Motivating people

[kingcook]

Why are so few people so poorly self motivated. In order that I can get my recruitment people working I have to hold them to account on their activity levels. they will work slowly to make three or four placements then start all over again and it will then be another 3 months to get the next 3 or four placements.

They get comfortable on their pittance of basic salaries and unless I feed them clients they just simply fiddle around doing as little as possible. Once they get work to do they will work pretty well but they will not go the extra yards in order to ensure a regular stream of placements without me micro managing them.

I have been doing it for years now and to be honest I am fed up with it.

This book may help you:

How to Win Friends and Influence People

[Gloucsman]

I would guess Dodgy agent that you lack any kind of enthusiasm or motivation for the business any more as you have to lead from the front.....it sounds like you are bored with the industry.

[Mich the Tester]

I would guess Dodgy agent that you lack any kind of enthusiasm or motivation for the business any more as you have to lead from the front.....it sounds like you are bored with the industry.

People get bored of what they do when it runs out of challenges. I got bored of testing when every company adopted factory like approaches like TMap and ISTQB. The I started enjoying it again when I moved into Agile and Context Driven Testing, even though it meant getting a lower rate initially and a tougher time finding contracts.

[Gentile]

Why are so few people so poorly self motivated. In order that I can get my recruitment people working I have to hold them to account on their activity levels. they will work slowly to make three or four placements then start all over again and it will then be another 3 months to get the next 3 or four placements.

They get comfortable on their pittance of basic salaries and unless I feed them clients they just simply fiddle around doing as little as possible. Once they get work to do they will work pretty well but they will not go the extra yards in order to ensure a regular stream of placements without me micro managing them.

I have been doing it for years now and to be honest I am fed up with it.

HTH:

[MarillionFan]

People get bored of what they do when it runs out of challenges. I got bored of testing when every company adopted factory like approaches like TMap and ISTQB. The I started enjoying it again when I moved into Agile and Context Driven Testing, even though it meant getting a lower rate initially and a tougher time finding contracts.

Well not quite true.

There are those who like challenges and those who like the status quo. Those who enjoy challenges tend to like competition and start ups, those who don't are your steady eddy types and good for mature businesses.

[sasguru]

Seems to me DA you need to get some motivated employees from successful public sector organisations. Try Wandsworth Council or the Open University.

[Mich the Tester]

Well not quite true.

There are those who like challenges and those who like the status quo. Those who enjoy challenges tend to like competition and start ups, those who don't are your steady eddy types and good for mature businesses.

And those who like Marillion, who are no better.

But aside from that, if you want a business to grow in a market where things change all the time, I don't think you need too many steady eddies; a few, very experienced steady eddies who can calm nerves when tulip is hitting all the fans, but I think DA needs the ones who like challenges.

[DodgyAgent]

This works for sales people. Since when did recruitment agents become cognitive workers. They're sales people.

True and they are not expected to have great ideas about "business models". they need to be driven and have enough emotional intelligence to be able to communicate with people effectively. High intelligence is not required but also it would not be a suitable job for thickos (sorry SAS you are not hired )

[DodgyAgent]

I would guess Dodgy agent that you lack any kind of enthusiasm or motivation for the business any more as you have to lead from the front.....it sounds like you are bored with the industry.

You have a point. I am frustrated because I want to work on top of the business and not in it. My interest is in developing new markets. Right now I am working "in the business" and at least the business is doing really well. I am concerned that I am going to have to keep managing as it will fall back again if I do not.

[Mich the Tester]

Seems to me DA you need to get some motivated employees from successful public sector organisations. Try Wandsworth Council or the Open University.

No, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Steven Rose and Colin Pillinger are really not motivated at all. Granted, you'll find some crap ones as you do in any organisation, but you'll also find some top class researchers.