Employee Motivation is a big issue all over the world, but espeicially so in the UK.
With more and more people wanted to work from home due to Covid-19, how will employers and HR managers look to keep their employees engaged.
If they don’t it will be detrimental to their businesses, as you will seen in the below post.
How motivated do you feel in your work? What is the most important factor when it comes to motivating you at work? What things demotivate you in your job?
Read the below and see can you relate to some of the below statistics which cover:
- levels of unmotivated employees in the UK
- who are the most and least motivated in the UK
- age groups of those with lowest motivation levels
- reasons why UK professionals feel unmotivated
- what would help their motivation levels
- workplace concerns
- motivating and de-motivating factors
- how the UK compares to other countries
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Levels of Motivation
56% of UK professionals confessed that they aren’t happy in their current roles, despite 93% of them believing it’s important to love what you do. (Incentive Motivation)
In a survey of 500 UK office workers by Bupa, when asked to rate on a scale of 1-10 how motivated and energised they felt during the working week, 48% of respondents rated their energy and motivation below five. (Eden Springs)
Over half of UK employees admitted to not going above and beyond at work because they think that they won’t be acknowledged (46%) or rewarded (47%). (Eden Springs)
Less than one in ten (7%) employees say they are working to their full potential. (Eden Springs)
25% admit they don’t want to win new business as it will only mean more work. More than 33% are experiencing extra stress and pressure due to staff ill health and absences. (Eden Springs)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Feeling Towards Their Employers
In a study commissioned by SME Loans:
- 34% of the UK workforce is unhappy in their current job
- 45 – 54 year olds are the least motivated in their careers
- Wales, the North West and London are the regions with the lowest job satisfaction (SME Loans)
Perkbox, an employee engagement platform, surveyed 2000 workers across the UK, this is what they found:
- Only 41% of UK employees felt aligned with their organisation’s goals.
- 36% of employees said that they were likely to leave their respective jobs within one year.
- 59% of employees preferred personalised benefits packages to keep them motivated.
- 23% believe that management contributed to a negative working environment.
- 46% of employees consider the benefits package being offered before accepting a new job. (Perkbox)
Just 32% of UK office workers feel as though they completely belong in their company, despite feeling this essential to stay motivated. (My kinda future)
Over 33% claim they have no bond with their employer at all. (My kinda future)
Just 31% of men report feeling a sense of community at work, compared to 34% of women. . (My kinda future)
This is a significant issue for UK employers as workers across Britain start working remotely more, creating even more distance between them and their employer. (My kinda future)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Perks
70% of workers said salary remains the number one work-place perk for UK office staff, however it’s clear that other emotional benefits are now very important. (My kinda future)
After salary, 47% said ‘being valued’ was the next most important thing for them at work followed by getting on with colleagues (43%). (My kinda future)
These community attributes are now far important than many of traditional incentives;
- subsidised gym membership (4%)
- office parties (5%)
- health insurance (10%) (My kinda future)
A survey conducted by Motivates found 29% of respondents saying they are not motivated at work rose to 29% in 2017 (an increase of 11% from the previous year) (Employee Benefits)
Are you stuck in a job that you hate and struggle to stay motivated? if so read my ‘How To Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job: 25 Practical Tips’ post
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Demographics
When asked to rank their motivation levels at work out of 10, men felt more motivated than women, with an average score of 5.7 versus 4.8. (Eden Springs)
The most productive or motivated region in the UK was Northern Ireland with respondents answering an average of 6.2. The least motivated region was North West England with an average score of 4.3. (Eden Springs)
Workers between 18 and 24 years old were the least motivated age group, while 35 to 44 year olds were the most motivated, with an average score of 5.9. (Eden Springs)
In research carried out by SME Loans, when they asked different age groups about their job satisfaction, 73% of the over 55’s were satisfied with their jobs. (SME Loans)
Only 61% of gen X said they were happy at work. (SME Loans)
66% of men and 65% of women enjoyed their place of work. (SME Loans)
Looking at the different regions in the UK, some had far higher levels of job satisfaction than others:
- South East: 75.2%
- Northern Ireland: 71.9%
- South West: 70.5
- Wales: 54.3%
- North West: 60.3%
- London: 62%. (SME Loans)
Are you unsure about which career path to follow? You have a vague idea what you might want to do, but are not really sure?
If so, check out my online course on ‘How to Find Your Perfect Career’. It is 25 tried and tested exercises that I’ve used to take me from jobs I hated in my 20’s to a job I LOVE now!
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Reasons Behind Low Motivation
In the research by Employee Benefits, the following reasons were given by those who said they lacked motivation:
- 25% said they have no career progression
- 25% gave poor communication from senior management
- 24% said their organisation does not give them any recognition
- 21% said they do not have a good work-life balance
- 18% said their work didn’t challenge them. (Employee Benefits)
When asked if they were more or less emotionally invested in their work compared with five years ago;
- 48% said slightly or more
- 31% felt the same
- 17% said slightly or much less. (Employee Benefits)
In a survey by CV Library on motivation, when people were asked to identify why they dislike their jobs, they gave the following reasons:
- Not being paid enough: 38.9%
- No room for progression: 32.6%
- Poor company culture: 30.8%
- Poor work-life balance: 21.8%
- Boring daily routine: 18.7%
- Disliking the working hours: 15.3%
- Disliking the boss: 14.9%
- Having a long commute: 13.6%
- Disliking colleagues: 5%
- Issues in private life affecting work life: 4.8% (incentive motivation)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: A ‘Sense of Community’
The study carried out by mykindafuture suggested that as many as 80% of those who don’t feel a sense of community as work are considering leaving their jobs within the next 12 months. (My kinda future)
Nearly 10% gave ‘not fitting in’ as the reason for leaving their last job. (My kinda future)
The research also found that a sense of community was very important when it came to attracting talent. Only 25% of employees surveyed were likely to recommend their employer to a friend. (My kinda future)
For the minority of people who do feel a sense of community at work, it was a slow process. 20% of people said it took longer than 6 months. (My kinda future)
Some even suggested it took as long as a decade before they felt as though they belonged. (My kinda future)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: What Would Help
Asked what would help to motivate them at work:
- 21% of employees said they have a good work-life balance
- 20% said they had great peers who motivate each other
- 15% cited a boss who was very good at saying thank you
- Approx. 12% said their office environment was very motivating
- 10% said they have a motivating manager who is very good at their job. (Employee Benefits)
On what would motivate them more than their basic salary:
- 40% of respondents said a feeling of satisfaction
- 39% said general work enjoyment
- 34% said job security.
