Motivation types: extrinsic vs. intrinsic

The two main motivation types are extrinsic and intrinsic. The two exist simultaneously in your employees, and it’s necessary to understand both to build a team of motivated individuals and continue to motivate them over time.

What is extrinsic motivation?

Extrinsic motivation is the type of motivation that comes from outside a person. Employers have the most influence over this type of motivation, and motivation techniques tend to foster it. Most individuals picture extrinsic motivation when they hear the term motivation because it’s what companies usually focus on.

Extrinsic motivator examples

Extrinsic motivation often provides tangible rewards in the form of money or goods, but it can also involve recognition from coworkers or management. Some extrinsic motivator examples include:

• Bonuses
• Company car or cell phone
• Employee of the month programs
• Flexible working hours
• Paid time off
• Pay raises
• Performance evaluations
• Promotions
• Sales contests
• Service awards

What is intrinsic motivation?

Intrinsic motivation comes from inside an employee. It is what individuals mean when they say someone is self-motivated. Employers can nurture intrinsic motivation in employees, but they ultimately don’t have control over how much someone has.

Intrinsic motivator examples

Intrinsic motivators closely relate to a person’s drive. Some intrinsic motivator examples include:

• Competitiveness: Someone who is highly competitive may feel more determined to be a top performer.
• Desire for self-improvement: An individual who wishes to continually develop their skills or grow is motivated to perform well and advance in a company.
• Longing to contribute: Someone who finds meaning in contributing to the success of a team may feel more motivated to collaborate with peers and excel in their work.
• Need for independence: An employee who prefers to work autonomously may feel motivated to exceed expectations to avoid being micro-managed.
• Passion for learning: A person who craves knowledge may be more motivated to take on challenging or creative tasks.

Fostering extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in the workplace

To increase both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in the workplace, follow these tips:

Hire with intrinsic motivational fit in mind

Some candidates will naturally possess more intrinsic motivation than others, and the amount of intrinsic motivation needed for success varies by position. For example, candidates for remote work positions may need more intrinsic motivation to successfully meet productivity expectations because they will be working unsupervised.

At the start of the hiring process, define the level of intrinsic motivation the open position requires. Then, craft interview questions that explore what motivates candidates and how self-motivated they are. Examples include:

• What drives you?
• What was your favorite job, and what did you like about it?
• Rate your level of competitiveness from one to 10, and tell me why you gave yourself that score.
• Tell me about your ideal work environment.
• Describe a time when you didn’t meet a required deadline.
• How much contact with your supervisor is ideal?
• When was the last time you learned something new and what was it?

Compare how candidates responded to your motivation questions and then decide which ones show evidence of a motivational fit.

Invest in employee development

When you attract employees with high levels of intrinsic motivation, you want to retain them, and a commitment to employee development can help you do so. Ensure that supervisors know team members’ short and long-term goals and encourage them to seize opportunities to help staff members achieve them. At the organizational level, you can enhance your employee development efforts by:

• Advertising external seminars and webinars and offering to pay for them
• Creating a tuition assistance program
• Launching a management development program
• Maintaining a library of reference books or e-books that employees can borrow
• Paying for employees’ subscriptions to journals and trade publications
• Providing ongoing training programs
• Starting a mentoring program
• Training supervisors and management on effective coaching techniques

Make everyone’s contribution clear

When employees understand how their daily job duties fit into the overall goals of your company, you can satisfy intrinsic drives to contribute to a team and provide extrinsic motivation in the form of recognition.

Your company’s strategic goals should be ongoing topics of conversation. When launching a new project, supervisors can explain how it relates to one or more of these goals and break down how each employee will contribute to its success. Providing updates on how previously completed projects have benefited the company may also make your team feel valued.

Set achievable goals

Goal-setting can provide both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in the workplace. The right goals can tap into intrinsic motivation by encouraging employees to compete against themselves, learn new information or develop their skills. When you tie goals to pay raises and bonuses, you also create an extrinsic motivator. However, goals can only serve as good sources of motivation if they are realistic. To set top-notch goals for your team, use the SMART rule:

• Specific: The goal must be clear and easy to understand.
• Measurable: The employee and their supervisor both need a way to measure to see if the goal is met.
• Achievable: The goal is realistic and can be accomplished by the employee.
• Relevant: The goal will contribute to an employee’s development or further the strategic efforts of the organization.
• Time-based: The employee knows how long they have to accomplish the goal.

Offer more perks for top performers

If you don’t have room in the budget for large pay raises or lucrative bonuses, consider providing other perks for top performers, such as:

• Catered lunches
• Extra time off
• Gift cards for gas or restaurants
• Priority or reserved parking spots
• Stocking the breakroom with their favorite beverage or snack
• Video tributes
• Workspace upgrade

Hold a contest

Contests encourage friendly competition and provide opportunities for growth, awakening intrinsic motivation in employees. The prize awarded and the recognition that comes with a win are also extrinsic motivators. Although sales contests are the most common type, you can also hold contests for the number of tasks completed or for the highest customer satisfaction scores.