Why firms prefer self-motivated candidates

Employers recruit people who are genuinely excited about their work and they'll remain self-driven on their job and continue putting in the same effort in difficult times.

By recruiting self-motivated individuals, companies can much easily keep their employees motivated. Motivated employees easily get engaged in their job roles resulting in optimum performance.
There is an old saying, "You can take a horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink; it will drink only if it's thirsty".
Thus employers seek candidates who are willing to work with their organisation and will remain self-motivated and engaged to their jobs. This is because human resources is the most important resource for any business to survive and succeed.
Let's check the five major reasons why employers hire self-motivated people:
Positive energy
Self-motivated individuals have a track record of having the internal drive and motivation to begin and continue tasks without external prodding or extra rewards. They are satisfied with the fact that it is something in their character, upbringing, training or attitude that drives them to work without any external stimulus or threat.
Passion for work
Employers recruit people who are genuinely excited about their work and they'll remain self-driven on their job and continue putting in the same effort in difficult times.
Work ethics
People with a strong work ethic who thrive in competitive environments and see hurdles as challenges to overcome rather than roadblocks are the first choice of the employers.
Consistency
Those who have worked for long periods with their employers prove their integrity and ability to survive on their jobs. They demonstrate that they are the person who does not get distracted easily from their goals and are self-motivated. They don't need external forces to motivate them.
Resiliency
Employers seek employees who have an ability to recover from mistakes and can still perform without losing their enthusiasm and are quick learners. This is because motivated employees put their experience of mistakes to good use.
Candidates with a positive attitude towards their job not only increase their chances of being hired but once hired become a source of positive energy for the teams around them. They are often recognised by the management, resulting in rewards and career growth. Surprisingly, factors such as pay, benefits and working conditions are given a low rating by employers and employees. Contrary to common belief, money is not the prime motivator. It is observed that people who keep working for a company for money do not necessarily produce any extraordinary results. In fact, people take initiative and produce extraordinary results because of their own motivation. It is rightly said, "Money and job satisfaction are the two wings of a bird; one is not enough for survival, but to fly high both wings are required".
To be successful in your job find out what motivates you the most at your job and keep reminding yourself regularly about that to keep yourself self-motivated in what you are doing. Finding the parts of your job you really enjoy can make motivation irrelevant.
There's is nothing more powerful for self-motivation than the right attitude. You can't choose or control your circumstance, but can choose your attitude towards your circumstances.
The writer is the HR adviser and career coach at www.jobhuntgulf.com. Views expressed by her are her own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.