Want to know what motivates your employees? Use this.

You’re not alone if you’re feeling stuck or unmotivated. Leaders feel it, employees feel it, and your customers likely feel it, too.

If you’ve noticed a disconnected team, the answer isn’t in the surface perks like long lunches, free lattes or a fancy new laptop. Real motivation runs deeper.

You need to discover what makes them tick.

A simple solution: Personality profiling

One of the most effective ways to do this is through personality profiling. By sitting down with employees and mapping out their personality type, you get valuable insights into what drives them at work.

Take our personality assessment test as an example.

The tool places individuals into one of four main groups. Suppose a team member comes back as an ‘Eagle.’ That tells you they’re driven by control and leadership, not by fitting in or earning approval. If they’ve seemed disengaged, it might be less about the work itself and more about feeling stifled or unseen.

When you know the why behind their behaviour, you can tailor your approach to keep them motivated.

The four main workplace motivators

Let’s break down some of the most common motivators you’ll find in any team.

1. Achievement / Recognition

For some, motivation comes from achieving and being recognised for it. These employees thrive on mastering skills, meeting high standards, and getting acknowledgment for their contributions. They’re outgoing, expressive, and people-oriented. They speak from the heart, love to be in the spotlight, and energise the team with their enthusiasm.

2. Power

Others are driven by influence and responsibility. They want to lead, make decisions, and see their ideas put into action. While they might sometimes come across as controlling, their confidence and decisiveness often make them natural leaders who get things done. With good intentions, this drive for power can be an enormous asset to a business.

3. Affiliation

Many people are motivated by relationships. For them, feeling included, accepted, and connected is essential. They’re the friendly, empathetic colleagues who thrive in collaborative environments and work best when they feel appreciated. They avoid conflict, value loyalty, and create harmony within a team. Their strength lies in building trust and connection.

4. Getting things right

Then there are the detail-oriented perfectionists. Their motivation comes from accuracy and doing things properly the first time. While they might be cautious and slower to decide, when they do act, you can count on it being correct. Their motto? ‘Slow and steady wins the race.’ They bring reliability, structure, and precision to the workplace.

Why this matters

Of course, beyond these categories, many small factors influence why people get out of bed in the morning. But the happiest, most productive employees are those who understand what motivates them – and whose employers create space for that motivation to thrive.

When you, as an employer, make the effort to understand your people, you don’t just boost productivity. You build happier, more engaged teams who feel valued for who they are.

Give your team the gift of clarity, starting with themselves

Tick’s personality profiling test makes it easy to uncover these insights. It’s simple, fun, and easy to understand. Best of all, it gives both you and your employees the clarity and self-awareness needed to build stronger, more motivated teams.

Fill in the red form today, and we’ll send you free samples to get started. Because when you know what drives your employees, you can unlock their full potential… and your business will thank you for it.