The Importance of Understanding Candidate Motivation

<div class="grey-callout">
<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
<ul>
<li>Candidate motivation is multifaceted: It includes push factors (reasons for leaving a current job/situation) and pull factors (reasons for joining a new job).</li>
<li>Identify professional and personal motivators: Differentiate between professional (career growth, learning opportunities) and personal motivators (work-life balance). While professional motivators are easier to discuss and align with job offerings, be cautious with personal motivators to avoid legal risks related to discrimination.</li>
<li>Listen and watch: Ask targeted questions and observe a candidate’s reactions to gain better insights.</li>
<li>Maintain and increase candidate motivation: Continually reassess candidate motivation throughout the recruitment process, especially during interactions with potential managers.</li>
<li>Long-term motivation matters: Ensure candidates have a healthy balance of professional and personal motivations, are focused on long-term goals, and are not solely driven by short-term needs or strong push factors. This helps recruit candidates likely to stay and contribute positively over time.</li>
<li>Recruit candidates whose motivations align with what your organisation can provide: Understanding and being able to fulfil candidates’ motivations is crucial for retention. Utilise insights from current employees to understand and articulate what your company can deliver to potential hires.</li>
<li>Sell the job ethically: Leverage your understanding of candidate motivations to sell the job opportunity effectively. Ensure your approach is ethical, transparent, and consultative, aiming for a mutual fit rather than pushing candidates into a role that may not be right for them.</li>
</ul>
</div>  

‍

Motivation is like a multiplier, improving and sustaining an employee’s performance. Without a motivated employee, it is very easy to get a mis-hire.

Unfortunately, “motivation” is often overlooked in recruitment, but it is a SECRET of successful recruitment and retention. So, in this article, I discuss the different factors influencing motivation and how to identify it correctly.

‍

What Motivates Candidates?

Motivation is the reason an employee goes to work each day. Unfortunately, motivation is complex, multifaceted, and dynamic.

Whilst I could provide an overview of several motivational theories, or make up a “Candidate’s Hierarchy of Needs”, this isn’t an academic article but one based on actionable insights. Fortunately, most of the theories have obvious parallels. There are two main categories of motivators:

• Push motivators: Reasons for leaving a current painful situation or employer.
• Pull motivators: Reasons for joining a new employer.

It’s also important to consider that there are two sub-categories to each motivator:

1. Professional: What is pushing them away from their current job (eg. a lack of promotion), and what is pulling them to a new job (ie. promotion prospects)?
2. Personal: What is pushing them away from their current job (eg. working long hours), and what is pulling them to a new job (ie. a better work-life balance)?

These professional and personal elements are often the most dynamic. For example, generally employees in early careers are motivated by professional elements, seeking opportunities to learn and develop. When they start a family, their personal motivators may override as they seek more time at home. We can also see a similar example post-Covid when many employees sought to retain the ability to work from home because a work-life balance worked well for them

While identifying a candidate’s professional motivators is generally easy, proactively uncovering their personal motivators can be challenging and risky. This is because most candidates won’t want to discuss their personal lives, it is legally risky to ask, and their families are important but “hidden” stakeholders.

There is also a fundamental motivator: basic pay with safe working conditions. While this should be easily fulfilled, as an employer you should be careful about:

• Long-term unemployed candidates: Once the desperation to find a job that satisfies this fundamental motivator has been met, their motivation may wane. This is why you must dig deeper into what motivates an unemployed candidate beyond an income.
• Only money motivated: Candidates solely money motivated are more likely to accept competing offers or become a flight risk and leave the organisation when they find a higher-paying job elsewhere

The press frequently reports on surveys showing what employees value the most (often based on biased data because the research is from corporate employees only). Having held focus groups with Great Performers from a wide range of sectors and sizes of organisations, I consistently hear applicants say they value one or more of the following:

• Growth through challenges: Great Performers get bored quickly. They want interesting and challenging work to keep them engaged.
• Realising potential through learning: They want to learn from intelligent colleagues and managers.
• Working with autonomy: They don’t want to be micromanaged.
• Outcomes that impact: Sometimes they want to know what they’re doing makes a difference.

