Dan Pink’s 2009 TED Talk, “The Puzzle of Motivation,” changed the way the world looked at extrinsic motivation — mainly that it doesn’t work in most business models. Even though research proves this concept, many businesses have been slow to remove extrinsic incentives, like unlimited PTO and free snacks and drinks in the office.
In contrast, the companies that have created successful intrinsic motivation methods have high employee retention rates. When employees know they matter, are paid a fair wage, and are part of something important, they stick around. What’s even better? They are innovative and productive.