- 32% cited incentives and rewards
- 27% valued working as a team. (Employee Benefits)
57.4% of employees lacking motivation agreed that quitting isn’t always the best solution. (incentive motivation)
Reward & Recognition:
90% of HR workers agreed that an effective recognition and reward programme helps drive business performance. (Reward Gateway)
91% of HR workers also agreed that recognition and reward has a positive effect on retaining employees. (Reward Gateway)
Sense of Community:
Peer-to-peer recognition is 36% more likely to have a positive impact on financial results than manager-only recognition. (Reward Gateway)
37% of HR decision makers claimed that their employees feel as though they belong. (My kinda future)
However, only 40% of HR heads believe that their organisation is currently working hard to encourage a sense of inclusion. (My kinda future)
25% of businesses are still choosing not to discuss inclusion at board level. (My kinda future)
Just over 50% of those surveyed agree that their employees are encouraged to express their opinions freely, despite many office workers flagging this as a key factor in their motivation to do a good job. (My kinda future)
Mentoring Schemes:
Employees also found that mentoring schemes helped to build a relationship with their organisation with over 50s preferring face-to-face programmes, and 16-24 year olds opting for online tools. (My kinda future)
If you found this post on Motivation, please do check out some of my other posts:
How To Find The Right Career: 11 Effective Tips
Soft Skills in The Workplace: 5 of The Most Important
13 Practical Career Advice Tips for Teens
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Workplace Concerns
When asked for their most significant workplace concerns:
- 29% of respondents said financial security
- 27% gave health and wellbeing
- 26% said job security
- 25% were concerned with staying challenged and motivated
- 24% worried about career progression. (Employee Benefits)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Motivating Factors
In a survey conducted by Motivates, respondents were asked what the top five things that motivated them were:
1. I have a good work life balance
2. I have great peers
3. My boss is good at saying thank you
4. The office environment
5. I have a motivating manager (Employee Benefits)
Over 70% of employees want their employers to do more to motivate them. (Reward Gateway)
The top reasons for employees feeling demotivated are:
- 43% feeling invisible or undervalued
- 43% having a bad manager
- 40% lack of recognition (reward Gateway)
50% of the UK workforce view salary as their biggest job motivator
Second to salary, the top three motivators were:
- flexible working,
- having a nice boss
- a short commute
The data from the SME Loans showed that salary was the most important motivator for 49.7% of the UK workforce. (59.2% when looking just at the 18-24 age group) (SME Loans)
The region which placed the most importance in salary was London, with 55% of the London workforce most motivated by money compared to just 39% in the South West. (SME Loans)
25% of those surveyed said prospect of promotion was more important than salary. (33% in London) (SME Loans)
Roughly 20% said that company values were their greatest motivator. (SME Loans)
22% pf Londoners felt that a generous maternity/paternity leave offer was a motivating factor, however this dropped to 7.5% in the South West. (SME Loans)
More and more people are beginning to value the ability to:
- Have Flexible working (33%)
- Work from home (20%)
- Do their job remotely (20%) (SME Loans)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Motivating Factors
When the respondents were asked what didn’t motivate them, the top five answers were:
1. I have no career progression
2. My company doesn’t give regular recognition
3. I don’t have a good work life balance
4. Poor processes and technology
5. My work doesn’t challenge me (Employee Benefits)
Do you struggle with career progression? do you not know what you want career wise? if so have a read of my creative visualisation post, and see how you can start making things happen in your career
Almost 50% of employees agreed that they would leave a company that didn’t thank or reward them enough for their work. (reward Gateway)
Only 26% of managers strongly agreed that their company praises or thanks employees for their good work (Reward Gateway)
33% of managers agreed that they struggle to find the time to give out thanks and praise to their direct reports. (Reward Gateway)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Effect of Demotivation
A study from global employee engagement company Reward Gateway found being unmotivated had the following effects on employees:
- 62% decline in mood
- 49% reduction in productivity levels
- 48% decline in mental health
- 39% reduction in quality of work
- 30% decline in the quality of diet (Reward Gateway)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: Benefits of Motivation
Organisations where recognition occurs have 14% better employee engagement, productivity and customer service than those without. (Bersin by Deloitte)
Companies with a recognition culture have 31% lower employee turnover. (Reward Gateway)
The magic number for recognition: It’s recommended to recognise an employee every seven days. (Gallup) (Reward Gateway)
Employee Motivation Statistics UK: UK Compared To Other Countries
The UK workforce is more motivated by money than their European counterparts, suggesting low engagement (HR Magazine)
Research from payroll company ADP revealed that for 62% of UK employees salary is the main reason they go to work, compared to 49% in other European countries. (HR Magazine)
13% of UK workers said they went to work because they loved their job, this was really low compared to the 26% in the Netherlands. (HR Magazine)
19% of UK workers also feel like quitting every week, which is higher than all other European countries. (HR Magazine)
