Manpower reveals what motivates the British workforce
Just 20 per cent of the British workforce are
motivated by financial reward when in the workplace, according to
research released today by Manpower, the UK’s leading recruitment
company.
Four in ten of the 1,500 British adults surveyed are motivated by
gaining a sense of responsibility and a further 30 per cent are
motivated by career advancement.¹
Charles Ashworth, Manpower Chief Operating Officer, says: “This
Manpower research has important implications for British businesses,
demonstrating that motivating people to work is much more complex
than just paying them well. People like to feel valued in their
work and having some responsibility has been shown to be a key motivator.”
Nearly a third of people state their key motivation for having a
job is ambition. Interestingly, less than one in ten people are
motivated to work to socialise with other people.
Charles continues: “The fact that so many people are motivated
to work by ambition suggests that employers should look at attracting
employees by other methods than just financial reward.
“Communication is key to keep people motivated, employees
like to feel they are listened to and that managers recognise the
hard work they do. Regular appraisals can also help motivation,
by setting key objectives and outlining career progression plans.
Recruitment and retention in companies could be improved by highlighting
training schemes and possibilities for career progression.”
Staff who are registered with Manpower gain free access to over
1,500 training courses online via Manpower Direct Training, in subjects
as diverse as leadership, communication and customer service, as
well as a wide range of IT skills. Manpower’s training and
assessment programmes are among the best in the industry and are
designed to support the careers of all employees.
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
¹The results of the survey are as follows:
What motivates you to go to work?:
To earn an income: 59%
Ambition: 30%
To socialise with other people: 9%
To get away from home pressures: 1%
When you are in work, what motivates you?:
A sense of responsibility: 41%
Career advancement: 30%
Financial incentive: 17%
Recognition from colleagues: 10%
About Manpower
Manpower is the UK’s leading workforce management company,
specialising in permanent and temporary recruitment, HR services,
managed services, outsourcing and HR consultancy.
Manpower has been established in the UK since 1956 and today works
with organisations in both the public and private sector. Manpower’s
UK-wide network of 300 offices allows the company to meet the needs
of local and national customers. This includes numerous small and
medium sized enterprises, as well as larger organisations such as
BMW, BT, Heinz, Hertfordshire County Council, IBM, National Blood
Service, New Deal South Wales, Royal Mail and Xerox.
The focus of Manpower’s work is on raising productivity through
improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction, enabling customers
to concentrate on their core business.
Manpower has a highly skilled workforce of 100,000 temporary employees
who stay loyal to the company (and its customers) thanks to best
in class employment benefits. These include a contract of employment
and a free e-learning tool offering staff over 1,000 courses in
a diverse range of subjects, keeping Manpower’s workforce
up to date with today’s ever-changing working environment.
For further information, please contact the Manpower Press Office
on 020 8870 2214. Or you can e-mail us by selecting Press
Office from the Contact
Us page.
