Beyond Paychecks & Perks: The Real Motivators Driving Your Industry
Kyle Brade-Waring- 2 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Think the finance world is all about the bottom line? Or that consultants are purely driven by innovation? The data from over 110,000 Motivational Maps worldwide might just change your mind. While 'Builder' (the drive for material reward) ranks high in Financial Services, this sector also shows the lowest overall motivation scores among ten major industries analysed. Contrast that with Management Consulting, which boasts high engagement, fired up by purpose ('Searcher'), autonomy ('Spirit'), and creativity ('Creator').
What are Motivational Maps?
Motivational Maps are not personality tests, but straightforward self-perception inventories that reveal 'what makes an individual tick' by identifying their key drivers from nine core motivators. Think of them as a compass for understanding what truly energises people at work. The nine motivators are:
Defender: Seeks security, certainty, and stability.
Friend: Seeks belonging, involvement, and rewarding relationships.
Star: Seeks recognition, respect, and social esteem.
Director: Seeks responsibility, power, and control of people and resources.
Builder: Seeks money, material rewards, and an above-average living.
Expert: Seeks mastery, expertise, and specialism.
Creator: Seeks originality, innovation, and creative expression.
Spirit: Seeks independence, autonomy, and decision-making.
Searcher: Seeks meaning, purpose, and making a difference.
So, why does this matter to you as a leader, HR professional, or coach? Because understanding your industry’s unique motivational landscape can be the difference between guessing what works and knowing how to build stronger, more engaged teams and deliver truly impactful coaching. This article dives into fascinating insights from Motivational Map data across various sectors, uncovering patterns that can help you stop the engagement guesswork and start connecting with what truly drives success in your field.
Diving into the Data - Uncovering Sector-Specific Motivation Patterns
The insights we're exploring come from a significant data pool of over 110,000 Motivational Maps, providing a robust look at workplace motivation. Let's spotlight a few sectors to see just how different their motivational profiles can be.
Financial Services: Often stereotyped as purely money-driven, Financial Services presents a more complex picture. While 'Builder' (material rewards) is indeed a strong motivator, the sector surprisingly has the lowest overall average motivation score (PMA) at 69.2% of the ten major sectors analysed. What's more, the 'Director' motivator (the desire for control and leadership) is particularly low in this sector (scoring 16.1) and is the second lowest across the board. This suggests that simply focusing on financial incentives might be missing crucial elements for true engagement and effective leadership in this field. Perhaps the relentless focus on the bottom line overshadows other vital human needs at work?
Management Consulting: In stark contrast, Management Consulting shows the highest average motivation score (PMA) at 76.2%. Their profile is dominated by 'Searcher' (purpose), 'Spirit' (autonomy), and 'Creator' (innovation). This 'Growth' oriented profile (motivators related to self-actualisation ) fuels high engagement. However, as the report notes, this carries a potential blind spot: consultants might inadvertently project their own strong growth drivers onto clients from very different motivational landscapes, or even devalue team members who don't share the same intense drive for constant innovation and autonomy.
Healthcare (Hospital and Health Care): The drive in Healthcare is clearly purpose-oriented. 'Searcher' (making a difference) is exceptionally high at 27.3 (out of a possible 40 for any single motivator in an individual map, this is a high average across a sector), and 'Expert' (mastery of knowledge) is also a key driver. Conversely, 'Builder' (material rewards) is the lowest motivator here, with an average score of 16.8. This paints a picture of a dedicated workforce motivated more by meaning and skill than by direct financial gain – a vital insight for retention and reward strategies in a challenging field.
Construction: Predictably, perhaps, 'Defender' (seeking security and stability) scores highly in the Construction sector, with an average of 22.3. Understanding this helps explain why clear processes, predictable work, and job security are so important for motivation here.
Industry | Top Motivator | Motivator #2 | Motivator #3 | Bottom Motivator | PMA Score (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Services | Searcher (25.5) | Spirit (21.7) | Expert (21.6) | Star (15.8) | 69.2 |
Management Consulting | Searcher (27.5) | Spirit (24.2) | Creator (21.5) | Star (15.3) | 76.2 |
Hospital and Health Care | Searcher (27.3) | Expert (22.7) | Defender (21.3) | Star (15.6) | 71.0 |
Construction | Searcher (25.0) | Defender (22.3) | Expert (21.6) | Star (15.6) | 71.9 |
Sector Motivation Profiles: Key Drivers & Engagement Levels
Beyond these specific sectors, some powerful cross-industry trends emerge:
The Ubiquitous 'Searcher': Across all ten major sectors analysed in the report, 'Searcher' – the drive for meaning and purpose – consistently emerges as the top motivator. In fact, it accounts for 39.6% of all first-place appearances in the entire sample of over 110,000 maps! This is a profound insight: no matter the industry, people want to feel their work makes a difference and contributes to something
bigger than themselves.
The Low-Profile 'Star': Equally striking is that 'Star' – the desire for recognition and social esteem – is almost universally the lowest ranked motivator. It appears as the top motivator for only 1.4% of people in the large sample. This challenges traditional approaches to reward and recognition that heavily rely on public praise or status symbols. It doesn’t mean people don’t want to be recognised, but perhaps how they are recognised needs more thought.
