In the contemporary realities of personnel management, including in design companies, the managers are increasingly faced with the question of employee motivation. The generation of millennials and zoomers is no longer interested in just going to work for a salary: it is increasingly important for them to feel like part of a team, to understand that they are creating something valuable.

Anton Vardashkin, the Head of the Communication and Automation Systems Department of «In-Delo» Company, told the Stroitelnaya Gazeta newspaper about seven non-material aspects of employee motivation.

In the contemporary realities of personnel management, including in design companies, the managers are increasingly faced with the question of employee motivation. Anton Vardashkin, the Head of the Communication and Automation Systems Department of «In-Delo» Company, says: «The generation of millennials and zoomers is no longer interested in just going to work for a salary: it is increasingly important for them to feel like part of a team, to understand that they are creating something valuable.» A motivated employee enjoys the work to which he is attached with his soul and body, and feels joy. Anton talks about the 7 main motivation factors that he uses in his work:

1. Challenge. Often being in a large flow of projects and tasks, the managers try to assign an employee with the scope of work that he already knows how to do. So, the manager remains confident that the task will be completed efficiently and on time, but such being in the comfort zone negatively affects both participants in the process. An employee, who does not encounter a new challenge and does not learn something new, burns out, as a result of which he at least loses productivity, as a maximum changes his place of work. And the manager gets the problem of selecting and adapting a new employee. Therefore, try to engage employees with new projects and tasks that they have not encountered before.

2. Freedom. The field of design is not too creative. Often, the designer is squeezed into the narrow confines of a huge pile of documents: design brief, technical specifications, project-specific technical specifications, album of engineering solutions, and so on. With that said, try to give employees at least some freedom, where possible. The application of a combined plan of utility networks, the arrangement of equipment in technical rooms, the pipes and cable lines routing, if possible, should not become places to express their dissatisfaction «But I think we have to do it like this.»  Give people the opportunity to choose their own ways to solve the problem.

3. Respect. Respect the dignity of employees: «Praise in public, criticize in private.» Public indignation and criticism are unlikely to motivate for work both the object of criticism and colleagues who will become witnesses.

4. Cordiality/openness. Treat the people with personal sympathy, show your interest in them not only in connection with work, especially if they work remotely. A couple of simple questions about the life and mood of a subordinate will not take you much time, but they will improve your communication and mutual understanding.

5. Control. Teach your supervisors to break down the tasks of engineers into smaller subtasks. Your supervisor will monitor the employee’s results more often, and the employee will feel the involvement and significance of his work on the project.

6. Taste of victory. The employees will be very pleased if you praise them even for performing routine tasks; and the project director’s congratulations to the team at least by e-mail on the successful closure of the project or passing in the state examination should be an obvious norm in the company.

7. Positive expectations. Constantly demonstrate your credibility to the team. All in all, you either created this team yourself, or did not change its composition after joining. Your team is your main strength and pride, you should always remember that people are the main wealth that the company has.