Assessing employee motivation in a South African construction company

It is through their employees, that construction companies can respond to the challenges of the changing economy and the effective management of performance in the organisation. Hence, the increased emphasis on improving employee performance through motivation. The purpose of this study is to identify employee motivating factors in a South Africa construction company. The respondents were purposively selected, which included Human Resource Management Personnel, Senior Management, Departmental Managers, and Union Representatives in the company. Data analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). Findings from the analysed data indicated that a motivated employee performs better, provided that the supervisors understands their role and afford mentorship programs. Moreover, a safe and conducive work environment, job security, fair performance appraisal systems and opportunities for promotion are necessary to maintain a high level of employee motivation. Furthermore, employees should be exposed to career development opportunities and motivational talks, as that would enhance their performance. Moreover, motivated employees perform at a higher level making it easy for management to motivate them, thus achieving individual and firm objectives.