One motivating factor is of course interest in the job itself. Where people have this interest they are prepared to put in a great deal of effort and produce first-class results. It is not uncommon for a man whose work is indifferent, and who is regarded as being lazy, to have a hobby at which he shows himself to be energetic and to have high standards. There is nothing wrong with the man himself; he just happens not to find his work very interesting. It is usually found that where work is varied and makes demands on a man skill there is little problem of motivation; in these circumstances people express themselves through their work, and poor performance would diminish them as people.

It may be objected that not everyone has or can have an interesting job, and that we have to consider effective means of motivation for them also. This is true, but it is possible to overstate the argument. A skilled engineer may look round a factory where light assembly work is being done, where iced fruits are put on chocolates by people who do nothing else, and reflect that he personally would not like to do any of those jobs, whatever the rate of pay offered. But the people who do such jobs often find satisfaction in them. They do their work with minimal attention and think of more interesting things. Industrial music, congenial company, and pleasantly decorated surroundings all add to the interest of the work.

The problem is to some extent one of selection. An individual who is intelligent and capable of intricate and responsible work would be bored by a routine job, but there are others who look for work which makes few demands on them and who do not want a difficult and responsible job. A supervisor who has to deal with a worker whose performance is poor and who obviously a lack of interest in his work might, among other things, consider whether he would do better in some other kind of job. In companies with an efficient personnel service, one of the personnel officers will probably be able to give advice and assistance. Nevertheless, we still have to give some attention to the problem of morale, especially where routine work is being done. » Read more: Managing The Workers’ Motivation