extremely important to them,
they don't want to sacrifice
their personal needs for job
success.
 Seek work-life balance
 Not just working parents –
many people seek work-life
balance because they want to
pursue other interests
63

64. Balanced Lifestyle
What works What irritates them
 Flextime  Juggling too many responsibilities
 Telecommuting  Guilt trips if they take time off to take
 Work sharing care of sick children
 Generous vacation time  Too much travel (especially single
 Personal & sick days, compassionate parents)
care policies  Overtime requests
 Flexible benefits packages (mix and  Shift work
match options)  Irregular schedule
 Work-related social activities involving  Last minute assignments
the whole family  End-of-day meetings
 Perks and rewards: gym membership,
game tickets, weekend get-aways Watch out for
 Child-care facility in the building  Time theft
 Allowing streaming video at breaks to
check on kids (some daycare centers
 Fake sick days
offer real-time viewing)  Burnout
 Bring your child to work day  Stress-related health issues
 Pet-friendly offices  Absenteeism
 Stress reduction programs
 Reasonable travel policies
64

65. Mobility
“I want my work to take me to new places."
 Driven by the desire to see
and experience new places
through their work.
 They want the opportunity to
travel regularly or possibly
even to relocate to a
completely different
city/state/country
65

66. Mobility
What works What irritates them
 Opportunities to travel through  They love to hate the challenges
work, even if only occasionally of frequent travel
 Attending conferences, training, or
 Not being compensated properly
retreats in different places
 Reasonable travel policies
for travel time and weekend travel
 Cheap hotels
 Possibilities for relocation (for
some but certainly not all)  Stingy travel policy
 Perks: company car, cell  Being away from family
phone/blackberry, laptop
 Encourage travel with a
spouse/family – allow them to take
vacation before and after trip
 Ample vacation time to allow travel
on their own
66

67. Stability
“I want a job I can count on, one that gives me a sense of
security."
 Need a sense of security in
their careers
 Are typically uncomfortable
taking large risks like starting
their own company or working
on contract
 Want their job to provide a
solid anchor in their lives
 Unlikely to quit unless they
have another offer
67

68. Stability
What works What irritates them
 Clear sense of where things are going  Rumors about lay-off, cut-backs,
at work. mergers etc.
 Approachable managers
 Fairly structured, dependable Watch out for
environment  Total devastation if you terminate the
 Make sure communication is clear employee – if they were doing a
regarding any "instability" issues decent job, assist them in finding a
(industry trouble, cutbacks, etc.) is new job, give them letters of
clear. recommendation etc.
 Clear employment contract
 Delicate handling of termination of
others (firing/laying off people on the
spot creates anxiety and guilt in
survivors)
 Regular communication about their
performance
 Regular communication about
company performance and future
direction
 Change management
68

69. Common combinations of
motivators
69

70. Charismatic Leadership Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Primary  Leadership profile
 Have a vision they strongly believe in
 Improvement
and the drive to achieve it
 Inspiration
 Are keenly aware of people around
 Achievement and know how to inspire them and
 Social factors persuade them to follow
 Secondary  Can come up with creative ideas, think
out-of-the-box
 Creativity
 Learning
 Identity and purpose
 Fun and enjoyment
70

71. The “Suits” Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Primary  Three different business meetings in a
week, in three different cities? Need
 Little desire for
someone to spearhead the opening of
balanced lifestyle a new branch in another country?
 Mobility Choose someone with this profile.
 Identity and Purpose  Always on the go
 Power  Business traveler
 Can make a makeshift remote office at
 Status
the gate at the airport
 Secondary
 Creativity
 Learning
71

72. Generation Y Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Primary  Know what they’re looking for in a job,
and will not stick around long if a
 Change and Variety
position doesn’t live up to their
 Independence expectations.
 Creativity  Boredom is their enemy.
 Learning  Generation Y is the most
 Fun and Enjoyment
technologically advanced generation.
They are likely to be quick learners.
 Secondary
 Are likely to be the ones starting many
 Power of the .com businesses – this allows
 “Job-hopping” (little them to be their own boss, and work at
something they are passionate about.
desire for stability,
mobility)
72

73. Employee of the Month Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Primary  Want to be valued
 Public praise will make their day
 Recognition and
 Reprimand in private – public
appreciation
reprimand would be devastating to
 Status
their sense of self
 Secondary  Want to be popular among their peers,
 Identity and purpose not just among the management
 Fun and enjoyment  Will appreciate a performance bonus
 Social factors
but don’t use the carrot-on-a-stick
method; rather, reward after the
 Financial reward accomplishment, but not every time
73

74. Work Horse Cluster
How this plays out in the workplace:
Motivators:  Need stability to perform optimally - job security is
 Primary absolutely essential.
 Mostly content with status quo, tried and true ways
 Stability
of solving problems
 Financial  Like routine, easily slip into complacency
reward  Get a sense of accomplishment by plowing
 Secondary through their task list
 No lofty goals – they want to do their job, do it well,
 Achievement
and that’s it
 Power  They are attached to the company, but not
particularly engaged
 Balanced lifestyle is NOT prevalent in this cluster
 Will be drawn to jobs with practical perks –
retirement plan, medical insurance, etc.
 Will work very hard and complain very little
74

