SHRM: The importance of motivating employees

The Society for Human Resource Management reminded its members about management’s role in motivating employees to create a better working atmosphere.

Special guest speakers, the husband-and-wife tandem of Rik and Janel Villegas, presented “Motivation in the Workplace” during the group’s regular general membership meeting held Thursday at Pacific Islands Club’s Charley’s Cabaret.

The couple provided human resource managers and guests a concise multi-media presentation that talked about some basic elements to create a motivated team in the workplace.

The Villegases quoted renowned author Alexander Hiam, who said that “in 99.999 percent of the cases where employees are lacking in motivation, the problem can be traced to management, not the employees.”

Both speakers also shared a recent research study about certain motivation factors in a workplace. Results of the survey showed that employees regard being appreciated at work and always being recognized for a “work well done” as the No. 1 motivator for employees.

This was a surprising result, considering that, when the management team was asked about what motivates their employees, the managers said that having good wages was the primary motivation.

They ranked employees’ promotion and growth in the company as the next motivator; the employees, on the other hand, identified the feeling of being “in” on things as the second top motivator for them.

Both groups—employees and management—agreed that security would always be the highest rated factor in the motivation study. “The next three factors were advancement, type of work and the company being a proud place to work for,” said the study.

In related news, SHRM also held a brief donation ceremony to hand over a check worth $500 to the Micronesian Games Organizing Committee. Organizing Committee chair Mike White personally received the donation last Thursday.

SHRM president Angela Y. Santos said the donation is the group’s way of giving back to the CNMI community. She said they are hoping the money would help meet some basic cost of operating the much-awaited sports event in the Pacific.

Frannie Salas, SHRM treasurer, said their donation also aims to promote the islands to the international community, especially around the Pacific.