A look from inside the profession

Today, teachers are required to do everything they can - ensuring high Unified State Exam scores, mastering computer technologies, mastering a competency-based approach, and instilling patriotism...
Teachers have to solve all these problems in the context of continuous modernization changes. And it is clear that in such circumstances, teachers face many professional and psychological problems that require special attention, including from educational authorities. But for some reason, managers rarely show interest in these difficulties and the desire to mitigate the situation.
We present the results of one of the few studies
where teachers were asked the question: what interferes with your professional self-realization? The study was conducted by employees of the sociological laboratory of the Krasnoyarsk Pedagogical College in schools of the Krasnoyarsk region. And in order to compare the point of view of Krasnoyarsk teachers with the position of teachers in other regions, we analyzed the content of the questionnaires of participants in the Creative Teachers Network www.it-n.ru/ (ITN). When registering on this portal, participants fill out certain columns, including the column “main problems with which
I encounter at work.”

Demands are growing, funds...

What do teachers name as factors that hinder their professional self-realization? Most often, it is a lack of time, which is consumed by excessive workload (both academic and extracurricular).
The problem of lack of time was noted by 30% of teachers in the city of Krasnoyarsk, 33.1% of teachers from small towns and 24.3% of rural teachers. Respondents associate it with a large weekly teaching load, which they have to take on due to low salaries. And also with the need to carry out “non-core” instructions from the school administration and other authorities: “It feels like we are doing the work of some additional services: both social and medical...” (rural area).
The second most frequently mentioned negative factor is the large amount of paperwork that distracts from the main activity. 25.6% of teachers in Krasnoyarsk schools and 23% of teachers in rural schools indicated an overload of documentation and a significantly increased number of various types of reporting.
During the survey, teachers often pointed out the weakness of the school’s material and technical base. At the same time, teachers in the regional center, as a rule, focused on the incomplete computer equipment of classrooms, the insufficient number of interactive whiteboards, and the school operating in two shifts, while their colleagues from the village focused on the lack of basic teaching aids: globes, drawing instruments, and others.

And so that all the “zones” exist!

It is noteworthy that, according to many teachers, professional self-realization is hampered by the low educational motivation of children and their mental passivity. Teachers are concerned about the increasing number of students with mental retardation and the overall low level of development of students, especially in schools on the outskirts, “non-status”, which does not allow the implementation of educational projects.
Teachers are also concerned about the large number of migrant children who speak little (and often do not speak) Russian, and the increased number of children whose parents do not pay due attention to their upbringing. These problems were more often noted by teachers in Krasnoyarsk (11.6%).
Rural teachers more often express regret about the lack of professional knowledge, skills and work experience (20.5%). They feel a deficit associated with a lack of understanding of modern trends in education, lack of necessary qualifications, and experience in project activities. Older rural teachers often spoke about their inability to use Internet resources and their unwillingness to use information and communication technologies.
Another problem is interaction with students’ parents. It is most acutely manifested in the regional center: 8 percent of teachers in Krasnoyarsk admitted that they are unable to find mutual understanding with parents and this negatively affects their professional activities.
The problem of overcrowding in classes was especially noted: “Working in conditions where there are 30 people in the first class is an almost impossible task today! They demand from us that there be a “physical education zone”, that there is a “green zone”, that there is a “game zone”, that there be 15 desks, that 30 people be seated, but how to do this? This is unreal! A huge pile of books, pencils, and pens are laid out on the desks! The guys walk between the tables - there is not enough space for them, they can bump into each other. And I have to keep an eye on the kids in the classroom so that no one climbs the stairs, and in the corridor I also have to watch where they run, jump, and play. And now you’re just torn between children... If they gave you 20 children, let them be 20, you can somehow keep track of these, but 30 is hard” (small town).

