Written by Cari Borden
Is Motivation-Hygiene Still Relevant in Today’s Corporate Mindset?
If Frederick Herzberg were alive today, he’d be watching corporate America hand out pizza parties to exhausted teams and whispering, “That’s… not what I meant.”
Yet here we are, decades later still confusing “keeping employees from quitting” with “keeping employees inspired.”
Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory may not be trending on LinkedIn #ThoughtLeader, but its fingerprints are all over every modern workplace conversation: burnout, engagement, retention, psychological safety, meaningful work, purpose. Spoiler alert: Herzberg was calling this stuff out long before “employee experience” became a buzzword.
So is his theory still relevant?
Absolutely.
Is today’s corporate world actually using it?
Absolutely not. Let’s dig in.
A Quick, Non-Boring Breakdown of Herzberg
Herzberg said work satisfaction isn’t one spectrum. It’s two lanes:
🧼 Hygiene Factors (keep you from quitting)
These don’t motivate. They simply prevent misery.
They include:
- Pay
- Working conditions
- Company policies
- Leadership consistency
- Job security
When these are missing, employees run.
When they’re present, employees… stay neutral. That’s it.
🔥 Motivators (actually make people want to stay)
These create satisfaction and commitment:
- Purpose
- Recognition
- Ownership
- Growth
- Mastery
- Work that matters
Without these, you get disengagement, even if the hygiene factors look great on paper.
Today’s Corporate World: We Still Don’t Get It
Let’s be honest: most organizations still operate like motivation is a perk, not a priority.
The Hygiene Problems Are Still Everywhere
- Wage compression
- “Do more with less” expectations
- Policy chaos
- Leaders who communicate like cryptic fortune cookies
- Instability, reorganizations, rapid layoffs
Employees don’t need a foosball table. They need consistency, fairness, and leadership that doesn’t shift with the wind.
Motivators? Often Replaced With…
- “We’re a family!” (until the next restructure)
- Virtual badges instead of real recognition
- Stagnant career paths disguised as “opportunities”
- Mandatory fun
- Giving employees accountability but not authority
The gap between what employees want and what companies think employees want is still enormous.
Why Herzberg Matters More Today Than Ever
Work has evolved. So have expectations.
➡ Employees want meaning, not mascots.
Purpose and ownership matter more than ever. Remote and hybrid teams crave autonomy, connection, and clarity.
➡ “Motivation” can’t be fabricated.
Herzberg warned us: no perk can replace purpose.
➡ Burnout exposed the hygiene crisis.
It’s not that employees are “less motivated” now, it’s that the motivators were never there to begin with.
➡ Psychological safety is the modern motivator.
Herzberg didn’t use the term, but the concept fits: safety, voice, and trust amplify purpose.
Herzberg wasn’t outdated—he was ahead of his time.
Leaders: Stop Treating Hygiene Like Motivation
You can’t motivate with:
- More meetings
- More surveillance
- More metrics
- More vague “stretch opportunities” that stretch people to a breaking point
You motivate with:
- Meaningful work
- Recognition that isn’t transactional
- Growth that isn’t performative
- Listening that leads to action
- Trust that doesn’t have to be earned 17 times
Herzberg’s message was simple:
Fix the environment so people can survive.
Then enrich the work so they can thrive.
Most companies still struggle with step one… and pretend step two is optional.
Is Herzberg Still Relevant?
Yes—because we’re still getting it wrong.
Yes—because employees are demanding more clarity and purpose.
Yes—because hygiene issues cause burnout, but motivators create loyalty.
Yes—because people don’t want pizza parties.
They want to matter.
CTA
If you want to build workplaces where people feel inspired, not drained, connect with me on Fiverr for leadership, HR, or organizational development coaching.
Or explore more bold takes at LeadBoldly1.blog.
Because motivation isn’t a mystery.
It’s a choice.
And Herzberg already gave us the blueprint.
Lead With Your Heart 
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