We talk a lot about intrinsic motivation at Gravity Payments. Working at a credit card processing company on the surface might seem like an uninspiring environment, but we see intrinsic motivation take many shapes in our office.
Gravity’s culture is full of people who want to be here, because they’ve all been challenged to find their why. When we’re able to understand our “why”, it helps us find purpose-driven people who aren’t just clocking in-and-out, but instead driven by a mission.
When asking our Merchant Relations Specialist how he stays motivated day-to-day, he said, “I am intrinsically motivated to work through the relationships I have developed with the small business owners I help every day.”
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Another team member has a resignation letter saved on their computer as a daily reminder that no one is keeping them here. They are choosing to be here and support the small business owners we serve.
Collectively, we’ve put policies into place that eliminate distractions in our team’s lives. As Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explains, “people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one.” Part of the way we foster intrinsic motivation is removing extrinsic motivators that might otherwise distract us from our lives.
A major distraction for most people is rent. If we’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, that stressor will always be at the forefront of our minds. It may cause us to cut corners or not fully focus on the task at hand. At Gravity, we pay a living wage to ensure our colleagues can live comfortably without worrying about where the money for their next meal will come from.
Mental and physical health can also be a huge distraction for people. Part of maintaining a healthy life is taking time away when you need it. Americans traditionally receive the least paid vacation time in the world. Though many employers offer a week or two of paid vacation, it is far and away from the standard for the rest of the world. Some European countries mandate a month or more of paid vacation!
We implemented an unlimited PTO policy a few years ago to alleviate the distraction of managing time off or worrying about taking time off if any unforeseen live events were to happen. So far, no one has abused the policy. We even encourage our team to take more time off. We find when a team member comes back from vacation, they feel refreshed and are more motivated than ever.
Our CEO, Dan Price, encourages our team to use intrinsic motivation to power our lives, so we can look at our jobs as an extension of our values, and not a place we go to make ends meet.
If you are a business owner that wants to join our community, we would love to chat. We started Gravity Payments because we saw independent businesses being overcharged and underserved by their credit card processor. We knew that wasn’t right, so we decided to lower costs, be completely transparent, and provide better service for community business owners. Come join us.
Fill out the contact form. We can’t wait to chat with you. Contact us.