It may not be necessary to try and achieve all these points, but in a competitive market, it may be necessary to progress towards a few.

‍

<span class="purple-callout"><p>Just to mention – if you need practical help, I'm available. Please get your free consultation.</p><p>I'd recommend looking at my best-selling recruiting book as well.</p><p>Also, for only £199, I can post a job on all the UK's top job sites.</p></span>

‍

How to Uncover Candidate Motivations

‍

Reviewing their application

You can read between the lines in their career. For example, the jobs they’ve taken, companies they’ve joined, and training they’ve attended. (Be careful; it is easy to form biased opinions, so ensure you combine these assumptions with other data.)

‍

Interviews

I recommend asking targeted questions such as these during Telephone Interviews and Structured Interviews:

“What’s most important for you about your next job?”

Ideally, a candidate’s motivations align with your organisation and the job.

“What would you not like to do again?”

Because candidates don’t like talking about their weaknesses directly, this question is better at eliciting a response.

“What are your long-term career goals, and do you feel like you’re on target to reach them at the moment?”

Are they aligned with what your organisation can offer?

‍“What would you like to learn in the next few years to develop your career?”

Beyond going to conferences and offering training, could you provide some challenging assignments that would help candidates gain knowledge and skills that are important to them?

“What interesting or challenging work do you love?”... “Why?”... “What percentage of your time are you currently spending on that kind of work?”

Notice how this question discovers if challenging work is important to them and helps you understand if they are getting it from their current employer. If not, you may have an important unique selling point. For example, if they are salespeople, they want to be focused on closing rather than loads of administration.

“What kind of impact do you want your work to make?”... “What’s stopping you from making that impact at the moment?”

In my experience, few people are motivated by altruism, much to the chagrin of charities and not-for-profit organisations which often give this too much importance.

“What would your perfect manager and team be like?”... “Are you working with that type of manager and team at the moment?”

There is an adage in business that “Staff don’t leave bad companies; they leave bad managers”. Therefore, this question is important to identify their preferred management style. Reflect on this because we all have our natural management styles and it can be challenging to adapt, so don’t try forcing a square peg into a round hole.

“What were/are your reasons for leaving?”... “What else?”

If employed: “Have you asked your current employer if they can resolve these issues?”... “If they could fix it would you stay?”

These are critical questions. Not only do they help uncover what they are being pushed away from, but they also help predict whether they will receive a counteroffer and accept it. Your tonality isn’t trying to encourage them to stay; just remain neutral.

“What other job opportunities are you considering?”

The most important thing to understand is whether they are applying for similar jobs, because lacking focus could mean they are desperate. Beyond this, what is the appeal of the other jobs, and what could the cultures be like? For example, there is a staggering difference in the type of work and culture at a start-up compared to a corporation.

‍

<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Note:</span> I provide Telephone Interview Scripts and Structured Interview Scripts that include many of these “motivation” questions. The questions are intentionally near the start of a script so that as a conversation develops, you can reflect on whether a candidate is being consistent and truly aligned to their motivations.</span>

‍

Observe how candidates react

You’ll often know when you’ve uncovered a candidate’s dominant motivation by their reaction; they’ll come alive. You may see it in their body language and hear their tone of voice become stronger and possibly more excited. While I don’t want you to start practising amateur psychology, use it in conjunction with other information to understand if you’re hearing real motivations.

‍

Dealing with evasive passive candidates

If you have passive candidates (eg. from CV database searches), they can sometimes be evasive when you ask them why they’re thinking of making a change. They may say, “You called me. I’m really happy where I am. You need to convince me!” Often, this is just their poker face, positioning for a generous compensation package

Obviously, they’re being pushed away from something, so a good response is, “You’re right, but you took my call, so I’m sure there’s a reason you’re considering a change, and I’d like to understand it to ensure our role is a good fit. So please take me through it.”