“We are being turned into ‘reporters’”

How do teachers in other regions see the factors that reduce the effectiveness of professional activities? This is what the analysis of 120 questionnaires of teachers who registered on the Creative Teachers Network (ITN) portal showed. Most of the statements by ITN participants showed the same problems as in the study of the sociological laboratory of the Krasnoyarsk Pedagogical College. True, here the problem of “extra and meaningless papers that take up a lot of time” came first in terms of frequency of mentions. Negative emotions about this were expressed by 32.5% of teachers: “Endless reports, plans, programs, diagnostics - today it is by their presence that a teacher’s work is assessed” (Tambov). “We are being turned into scribblers, or rather, reporters. Where is the eye-to-eye work?..” (Krasnodar region).
15% of respondents complained about the lack of time due to the need to take on an additional academic load, a reduction in hours for individual subjects and other reasons. Dissatisfaction with the meager material and technical base of the school was expressed by 13.3% of network participants. As a rule, we are talking about an insufficient number of computers, interactive whiteboards, low Internet speed, and a shortage of visual aids and handouts.

Oh, and my colleagues are hard to climb!

It is significant that, as in the Krasnoyarsk study, many teachers list the most problematic factors as: low educational motivation, undisciplined behavior of students (9.1%) and lack of mutual understanding with parents (8.3%): “Raising children today leaves much to be desired . There is no desire for knowledge. Parents want to see a servant in a teacher” (Altai Territory). “The worst problem is the indifference of parents of students” (Sverdlovsk region).
But there is also a difference from the data of Krasnoyarsk sociologists. A fairly significant proportion of teachers (8.3%) see a serious problem in the inertia of colleagues and administration. Participants of the Network of Creative Teachers sadly note the “reluctance of colleagues to change anything in their work” (Voskresensk, Moscow region), “reluctance to introduce new methods of work” (Emanzhelinsk, Chelyabinsk region), “irritation of colleagues when “gushing out ideas” "" (Irkutsk).

Researchers have found out what reduces the work efficiency of St. Petersburg employees the most. The top main reasons look like this: lack of coordination between departments (57%), low salaries (46%), incomplete use of personal potential (42%), time pressure and stress (41%), lack of praise and rewards for good work (38% ), noisy colleagues and their chatter (33%). It is worth noting here that 51% of respondents admitted that they would work more productively in a secluded atmosphere - in a separate office, without colleagues nearby. The top distracting factors are completed by demotivation by the behavior of superiors (33%) and poor attitude of management towards subordinates (29%). The study involved 2418 people.

“Similar studies were conducted by the American company Gallup in the late 1990s,” recalls Alevtina Borisova, head of KPMG’s HR department in Russia and the CIS. “Having surveyed an impressive number of employees around the world, it was found that the key factors in general are not very different depending on the country and do not change over a long period of time." Exceptions, of course, are countries with a special approach to management, for example Japan.

Irina Portnova, senior consultant at CEB SHL Russia&CIS, says that the results obtained in the HeadHunter study are completely consistent with what the company receives every year by surveying more than 8 thousand employees in Russia and the CIS countries. Regardless of the region, fair financial reward for the efforts invested, recognition of merit from management, a feeling of comfort and the opportunity to realize one’s potential are always included in the rating. According to Tatyana Kanonerova, an expert in the career direction of HeadHunter, the top factors do not change from year to year, because the reason for the emergence of these factors is the same - weak management. “When managers plan employees’ work poorly, fail to establish interaction between departments and do not use the strengths of their subordinates, people do not enjoy their work and do it poorly. And this is not a problem of recent years. The basic principles of a good leader are timeless,” - she notes.

And yet he changes

However, not all experts consider the top distractions to be static. Thus, Andrey Beloyedov, executive director for sales and marketing at REHAU for Eastern Europe, on the contrary, says that now a unique situation has arisen when the effectiveness of employees is influenced by factors that most employers did not think about ten years ago. These changes are caused not by the policies of employers, but by deep social processes, for example, the infantilization of society and scientific and technological progress, believes Andrei Beloyedov.

"Century 21 Russia" conducts its research every six months to identify potential reasons for the decline in employee performance. “Over the past 5 years, salary increases have become less influential on employee motivation,” says Elena Uteleva, deputy director of personnel. “In 2011, 52% of our respondents spoke about monetary incentives. In 2016, this figure was only 39%.”

