We are now in the middle of the dark days before Christmas and are heading towards 2021, hopefully a better year than 2020, although COVID-19 has also brought prosperity for some companies. The end of the year is approaching and for many managers it is already planned in their agenda again; the assessment interviews. Especially after this special year, a special moment because how are you going to do it, per teams or zoom. Can you perhaps meet in person after all or do you just skip it for a year because you already hate it? I would strongly advise against the latter, as employees need contact more than ever. So definitely do it, but how do you approach it this year?
Manager's assessment tool.
Appraisal interviews are part of the tools, in addition to pop conversations, performance reviews and progress reviews, that you as a manager have available to coach and motivate your employees. It is best to compare the structure with the way a house is built. The POP (Personal Development Plan) is the specifications and construction plan, the progress interview and performance reviews are the construction meetings and the assessment interview is the delivery of the house; Do we sign for it or do we reject it? In short, the moment when you express your value judgment about the way in which work was done and indicate whether or not you think the employee was worth his salary. How do you ensure that the assessment does not become a condemnation? If your employee has performed well, it is not that difficult, you can compliment him and there may even be a pay increase. Although you should not overestimate the effect of this, more about that later. But how do you approach it if things have not gone well and there is absolutely no question of a salary increase, so not enough to be satisfied, but good enough to keep someone? A negative review while you still want to motivate the employee to go the extra mile. The answer to the question “what are the most important motivators for employees?” gives a good indication. Salary, for example, is not the most important motivator for employees, in fact it can be a huge de-motivator. What are the most important motivators for employees, because that's what you want as a manager; motivate your employees.
How important is motivation?
First an answer to the question: how important is motivation? The answer is simple. Motivation makes a person become stimulated to action. As long as an employee shows good work, as a manager you are often happy with the employee. Things change when an employee's motivation is below par - performance will then deteriorate.
However, you should not conclude that employees who deliver good work are also motivated. That mistake is often made. However, managers regularly make the same mistake as their own managers: they know little about the employee's motivation pattern. Only when they reflect on the factors that are their own enthusiasm and determine their own drive, they understand what motivation actually is. What makes employees motivated?:
It is therefore striking that the material reward only comes in 9th place and is often the most discussed topic in an assessment interview.
Motivators and De-motivators
Employees derive satisfaction from personal development, successes, recognition, authority, the ability to achieve results, possess and deploy knowledge, and so on. These positive things increase your job satisfaction when they are present. They are also called motivators, things that make you happier and more satisfied and therefore motivate you.
Some tasks have certain demotivating characteristics. Consider performing routine tasks for a long time or a persistently high workload. There are also many professions that require you to sit in front of a computer all day. In other positions, people experience that they have too few options to organize their own work or influence its quality. The working environment can also lead to dissatisfaction. Consider stressors such as noise pollution or too high a temperature.
Such things contribute to a reduction in job satisfaction and are also called de-motivators. So they have a demotivating effect. A few examples:
Here too it is striking that poor remuneration only ranks 14th.
How can you find out the motivation patterns of employees?
You as a manager have the task of working with the employee to find a new balance between the employee's expectations and what your company can offer. You can do this by having targeted conversations:
With one or more good conversations you can find the cause of this motivation problems track down. Looking for solutions together is often part of the solution itself. As a manager, you can make agreements about further guidance and consultation. Keeping a finger on the pulse by regularly exchanging ideas is important. Personal attention effectively helps get demotivated employees back on track.
You, as a manager, cannot motivate your employees, employees can only motivate themselves. As a manager you can provide circumstances that are motivating. For example, by making and keeping a position attractive. Think of variety and challenge.
Closing comments
The end of the year is approaching, a special year and we don't yet know what 2021 will bring us. Just before the champagne and oliebollen, take that opportunity and have a motivational assessment interview with your employee, he or she deserves it and you no less.
