Acting as an expansion of the post about “Theories of motivation“, the purpose of this post is to discuss how an organization can motivate its employees using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Maslow’s theory says that human beings’ needs can be hierarchically ranked in 5 levels and  once the lower needs are satisfied, people will start looking to satisfy higher needs. Basing on this theory, organization can motivate its employees by proving them with satisfactions for their current needs.

• Physiological: the need for food, water, shelter and other biological needs. These are very basic needs and when they are lacking, the search for them may overpower all other urges.
• Safety: the need to be free from the threat of danger, pain, or an uncertain future.
• Social: the need to bond with other human beings, be loved, and form lasting attachments with others.
• Esteem: the need to be respected by one’s peers, feel important, and be appreciated.
• Self-Actualization: the need to become all one is capable of becoming.

• Physiological needs can be satisfied by:
  • Providing financial benefits (salary, bonus…) that can satisfy physiological needs of the employee
• Safety needs can be satisfied by:
  • Providing generous financial benefits that can help the employee to save for the future
  • Providing health insurance
  • Providing company-sponsored retirement plans
  • Offering a measure of job security
• Social needs can be satisfied by:
  • Having a friendly working environment
  • Providing a workplace conducive to collaboration and communication with others
  • Providing company trip, company picnic or other social get-togethers
  • Scheduling and sponsoring team activities
• Esteem needs can be satisfied by:
  • Providing high financial benefits
  • Providing promotion opportunities
  • Designing a reward system that recognize employee’s accomplishments
  • Conferring job titles that communicate to the employee that one has achieved high status within the organization
• Self-actualization needs can be satisfied by:
  • Offering development and growth opportunities
  • Assigning work that is interesting and challenging to the employee

Organizations may ensure a highly motivated workforce by making the effort to satisfy the different needs of each employee. It is interesting that good financial benefits can satisfy not only physiological but also safety and esteem needs. It should also be noted that the same “treatment” may have different reactions, depending on the employee’s current needs. For example, an employee whose current needs are esteem needs may feel satisfied when his supervisor praises an accomplishment. However, another employee who is trying to satisfy social needs may not like being praised by his manager in front of peers if the praise sets the individual apart from the rest of the group.

Reference:
Bauer, T. and Erdogan, Berrin., 2009. Organizational Behavior. 1st ed. Flat World Knowledge, Inc.