‍

Maintaining and increasing motivation

Throughout the recruitment process, continually reassess a candidate’s motivations. Motivation may naturally increase as they learn more about your job and others.

Importantly, motivation should increase when a candidate meets their potential manager at the interview. Be concerned if you don’t notice the candidate developing rapport and increased motivation when they get to interact again at the Job Simulation and Work Culture Assessment. The hiring manager is a crucial reason why they join (and potentially leave) your company. If you consistently find candidates aren’t motivated by the manager, you should seriously consider whether you have the right manager!

Critically, once a candidate has accepted your job offer, you must maintain their motivation whilst they wait to start by keeping in contact, otherwise they may accept a competing offer or counteroffer.

‍

What Makes a Candidate ‘Properly’ Motivated?

As mentioned, motivation is complex and can change over time. Therefore, I’ll give you a few heuristics rather than rules:

• Good balance of professional and personal motivation: Taken to extremes, candidates purely motivated by personal matters are often less reliable and productive.
• Focused mainly on the long-term: Candidates solely focused on the short-term are more likely to leave, and their situation could quickly change.
• Push motivator must not be too strong: Candidates being pushed/forced away from their current situation often make rash and short-term decisions.

For example, I was interviewing a finance manager based in the UK. His current employer was acquired, and he now works in a US time zone. His primary motivation was simply to work regular UK hours. This seemed too superficial and not a powerful motivator, so I tried delving deeper. But he couldn’t express further motivations, and I realised it wasn’t compelling enough. Once he got a job working UK hours, what would motivate him after that? He wasn’t shortlisted.

Conversely, you’ll never see a candidate with a perfect stack of motivation. If you do, they’re probably a salesperson!

In an article about making the right recruitment decision, I provide detailed advice on determining whether you have a motivated candidate and address common issues.

‍

Can You Fulfil a Candidate’s Motivations?

Because you should recruit for retention, you want to recruit candidates whose motivations align with your ability to deliver. Sadly, some employers are delusional and try to be all things to all people. Or worse, they set unreasonable expectations and fail to provide necessary resources, inevitably meaning they need to rehire.

What can your organisation deliver? A good exercise is to ask your current Great Performers a few questions:

• “Why did you leave your last company?”
• “Why did you join our company?”
• “What keeps you here?”
• “What would make you leave?”
• “What is it that keeps you engaged?”
• “What sort of person would not be a good fit here?”

The answers can also be shared in your job adverts, on your employer career page, and during interviews. For example, if a candidate raises a concern about work-life balance, you could tell a real-life story about an employee who had a similar issue that the company resolved.

‍

Selling to Candidate

You need to sell to attract Great Performers, and this is much easier and more effective when you understand what motivates them. I’ve seen many employers recruit staff in a competitive market, not because they were the best employer, but because they were good at selling their job opportunities correctly.

A big problem is that few people like to sell or feel sold to. This is especially true in recruitment, where the damage of pushing candidates into the wrong job could be disastrous. When candidates agree to join your business, they place their trust in you – and their future in your hands. Their happiness, and maybe even their family’s well-being, depends on you honouring what you promised.

Therefore, ethics is a crucial part of selling in recruitment; being transparent, open, and honest. You need to be realistic and not sugarcoat things. Essentially, you’re having professional and consultative conversations, simply opening a door and letting them come through if they want to.

Remember, you’re recruiting for retention. Mis-selling equals mis-hires.

‍

‍Additional Resources

• Recruitment book: The Secrets of Great Recruitment - How to Recruitment Great Employees.
• Downloadable PDF guide; Uncover What Motivates Your Candidates for Long-Term Success.
• Article; Candidate Motivation: Unlocking Key Drivers for Recruitment Success.