The 'Creator' Conundrum: Business guru Peter Drucker famously said that marketing and innovation are the two core functions of any business. Worryingly, the 'Creator' motivator (drive for innovation and bringing new things into existence) scores as the 5th or 6th motivator in order, with the exception of Management Consultancy. Across the ten major sectors, its average score hovers around 20 out of 40, whereas Searcher averages over 25. What could this mean for long-term growth and competitiveness if the innate drive to innovate isn't a top-tier motivator for many?
The Enduring Need for Security ('Defender'): The data also shows that the 'Defender' motivator (need for security and stability) saw a steady increase in its average score across all sectors from Pre-Covid (20.7) to Covid (21.2) to Post-Covid times (21.6). This suggests a lasting impact of recent uncertainties on our collective need for security and predictability at work.
From Data to Decisions - Practical Applications for Your Industry's Motivators
These sector insights aren't just interesting statistics; they're a call to action. They provide a valuable lens through which to view your own organisation and team. Here’s how you can use this understanding, whether you're leading a team, shaping HR strategy, or coaching others:
For Leaders & Managers:
Diagnose with Precision: Is your team's energy low despite what you consider good pay and benefits? If you're in Financial Services, the sector data suggests you might need to look beyond 'Builder' and explore if unmet 'Searcher' (purpose) or 'Spirit' (autonomy) needs are the real issue.
Tailor Your Leadership: If you lead a tech team (IT and Services sector data shows 'Searcher', 'Expert', and 'Spirit' as the top three ), how could more opportunities for mastery, innovation, and genuine autonomy transform their engagement, rather than a one-size-fits-all management style? Knowing that 'Director' is generally low, are you leading or managing?
Rethink Roles & Recognition: Knowing that 'Star' is generally low across sectors, how can you create recognition that feels more authentic and aligned with other strong motivators? For a Healthcare team high in 'Searcher' and 'Expert', this might mean acknowledging the impact of their skill on patient well-being, rather than employee-of-the-month schemes.
For HR Professionals:
Sharpen Talent Acquisition: When recruiting for Construction roles, craft job descriptions that highlight stability, clear career paths, and the tangible impact of projects to resonate with the typical high 'Defender', 'Builder', and 'Searcher' motivators in that sector.
Design Resonant Rewards: Instead of assuming bonuses are the main driver in Healthcare (where 'Builder' is lowest ), explore how to build in more opportunities for skill development and certifications ('Expert') and connection to patient outcomes ('Searcher').
Boost L&D Impact: Align development programs with your sector's key motivators. If 'Expert' is high, are you providing deep learning opportunities and specialist career tracks? If 'Searcher' is high, are you clearly linking learning and development to the organisation's purpose and impact?
For Coaches:
Contextualise Client Challenges: When a client in Management Consulting talks about team burnout, the sector's high 'Searcher', 'Spirit', and 'Creator' profile might suggest a discussion around ensuring that the drive for purpose and innovation is sustainable and supported, not just relentless.
Facilitate Deeper Insight: Use these sector trends as a powerful conversation starter. "Your industry typically scores high on 'Searcher' and 'Expert'. How does that show up in your team? What happens if those needs aren't being met?"
Guide Strategic Action: Help leaders compare their own team's Motivational Map to their sector's general profile. Are they an outlier? What opportunities or risks does that present for them? The case study below illustrates this.
Case Study: ConstructCo Shifting Gears
Consider 'ConstructCo,' a building firm. Their new HR manager, Sarah, noticed high staff turnover despite competitive pay (aligning with a typical 'Builder' focus). Using Motivational Maps, she found that while 'Defender' needs (job security, clear processes – typical for Construction ) were met, the team scored surprisingly low on 'Friend' (belonging and relationships) and 'Searcher' (purpose) compared to benchmarks of other successful firms. The work felt impersonal, and younger staff, particularly, didn't see the impact of their individual roles on the impressive final projects.
Sarah worked with team leaders to:
Introduce more team-building social events (addressing 'Friend').
Implement site visits for office staff to see completed projects and hear client testimonials (boosting 'Searcher').
Revamp project briefings to highlight how each role contributes to the bigger picture.
Within six months, engagement scores rose, and regrettable turnover decreased significantly.
Conclusion - Charting Your Course: From Sector Insights to Individual Action
As we've seen, the motivational landscape varies significantly from one industry to another. Understanding your sector's general tendencies, like knowing the prevailing winds and currents, is a powerful first step towards building a more engaged, productive, and ultimately, headache-free workplace.
But remember, sector data paints a broad picture. The real magic, the kind that transforms teams and unlocks individual potential, happens when you combine this wider context with the specific, nuanced insights from your own team's and individuals' Motivational Maps. That’s where you uncover the precise levers for addressing those unique 'day-to-day pains' and fostering an environment where everyone can bring their best.
Ready to move beyond engagement guesswork and tap into what truly drives your people?
For Leaders: Discover how Motivational Maps can help you build stronger, more motivated teams tailored to your industry's unique landscape. Click here to explore Team Building and Coaching Workshops.
For Coaches & HR: Want to add a powerful, data-driven tool to your coaching and HR toolkit? Learn more about becoming an Accredited Motivational Maps Practitioner.
Find out more about Motivational Maps – what they are and how accreditation can benefit you – here: https://www.motivatedperformance.co.uk/post/motivational-maps-accreditation-101-employee-engagement-tool.
By understanding and acting on these deeper motivational insights, you're not just improving metrics; you're building a stronger, more resilient business where people genuinely thrive – and that's the best way to leave those leadership headaches behind.