75. Super Achiever Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Achievement  Would likely enjoy challenging projects
 Creativity
outside their comfort zone
 Would likely thrive if offered a
 Improvement
promotion to a leadership position –
 Inspiration will set a good example for others; set
 Learning high standards
 Learning is an ongoing process – will
 Some power
likely take advantage of opportunities
to update their skills
75

76. Humanitarian Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Achievement  They want to know that their job makes
 Improvement
a difference.
 Make it clear to them how their work
 Inspiration
fits into the big picture.
 Will want to work for a company that is
actively involved in the community, and
possesses strong ethics and values
(environmentally conscious, good
corporate citizenship). Could do well in
a position that allows them to
spearhead these issues.
76

77. Innovator Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Achievement  These are the pioneers
 They don’t just visualize ideas – they
 Creativity
have the motivation to bring them to
 Learning
fruition
 Change and variety  Allow them to spearhead brainstorm
meetings, or initiate project ideas
77

78. Visionary Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Creativity  Creative types with a heart of gold
 Will want their artistry or ingenuity to
 Improvement
move others, or benefit the world in
 Inspiration
some way.
 Allow them to come up with ideas on
how the company can improve its
corporate image.
78

79. Freelancer Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Change and Variety  Autonomy is key – if they can’t make
 Independence
their own decisions at work, at least
involve them in the decision-making
process.
 Offer them novel tasks and projects to
tackle. A monotonous job is not one
they’ll stick to for very long.
 Encourage them to suggest/initiate
projects, ideas, improvements.
79

80. The “Donald” (Tycoon) Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Identity and Purpose  Even if these people do start at the
 Power bottom, they’ll always have their
 Status eyes on the topmost rung of the
ladder.
 Recognition and
 Will want to make a name for
Appreciation
themselves – don’t expect them to
 Financial Reward
be a faceless, cubicle-filling, pencil
pusher for very long. If they’re not
the ones running the company,
they will be soon enough.
80

81. Approval Seeker Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Will desire both tangible (plaques,
 Recognition and
awards) and intangible rewards (praise).
Appreciation
 Promotions will be a major motivating
 Status
factor. A fancy job title will go a long
 Identity and Purpose way.
 Praise, especially public one, is
 Achievement
extremely important.
 On the flip side, they may tend to be
sensitive to criticism and become
defensive. Be diplomatic when
discussing issues, and be specific as to
what to do to improve – they will bend
over backwards to make that happen.
81

82. Prestige Seeker Cluster
Motivators: How this plays out in the workplace:
 Primary  Very driven and would likely
 Financial reward accomplish great things if you
make it worth their while. Want to
 Power be the top banana.
 Status  A bit full of themselves with some
 Secondary propensity to power tripping – they
know their value and are not afraid
 Recognition and to flaunt it
Appreciation  Score-keepers – can be fiercely
 Identity and Purpose competitive, within the company
 Achievement but also their social network
 Promotions, praise, perks, an
important-sounding job title all
work to motivate them – they show
that they are valued,
indispensable and admired.
82

83. Validation Study Highlights
83

84. Sample
 Sample size:
 6165 subjects
 Gender:
 Women: 3370 subjects (55%)
 Men: 1936 subjects (31%)
 Age distribution:
 Below 17 (n = 760) (12.0 %)
 18-24 (n = 1409) (23.0 %)
 25-29 (n = 745) (12.0 %)
 30-39 (n = 958) (16 %)
 40-49 (n = 760) (12.0 %)
 50+ (n = 461) (8.0 %)
84

85. Ranking of Motivators
Rank Motivators Mean Rank Motivators Mean
1 Achievement 88 11 Social Factors 65
2 Learning 83 12 Mobility 64
3 Inspiration 81 13 Power 64
4 Creativity 80 Recognition and
5 Fun and Enjoyment 78 14 Appreciation 63
6 Improvement 77 15 Balanced Lifestyle 62
7 Financial Reward 71 16 Independence 62
8 Change and Variety 67 17 Status 50
9 Identity and Purpose 67
10 Stability 66
85

86. Gender differences
Women score higher on Men score higher on
 Achievement (+2 points)  Creativity (+2 points)
 Balanced lifestyle (+4 points)  Financial reward (+5 points)
 Identity and purpose (+2  Mobility (+4 points)
points)  Power (+5 points)
 Improvement (+7 points)  Status (+3 points)
 Learning (+2 points)
 Recognition and appreciation
(+4 points)
 Social factors (+3 points)
 Fun and enjoyment (+3 points)
86

87. Interesting Tidbits
 22% would sacrifice their personal life for their dream job.
 Only 6% like having a routine at work (same daily duties).
 16% consider it essential to be creative or express their creativity at work.
 11% indicated that their main career goal is to be wealthy.
 9% indicated that their job is their identity.
 35% consider helping others through their work essential.
 Only 1% felt that work isn't supposed to be fun.
 8% claimed that they would be upset if they didn't receive praise/positive
feedback after doing well on a project
87