If earlier people were more interested in a decent salary, respect and non-material rewards from their superiors, now the opportunity to realize their abilities is valued. “Please note that, first of all, reasons with an emotional component are aggravating; to put it simply, every year people increasingly need to be understood,” says Olga Kornienko, vice-president for personnel policy at the FGIK Razmax. Vladimir Vinogradov, President of Pro-Vision Group of Companies, says that the main factor that influenced the top reasons for the decline in personnel efficiency is the change of generations. Instead of X workers (born from 1963 to 1983), millennials, also known as Y (born from 1983 to 2003), have entered the workforce. That’s why intangible factors made it to the top - recognition from colleagues and management, feedback, etc.

The director of the St. Petersburg representative office of a recruiting company says that the rating compiled by HH indicates that employees have begun to pay more attention to their professional development and progress. “The level of wages will always be at the top of the causes of dissatisfaction, but a picture emerges that people understand: in order to further increase their well-being, they need to grow as a professional, solve more complex and responsible problems. Hence the appearance in the top of reasons that are not of a purely material nature.

For example, inconsistency in work practically nullifies an employee’s effectiveness; he runs in place instead of moving forward, which means he does not develop. For example, noisy colleagues. It would seem that you should join and lead, because “the salary is dripping.” But for many, it is more important to complete their tasks efficiently, grow as a professional and achieve new heights,” the expert says.

What the survey results say

HeadHunter research data shows that there are three main reasons that reduce staff productivity, notes Elena Kudryavtseva, associate professor of the Department of Management at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg. “The first of them is the abundance of low-quality jobs, saturated with a large volume of routine work. Working in such positions quickly provokes burnout, leading to a drop in productivity,” says the expert.

The second problem is the design of work spaces. Open spaces (from the English open space - open space) were introduced in the Western style to make it more convenient to work in a team, but as a result they deprived employees of the opportunity to concentrate on solving their problems and increased stress. Experts explain: 55% of respondents want to work in separate rooms because they have become individualists.

The third reason for the decline in productivity, according to Kudryavtseva, is the nature of the corporate culture, which allows either a constant mixture of work and personal communication, or, conversely, an overly harsh attitude towards employees in the form of demands for special asceticism, which does not allow any distractions at work." Both equally negatively affects workers, experts say.

The high percentage of employees who named stress as an important factor (41%) interfering with their effectiveness is due, psychologists explain, to the fact that people are tired of working in the format of a feat, as required by the employer during the last crisis years. The saying “the best motivation is having a job” no longer applies.

“Some time ago, a really large percentage of employees participating in such studies noted that the company’s stable position in the market (“I’m protected, I won’t be fired”), the availability of social packages and, of course, the level of wages are important to them. The results of today’s surveys show that the emphasis has shifted to the essence of the work and the desire of workers to make the most of their potential,” confirms psychologist Yulia Pryakhina.

Note to boss

“The top main reasons for the decline in employee efficiency will worsen and expand: the thinking systems of managers and performers do not keep pace with the development of the modern world,” warns business coach Oleg Aavi.

In the struggle for employee efficiency, employers are forced to come up with various measures. “Last year we launched the Make My Life Easier project, in which we encourage employees to optimize their work processes: contact each other less with urgent requests, respect the time of their colleagues, reduce the number of meetings, reduce the number of letters, and so on,” says the business – HR partner at Coca-Cola HBC Russia Galina Podovzhnaya on how the company deals with distractions.

Pro-Vision Group conducted a survey similar to HH for its employees and, based on its results, developed a campaign aimed at increasing staff motivation and engagement. It was called “Pro-Vision Dream Team: 18+”: the company organized a photo shoot for its employees, the purpose of which was to make the employee feel like they were eighteen years old again. The photo results were then compiled into a calendar for employees, clients and partners. “We made our own for the first time employees as stars, and did not hide them backstage (behind the scenes - editor's note)," the company explained.

