Today, what motivates us to go to work is a subtle combination of internal factors, such as the meaning we give to what we do, as well as external factors, such as the working environment.
Thus it is crucial, in a recruitment process, to combine the perspective of a candidate’s motivations with those expected for the job position.
And to evaluate motivations, one cannot rely on one's own instinct or solely the interview where everything is biased and where one evaluates more the ability of the candidate to conduct the interview than his real qualities for the job position.
Psychometric tests can shine an objective light on a candidate’s motivation at work
Motivation at work can be linked to three factors:
- The personality
- what constitutes the DNA, the basic aspirations of the individual, such as the tendency to care for others, the need to act or lead. These motivations are generally stable and sometimes crucial to exercise a job position or to adhere to a corporate culture.
- The environment
- or external motivations related to the professional context such as the remuneration, the atmosphere, or the proximity with the workplace. These sources of motivation are evaluated in relation to priorities at work and can evolve rapidly depending on an individual's personal situation.
- Interests
- that reflect the "core" of the individuals, are rooted in them and lead them to favor a particular area of activity. Motivations are in a way an extension of the personality that focuses us towards a specific goal with consequences on our satisfaction and professional performance.
Ideally, all three should be combined for a complete motivational approach.
If personality tests are more commonly used at the recruitment stage, motivation and interest assessment can be fully integrated in the process or later during the integration or annual appraisal period.
