Compensation is a primary motivator for most people, from pay, benefits, bonuses to other forms of compensation it is generally a huge motivator for employees. While there are many career fields that are fulfilling, which can be a main draw for people in those industries, the majority of employees are motivated by compensation.
I have been motivated by compensation when taking promotions, these promotions being more responsibility but also more compensation. This is a big motivator for me to move up within the company I work for, while I enjoy my job, it is not particularly fulfilling to me. Prior to getting my last promotion what came with a pay increase, I knew that a few other employees were interested in the position. While my work ethic and experience made me a primary candidate, the possibility of better compensation was a motivator to work hard to ensure that I would get this promotion.
I have also seen how compensation can decrease motivation; the company I work for has recently undergone some restructuring. This has led to the reformatting of positions, one of my coworker’s position was recategorized which cause individuals in that position to lose some of their compensation in the form of PTO and other benefits. This has been a huge demotivator for them as she is still doing many of the same tasks but unfortunately is not receiving the same compensation. This has led her to not feel as fulfilled in her position and not as valued by the company as she had been before.