In order not to lose specialists due to lack of praise for good work, SearchInform began using the TimeInformer program, which shows department managers the productivity of employees so that they can clearly see when and who to reward.

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Several factors, both external and internal, can lead to a decrease in performance.

We have collected the 8 most common reasons why performance decreases:

1. Bad workplace. People sitting with their backs to the door are more likely to experience stress. They cannot control the “rear” and subconsciously expect an “attack” from those who enter the office. Sitting facing the door is also bad - so everyone who enters perceives you as an “inquiry bureau”. It is most comfortable to sit sideways to the door.

2. Large team. Not everyone knows how to work and concentrate well when there are a lot of people around. Background noise, conversations, colleagues and visitors constantly walking by, everyone pestering you with questions, because of which you are constantly distracted, unable to concentrate - all this inevitably distracts you from work. As a result, you cannot do your job properly. Self-esteem suffers from this, the desire to do anything disappears, and...

In this case, you should contact your boss with a request to change your workplace. If your request remains unanswered or this is impossible, try to arrange your desk as comfortably as possible on your own - nice-looking trinkets, a favorite flower and a photograph of children on the desk will make the office atmosphere more comfortable.

3. Annoying colleague. Often, a talkative or pestering colleague makes it difficult to concentrate on work. It is possible to get rid of excessive attention without offending a person.

First, try to figure out why your colleague chose you. Perhaps the whole point is that you are the one who is reliable and always agrees to listen to endless stories, requests and questions? If so, then you will just have to learn to say “no.”

It's also possible that you come across as a less busy employee who has a lot of time to talk. Then you can appease your colleague by citing your workload, that is, directly saying that you have a lot of things to do now, and you are ready to communicate only when you have completed them.

If nothing has any effect, then it makes sense to react to all stories in monosyllables, answering only “yes” or “no.” You can also distance yourself from the annoying person using headphones, or gather your courage and say directly that he is distracting you.

4. Fear. Sometimes performance drops due to fear of responsibility or the task itself. A well-drafted plan will help here, especially if the work is long-term. Break the entire process of completing the task into several short-term stages, let each of them take no more than a few days.

Write down what each step consists of, and then move from one task to the next. It is advisable that the points in your plan alternate - from simple to complex. And try to alternate time-consuming tasks with things you enjoy doing.

5. A mess on the table. To focus on work, it is important to get rid of clutter on your desk. Experts have calculated: if you are constantly trying to find the right thing among paper debris, you waste about 30% of your working time. To keep documents in order, get shelves or trays. But you shouldn’t abuse them either. If there are more than five trays, it becomes difficult to navigate business papers. At the end of the work week, take the time to sort your papers: it is more convenient to store documents that you look at frequently in trays, and those that are needed occasionally are best stored in drawers or on shelves.

6. Music. In some offices, it is customary to listen to slightly muffled music or sit with headphones on all working day. It is important to remember that this is not suitable for everyone, and for many, music, no matter how calm and melodic it is, can be distracting. If this applies to you, ask your colleagues to turn off the music or stop listening to it yourself and observe the changes.

7. Internet. Surfing the Internet can become so addictive that you won’t even notice how half the work day has passed. Therefore, at work you should be very clear about what exactly you are looking for and why, and not abuse social networks.

However, periodically switching attention to favorite sites helps restore an employee’s performance - this is the conclusion reached by Singaporean scientists. According to scientists, this is the same as “going for a coffee break.”

8. Banal fatigue. If you have been working for more than six months or a year without vacation, then fatigue is a natural reaction of the body. Take a vacation immediately - for at least two weeks - and change your surroundings. You definitely shouldn’t sit at home, do household chores, or even less so “urgent” work assignments. Ideally, you should move away from home, but you can simply change the place and type of activity - a summer house or a trip to another city is quite suitable for this.

Let's look at demotivators that reduce staff performance. What to avoid when working with colleagues, as well as when communicating with employees. This question concerns the management team. It is necessary to properly motivate employees, to be loyal, then the impact and efficiency of work will reach a higher level.

In the material we will consider in detail the very concept of demotivation, and also learn about its methods and moral demotivating factors.

