Compensation & Motovation
Compensation plays a pretty big role in how motivated people feel at work. It’s not just about the base salary or hourly pay, things like bonuses, tips, and incentives can make a big difference in how much effort someone puts into their job. One example that I can think of is my friend, who works at a restaurant back home. Over the few months he has worked at this restaurant he has moved around positions, being trained as a waiter, being the host, and even washing dishes. When he was a waiter, he earned a lot of his money from tips, so he made sure to be extra friendly and respectful to customers, providing great service. He knew that being polite, attentive, and going the extra mile would lead to bigger tips, which directly impacted his paycheck. But when he got moved to the front of the restaurant as a host, he said his mindset changed. Hosts don’t get tips, so even though his base pay stayed the same, he no longer had the incentive to go above and beyond when greeting customers. He no longer had a reason to be overly friendly because he was making the same amount whether he put in extra effort or not, and it’s just easier to be lazy and not try hard.