Benefits September 28, 2006

Execs Cite Employee Motivation as Biggest Challenge

September 28, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Executives responding to a recent poll by The Creative Group cited employee motivation (30%) as their biggest management challenge.
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According to a press release on the survey, finding qualified staff ranked as the second biggest management challenge, with 28% of the votes. Training staff (14%), retaining staff (11%) and resolving staff conflicts (7%) rounded out the top five challenges. The survey included 125 responses from advertising executives with the nation’s 1,000 largest advertising agencies and 125 from senior marketing executives with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

“Motivating and recruiting staff are two closely related tasks,” said Dave Willmer, executive director of The Creative Group, in the news release. “Managers who hire top notch talent may find these professionals are naturally enthusiastic on the job and don’t require frequent coaching.”

The Creative Group identified four common worker personality types and offered suggestions for motivating each type:

  • A “Steady Sam” consistently delivers results, but outwardly does not show a lot of ambition. This employee type thrives on routine and rarely takes on assignments that fall outside his or her typical job duties. This type should be given plenty of notice about deadlines and help with prioritizing tasks when new projects arise. Compliments should be shared in person rather than before a crowd.
  • An “Assertive Ashley” thrives on competition and has an eye on the corner office. This type values status and will work hard for promotions. Use of competitive terms like “outsmart” and “surpass” will inspire this employee. Workers with this personality type should be informed about how to get to the next rung of the career ladder, and provided with high-profile, challenging projects.
  • A “Personable Pat” is warm, gregarious and friendly, cultivates positive professional relationships and seeks approval from coworkers. Since work is a social occasion for this worker type, he or she should be given the task of organizing teambuilding activities. Meaningful praise and kudos from clients or team members should be given.
  • An “Artistic Alex” thrives on producing quality work and leans toward perfectionism. This type tends to value interesting assignments over prestigious job titles and compensation. This worker should be provided with projects that require creativity and an eye for detail, the opportunity to enter work in industry competitions, and time to fine tune assignments.

More about The Creative Group can be found at www.creativegroup.com .

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