Motivating your staff really isn't rocket science, says Nigel Paine, so why are so many employees so miserable that they want to leave? He takes a look at the cause of all this workplace unhappiness and makes some suggestions as to how enlightened businesses can turn things around.

Investors in People published a survey recently showing that 30% of people at work are demotivated and that half the staff with one to two years' service are actively seeking alternative employment. This is not an isolated result but one in a long list of similar findings stretching back at least 10 years. In fact, I can't remember a survey that said anything different. And there will, no doubt, be more.

"In 10 years' time we will look back on this era with amazement at how we wasted so much of our staff's human potential and accepted low motivation as almost the norm."

In 10 years' time we will look back on this era with amazement at how we wasted so much of our staff's human potential and accepted low motivation as almost the norm. How we, essentially, worked people in jobs until they were bored and frustrated and thought little about their career or personal development.

Just as we look now at the huge efficiency gains we have made over the last 10 years by streamlining data and financial management, we will look back at the massive gains made in working with people to maintain their creativity and motivation and effectiveness as the second stage in the transformation of work.

Demotivated employees will come as no surprise to anyone reading this article. Anecdotal evidence amongst friends and work colleagues backs this up. Lots of people hate their jobs, and many are quite happy to take their salary cheque whilst rubbishing their employer and strongly advising friends to avoid its products and services. On the other hand, many employers assume employee malevolence unless proved otherwise, and place petty restrictions on what an employee can and cannot do - often taken to an extreme level. Recent examples in the press include:

So petty restriction, lack of trust, and built up resentment informs some workplaces. And in these places demotivation levels are probably double or treble the IIP average of 30%. Does this matter? What difference does this make? In reasonable workplaces, where these restrictions don't apply and the working environment is at least reasonable, why is the level of demotivation as high as 30%?

If we look a bit further at the IIP survey, the single biggest factor in the disillusionment of those who have been in their job between one and two years is 'lack of career progression'. Most staff get very little on-going development after their initial induction and there appears to be a huge incentive to leave someone in a job that they are doing competently. This is thought to be the most efficient and productive way of using staff. Logically, yes - in reality, no. Why, because they get bored, demotivated and leave. Initial enthusiasm and learning turns to routine and then to tedium.

Here are a few ways of getting that 30% number down to single figures:
* Conduct an annual staff survey and find out what your employees really think and have an agenda emerging out of the findings
* Give every employee a personal development plan that includes finding out more about the place they work and extending their skills and knowledge
* Let them follow their interests as far as is possible
* Allow job swops and work shadowing
* Always move an employee every two or three years but retain their knowledge and give them time to help settle in the new incumbent
* Take people off their main job from time to time to work on cross company projects
* Gather ideas to constantly improve what you are doing
* Send people out to check out the market and see what other companies are doing
* Innovate constantly at every level
* Celebrate success and allow mistakes but learn from them
* Trust your staff. The vast majority of people are reasonable

There are workplaces that do all these things and more, and they are generally pulling away from the competition. In an era of increasing uncertainty and constant change the winners will be the ones that use their employee's brains and commitment. The losers will be the ones who think that this is irrelevant or expensive.

Nigel Paine is a former head of training and development at the BBC and now runs his own company, Nigel Paine.Com which focuses on people, learning and technology. For more information visit his website at www.nigelpaine.com

Read his previous comments: What has adult learning ever done for us?

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