Companies such as Google or BCG are at the top of the list of the best companies to work for globally. Why is that? The answer lies in the motivation of their employees. This is closely related to the hierarchy of personal needs, or also known as the famous Maslow's Pyramid.
If you want to know what Maslow's Pyramid is and how it can influence the motivation of your company's employees, read on and we will tell you about it.
The field of business-oriented psychology has been very useful since the second half of the 20th century. During this period, interesting theories have been developed that have helped employees find reasons to keep striving and get the most out of their work.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a theory proposed by Abraham Maslow. According to this theory, Human needs are arranged hierarchically., having first to satisfy basic needs.
And, subsequently, progress upwards according to the degree of urgency for the individual's satisfaction and self-actualisation.
This pyramid is divided into 5 levels that group human needs according to the urgency they represent to be satisfied.
These are the most basic needs that any human being requires to stay alive. They are vital for survival. These include the need for food, water, sleep and shelter.
These are the primary needs, so the rest of the needs found in the pyramid will not be possible under any circumstances if these first-level needs are not met beforehand.
Meeting these types of needs is also necessary for living, even though they are at a different level to primary ones. Physical security, income-generating capacity and resources, as well as health, are some of the needs to be met at this second level.
According to Maslow, these needs only make sense once the needs of the previous levels have been met. Love, social life, the sense of belonging to a social group Friendship are examples of human needs that would be located at this third level.
Self-esteem is a need that, as a human being, we will seek to fulfil. For this reason, the recognition within the community or the various social groups with which one interacts constitute another level of human needs according to Maslow's Hierarchy.
If not, we will feel inferior to the rest and therefore will not be meeting this level of need. Reputation, competence, independence and freedom are all part of the needs we seek to fulfil at this level.
Finally, at the highest level, lies the need for self-actualisation. Understanding the reason for being for each individual is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult needs to achieve.
This entails the development of the most internal needs, such as morality and The search for a purpose in life. This is the highest level of needs, and it can only be fully satisfied when the previous levels have been met.
Once we know what Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is, we are in a position to apply it to our company regarding employees. Knowing and understanding the theory of needs will allow you to apply it to Increase your employees' motivation.
As has been explained, the different levels of the pyramid allow the individual to develop gradually until they reach their maximum personal growth and development through the self-actualisation inherent in the fifth level. However, this last level can only be reached once the preceding levels have been satisfied.
In this regard, it is essential that the company, being the source of income for the workers, offers a salary and some social benefits which ensure that the needs of the lower levels of Maslow's Hierarchy can be fully met for employees.
Likewise, it is also necessary to take into account social needs (for example, considering the workspace and environment), as well as the needs for recognition and self-actualisation (including the sphere of professional life as an essential element of these).
This ensures that the company constitutes an element of growth for the employees, which, in addition to ensuring talent retention, will also allow the company itself to develop from a human and social perspective.