Every director must know that the foundation for the successful development of any company is the high performance of its employees.

The basis of productivity and effective work is the correct motivation, its tools used in practice. Every director must understand what actions to take in relation to his subordinates so that they are willing to work and go to work with pleasure.

Biased punishment reduces work efficiency

The concept is also called material demotivation. Sometimes management sees that their lower-ranking colleagues are shirking their direct responsibilities and want to somehow encourage them.

To do this, they “cut” the staff’s salaries. (Since you, citizens, are lazy, work without enthusiasm, then I decide to pay you less).

But it is worth noting that the decision made is incorrect. Because it’s unlikely that anyone will perform feats for such a low fee. If an employee has worked poorly before, then the measures taken will not be an incentive for him. In such a situation, management is removed from their position and a more competent and objective person is found who is able to properly motivate subordinates.

Disrespect and constant nagging discourage any person from fulfilling their duties. If you never praise the working staff, but convince them that they are stupid, untalented, and like zero specialists, then it is difficult to expect full return from them.

There is another way that negatively affects the attitude of colleagues (see), it is latent. These are employees, so-called saboteurs, gray cardinals. In teams there are colleagues who treat their duties irresponsibly; they constantly chat on their mobile phones and surf social networks. Such an attitude has a detrimental effect on the service of the entire workforce, because many follow a bad example and imitate it.

Let's discuss the most common ways of putting material and moral pressure on colleagues:

Financial factors

• Lack of premiums, incentives, bonuses for the good work of employees.
• Material expenses of employees are not reimbursed. For example, mobile communications, business trips, etc.

Moral factors that reduce employee performance

• Employees' interest in developing new projects and ideas is not encouraged.
• Any initiative from the staff is rejected.
• There is no clear system of tasks for each position (see).
• Regular overtime, overtime workload.
• Tasks are set that are too difficult for employees.
• Incorrect treatment of co-workers.
• Ignoring the rules of business etiquette.
• Failure to fulfill promises, lack of career growth.
• Strong pressure from the manager, frequent nagging, installation of controlling tools. For example, this could be installed beacons on phones, minute-by-minute reporting on the work done.

Expert opinion: What reduces employee performance?

Olga Nilova

Lead Recruitment Consultant Kelly Services CIS

Many factors can influence staff performance. I would break them into two parts: personal circumstances and external factors.

Personal circumstances affecting the quality of work

Among the personal aspects, it is worth noting the motivation of employees to perform work, as well as the knowledge and skills necessary to perform certain functions.

An employee is unlikely to be effective if he categorically does not like what he does. This may be due not only, for example, to the initially wrong choice of profession, but also to the fact that the employee is “burnt out” and needs a new challenge. An employee exhausted by monotonous work is definitely not ready for productive work. Just like an employee who does not have the necessary experience and competencies to perform the work assigned to him will definitely show poor results.

External factors affecting employee productivity

External circumstances include unfavorable working conditions, lack of resources, too much work and poor relationships in the team.

Imagine that you work in an office with poor ventilation, in which case the lack of oxygen can not only reduce productivity, but also negatively affect the health of employees. Or you are distracted by the endless squabbles and conflicts of your colleagues: this will not only spoil the nervous system, but also take away precious working time.

What demotivating factors do managers use without knowing it?

In recent years, issues of personnel motivation have occupied one of the first points in personnel management. Trying to achieve efficiency, managers develop various motivation systems for their employees. But are these methods always effective?

For example, the fine systems still used in many companies: there is an opinion that this increases the motivation, for example, of sales managers. It is possible for such an employee to try to work better, but how long he will work in this company is a big question. Or constant criticism and instructions: the manager thinks that this will be beneficial and the employee will adjust his work, but in fact, this method can achieve complete demotivation.

It is very easy to demotivate an employee. It's enough to give him what he doesn't really need. For example, transfer him from an executive to a management position. Out of politeness, the employee will agree to the promotion, but will feel out of place. As you know, not all people strive for career growth.

