SPECIAL REPORT - PROMOTIONS & INCENTIVES: Finding motivation

Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho says motivation is arguably more important than ability when it comes to creating a winning team. It is a hypothesis to which employers in any UK business can relate when faced with the dilemma of how to keep staff motivated without spending increasing sums on incentive schemes. The schemes with cash prizes are often the least effective at generating long-term motivation, while even tangible rewards such as vouchers or bottles of wine can fail to have the desired effect. Non-financial rewards can be effective when even the most motivated employee's inspiration begins to fade. Claire Owen, managing director of marketing recruitment agency Stopgap, says the key to having a motivated staff is to appoint the right people.