88. Interesting Tidbits
 8% would be upset if others weren't impressed by what they do for a living
 11% indicated that they would not be happy in a job environment that had a
no-nonsense, no-fun atmosphere - even if they were paid well, had an
understanding boss, and were in their field of study
 70% indicated that they want to inspire others through their work
 20% love the feeling of being in charge
 14% indicated that they need appreciation from others in order to feel
fulfilled at work
 5% felt that social contact with others at work wasn't a necessity
 77% want a strong sense of security in their job
 14% proudly stated that they would feel good knowing that others were
envious of their career success
88

89. Motivators as a Function of Age
89

90. Balanced Lifestyle as a Function of Age
90

91. Change and Variety as a Function of Age
91

92. Creativity as a Function of Age
92

93. Financial Reward Scale as a Function of Age
93

94. Improvement Scale as a Function of Age
94

95. Independence Scale as a Function of Age
95

96. Learning Scale as a Function of Age
96

97. Mobility Scale as a Function of Age
97

98. Power Scale as a Function of Age
98

99. Recognition and Appreciation Scale as a
Function of Age
99

100. Social Factors Scale as a Function of Age
100

101. Status Scale as a Function of Age
101

102. Fun and Enjoyment Scale as a Function of Age
102

103. Motivators as a Function of
Education
103

104. Achievement Scale as a Function of Education
104

105. Balanced Lifestyle Scale as a Function of
Education
105

106. Change and Variety Scale as a Function of
Education
106

107. Creativity Scale as a Function of Education
107

108. Financial Reward Scale as a Function of
Education
108

109. Identity and Purpose Scale as a Function of
Education
109

110. Improvement Scale as a Function of Education
110

111. Independence Scale as a Function of
Education
111

112. Inspiration Scale as a Function of Education
112

113. Learning Scale as a Function of Education
113

114. Mobility Scale as a Function of Education
114

115. Recognition and Appreciation Scale as a
Function of Education
115

116. Social Factors Scale as a Function of
Education
116

117. Stability Scale as a Function of Education
117

118. Status Scale as a Function of Education
118

119. Fun and Enjoyment Scale as a Function of
Education
119

120. Motivators as a Function of Position
120

121. Balanced Lifestyle Scale as a Function of
Position
121

122. Change and Variety Scale as a Function of
Position
122

123. Creativity Scale as a Function of Position
123

124. Financial Reward Scale as a Function of
Position
124

125. Identity and Purpose Scale as a Function of
Position
125

126. Improvement Scale as a Function of Position
126

127. Independence Scale as a Function of Position
127

128. Inspiration Scale as a Function of Position
128

129. Learning Scale as a Function of Position
129

130. Mobility Scale as a Function of Position
130

131. Power Scale as a Function of Position
131

132. Motivators as a Function of
Socio-Economic Status (SES)
132

133. Change and Variety Scale as a Function of SES
133

134. Financial Reward Scale as a Function of SES
134

135. Identity and Purpose Scale as a Function of SES
135

136. Improvement Scale as a Function of SES
136

137. Independence Scale as a Function of SES
137

138. Learning Scale as a Function of SES
138

139. Mobility Scale as a Function of SES
139

140. Power Scale as a Function of SES
140

141. Social Factors Scale as a Function of SES
141

142. Stability Scale as a Function of SES
142

143. Motivators as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
143

144. Achievement Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
144

145. Balanced Lifestyle Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
145

146. Change and Variety Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
146

147. Creativity Scale as a Function of Satisfaction
with Current Job
147

148. Financial Reward Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
148

149. Identity and Purpose Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
149

150. Improvement Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
150

151. Independence Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
151

152. Inspiration Scale as a Function of Satisfaction
with Current Job
152

153. Learning Scale as a Function of Satisfaction
with Current Job
153

154. Power Scale as a Function of Satisfaction with
Current Job
154

155. Recognition and Appreciation Scale as a
Function of Satisfaction with Current Job
155

156. Social Factors Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
156

157. Stability Scale as a Function of Satisfaction
with Current Job
157

158. Status Scale as a Function of Satisfaction with
Current Job
158

159. Fun and Enjoyment Scale as a Function of
Satisfaction with Current Job
159

160. Complementary assessments
 Intelligence Types Test
 Management Skills and Style Assessment
(MANSSA)
 Career Advancement Test
 Emotional Intelligence Test
 Advanced Multidimensional Personality
Matrix (AMPM)
160

161. Conclusion
Assess career motivators of employees to
 Figure out how to best manage them
 Select perks and benefits that are of value to
your staff
 Assign projects to them that have high personal
appeal, thus improving performance,
engagement, attendance and job satisfaction
161

162. Ilona Jerabek, PhD
9001 blvd. de l’Acadie, Suite 802
Montreal, Qc H4N 3H5
ilona@psychtests.com
Direct line: 514-745-3189, ext 112
Fax: 514-745-6242
http://archprofile.com
http://www.psychtests.com
162