Poorly established communication can also have a negative impact on motivation: it happens that the manager sets tasks unclearly and, as a result, the employee does not understand what is required of him; the employee is often given unrealistic deadlines for completing tasks. All this subsequently also leads to burnout and demotivation of staff.

Now you are familiar with the factors that can have a negative impact on the effective work of staff. As a result, the company’s development is delayed and work is performed poorly. Try to draw the right conclusions; you should not make these mistakes when managing colleagues. Be honest, respectful and patient with employees. Show employees that you value them and the services they provide, thank them for their work. Then your organization will become strong, powerful, and blossom before our eyes.

What conditions interfere with work, demotivate, disincentivize employees. Demotivating factors at work. (10+)

Principles of personnel motivation - Demotivating, disincentivizing, interfering factors, working conditions

... and a demotivating factor:

Wage. A person needs a salary to provide for his basic needs. It should provide his usual lifestyle. An independent and bright person will not work for a company for long, no matter how wonderful this company is, if he constantly encounters financial difficulties in everyday life. The salary should be enough to live on.

On the other hand, our observations have shown that an excessive increase in income in our country sharply reduces labor productivity. This effect can be explained very easily:

• A person has a new concern - where to spend extra money.
• Our traditions do not encourage excessive earnings; it seems preferable to people to work less and receive less. High wages encourage people to work less.

It depends on which category the employee belongs to:

• A worker who forms the main income of his household. He must provide his family with food, basic needs and some entertainment.
• Young specialist. Most likely, he does not yet have the burden of obligations on his shoulders. He is more interested in rapid career growth than in salary right now.
• An employee whose family income is auxiliary. The amount of income is not particularly important, since it disappears imperceptibly into the total family income. However, such an employee is interested in not having work interfere with other household responsibilities, and in large one-time bonus payments that emphasize the importance of his/her work for the family budget.
• A person who measures everything in terms of money, his main goal is to earn as much money as possible. This is a rare bird in our area.

The optimal wage rate depends little on qualifications, experience, age and knowledge.

In most cases, the salary should be enough to live on and no more. Bonus payments should not be regular and should recognize truly outstanding achievements. Employees who made a truly serious contribution, took responsibility, fought for the interests of the company, worked for results and got results should be really well paid and financially rewarded. Employees who work carelessly, from call to call, without enthusiasm, do not deserve high pay.

Unclear obligations and agreements, failure to fulfill obligations by management. Demanding demands on employees is perceived calmly and adequately only if management places high demands on itself. Employees appreciate predictable and clear management. Traditions of fulfilling their obligations can exist in a company only if everyone without exception is committed to them.

It is important that general distrust can be caused not only by a deliberate refusal of their obligations, but also by different understandings by the parties of the agreements reached. Make a rule that all obligations are recorded on paper and only then are they valid. Phrases, comments and assumptions expressed orally have no consequences.

Create clear agreements, record them on paper, fulfill your obligations, demand fulfillment of obligations by the other party.

Poor working conditions. Stuffiness in the room, poor technology, unstable computers - all this irritates employees, interferes with normal work, and prevents them from showing decent results. Working in an uncomfortable office, in poor conditions, undermines self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-confidence.

Create decent working conditions for your employees.

Conflicts in the team. Tense relationships and conflicts distract from work, take up time and energy. People no longer think about the success of the company, but about how to kill their neighbor.

Strictly suppress conflicts and intrigues. It is better to fire a couple of instigators than to endure tension.

Blurred responsibility, red tape, overorganization. How much time do employees spend on coordinating and resolving administrative issues? Can this time be used for the benefit of the company? Are orders often given and then forgotten? If a company has a tendency to forget given orders, then after a while orders are no longer taken seriously at all.

Determine your authority and areas of responsibility. Employees must know exactly what issues to contact whom.

conclusions

What conclusions can be drawn from the above regarding the motivation system?

• You should not expect that the appearance of a table indicating how much money, who receives and for what, will radically change the situation with motivation.
• The development and implementation of a motivation system primarily involves active and deep work with management, changing attitudes and traditions.

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