The 11 Intrinsic Motivators
Discover what fuels your team’s engine and what they need to hit top gear
The 11 key intrinsic motivators that really matter
Attuned makes the psychological data that exists around, and between, people visible. To do this, we worked with a team of psychologists to identify the following 11 key intrinsic motivators that drive every individual to one degree or another. The emphasis that each individual places on every motivator can be seen by taking our signature Intrinsic Motivation Assessment. This 55-question forced-choice questionnaire produces an AI-assisted profile that scores the taker’s needs for each motivator from 0-100%, categorizing each as either ‘Neutral’ (0-30%), ‘Nice-to-have’ (31-69%), or ‘Need-to-have’ (70-100%).
ALTRUISM
The endeavor to help, support and maintain the wellbeing of others, as well as the expectation that others will help us if we need it; the preference of a kind of environment where this comes about on a mutual basis.
- Ensuring a positive group atmosphere
- Mentoring newcomers
- Sharing knowledge and information
- Supporting each other through problems
- The importance of group values
Need to Have
You prefer working where others can turn to you for advice, and find it important that others are also happy to help you in return.
Nice to Have
Neutral
AUTONOMY
The need to develop and preserve personal freedom; striving for independence in decision-making, time management and working out solutions while assuming personal responsibility.
- Self-reliance
- Individual time management
- Individual decision-making
- Individual problem-solving
- Freedom to create own framework
Need to Have
Nice to Have
Favor a type of flexible environment that enables colleagues to be able to follow their own priorities, but don’t mind if workplace rules determine the process of carrying out a task.
Neutral
Like to work according to a specific timetable, and don’t mind if others organize your schedule.
COMPETITION
An attraction to challenges, struggles and competitive situations; a continuous striving to compete with others, to reach appointed goals and find success, in relation to both others and to oneself.
- Measuring oneself against others
- Competition
- Setting of high targets
- Success orientation
- Pushing own boundaries
Need to Have
You’re characterized by a strong competitive spirit; you like to win, to compete, and to measure your knowledge against others. You constantly venture beyond your limits, always setting your own standards higher.
Nice to Have
Largely have realistic objectives, but like to set the bar higher from time to time, happily joining in on projects even when beyond your current capabilities and strengths.
Neutral
Do not have interest in competitive scenarios, and attach little importance to stressing individual performance and experiencing success.
FEEDBACK
The need for feedback from others, for evaluation and recognition in all areas of life; the desire for both negative and positive feedback to help carry out work satisfactorily and reinforce a sense of worth.
- Feedback
- Positive reinforcement
- Constructive criticism
- The importance of others’ opinions
- Recognition and praise
Need to Have
Feedback from others is important in your work and private life alike. You’re able to see your work and performance as important and successful only when recognized by others.
Nice to Have
Like to have your work recognized and your individual efforts appreciated, but self-assessment of your own performance is less dependent on feedback from others.
Neutral
Are not particularly interested in how you appear to others; you don’t require external reinforcement.
FINANCIAL NEEDS
The desire for financial security and wellbeing; a liking for activities entailing the generation of profit, and of endeavors to accumulate and safeguard wealth.
- Pay, bonuses
- Extra material benefits: premiums, cafeteria, overtime pay
- Financial security
- Generating revenue
- A constant, secure and predictable income
Need to Have
Financial security and ensuring a livelihood is of primary importance, and/or you’re happy to work with financial indicators, calculations and planning, regarding revenue as one of the defining indicators of success.
Nice to Have
Will probably show more interest in things other than compensation once financial security is established.
Neutral
Can be indifferent to financial values and are not expressly concerned with material success.
INNOVATION
An attraction to varied and novel situations and tasks in all areas of life, where an opportunity exists to create something new, to introduce new approaches, and to apply unconventional solutions.
- Creativity
- Novel approaches, tasks and solutions
- Establishing or creating something new
- Examining several viewpoints at once
- Self-expression
Need to Have
You’re characterized by a creative urge and innovative spirit. You like to be able to examine problems from several different angles.
Nice to Have
Are open to novel solutions, but you’re not necessarily the one to introduce such ideas to the team.
Neutral
Often resort to tried-and-trusted methods rather than trying out alternatives during problem-solving.
PROGRESS
The endeavor to acquire new capabilities or skills and to expand knowledge in all areas of life, driven by the need for personal development and professional growth.
- Personal development and professional growth
- Pushing beyond the limits
- Lifelong pursuit of knowledge
- Learning from others
- Challenges entailing complex tasks
Need to Have
You value challenging work that includes complex situations or tasks exceeding your knowledge level, since this is where you see opportunities for growth.
Nice to Have
Find personal development important, and are glad to take any such opportunity if it arises.
Neutral
Are less inclined to seek opportunities for growth in every situation.
RATIONALITY
An attraction to logical, objective and scientific methods; the endeavor to make decisions based on factual data and connections of cause and effect, and by taking into account objective feedback from others.
- Logic and objectivity
- Causal thinking
- A strategic and process-based approach
- Debate based on rational arguments
- Complex, analytical thinking
Need to Have
You endeavor to remain objective and logical in all circumstances and to make decisions based on rational arguments.
Nice to Have
Find objectivity and logic to play an important part in your outlook, but subjective factors based on intuition may also often play a role in your decision-making.
Neutral
Often make decisions on a hunch, excluding all logical explanation. Are comfortable making quick decisions based on gut instinct, rather than insisting on a data driven or process-based approach.
SECURITY
The desire for planning and predictability, and the need for precisely defined rules, clear frameworks and spheres of responsibility; a striving for stability and permanence in all areas of life.
- Planning
- Predictability
- Stability
- Well-defined rules, responsibilities and expectations
- Observance of prescriptions
Need to Have
You deem it very important to be surrounded by well-defined and regulated procedures as you prefer order and structured operation.
Nice to Have
Agree with well-regulated working processes, but don’t require constant instruction in carrying out tasks.
Neutral
Favor innovation, risk and initiative-taking; attaching little importance to permanence and stability. You don’t mind unpredictable situations and easily adapt to change, whether on the organizational level or in your private life.
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
A fondness for belonging to a group; striving for frequent and mutual social interactions, developing quality human relationships and a good social atmosphere.
- Openness and sociability
- Quality human relationships
- Love of communal programs
- Preference for teamwork
- Creating and maintaining a good workplace ambience
Need to Have
You like to be surrounded by good company, an enthusiastic team and open-minded, sociable people, with whom you can easily find a common voice both in work and your private life.
Nice to Have
Enjoy working with others, but can also feel at ease in your own company.
Neutral
Do not find it important to work as part of a team, and are happy to work alone.
STATUS
The desire for reputation, recognition, respect and continuous progress through the ranks, as well as the endeavor to develop a lifestyle which, through external appearances, makes social status and position at the workplace unequivocal.
- Respect commensurate with position
- Reputable company
- Pride in work and position held
- Importance of progressing through ranks
- Style and elegance
Need to Have
You find it very important to work at a reputable company, and need to win the respect and esteem of others, taking it particularly badly if you don’t receive this.
Nice to Have
Find it important to work in a prestigious position at a reputable company, but this isn’t the primary consideration when choosing a place to work.
Neutral
Do not place high value on the strength of your company’s brand or the prestige of your title.
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