What Really Motivates Employees?

Autonomy, mastery and purpose is what drives and motivates people according to Daniel Pink, author of a Whole New Mind and Drive. As the video below discusses, autonomy is about feeling like you are in control and have ownership. Mastery is the desire to get better and improve. Purpose is the feeling that you are contributing to something that is meaningful—that makes the world a little better.

What does all that have to do with employee attraction and retention at your credit union? Lots! Because once you get past money (i.e. having enough so that you can focus on your work), it is the other motivators that matter more in driving the desire to work at your organization and perform at high levels. It starts with clearly communicating your purpose so that staff understand what the big picture is and how they will be contributing to it.

Your website plays a role for potential employees because it is virtual voice of your organization, and should build the case of why a talented candidate should come to work at your credit union. Walking the walk, of course, is important too in giving your staff the sense of ownership and control over what they do, and the opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills. Finally, incentives and money do matter, so providing things like an employee discount program and competitive compensation are important.