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Can Maslow's Theory Help With Hiring?

By: Daiv Russell

Looking at the world through Maslow's triangle adds depth and meaning to human behavior. Doing so particularly benefits managers, as their employees are all at various stages of human need and those levels affect their performance. A senior manager is more likely to be reaching for self-actualization, while subordinate employees may be younger and still seeking basic physiological needs such as decent shelter.

The prior case study depicts the difference between people at different levels of Maslow's pyramid. Someone who is consistently having trouble providing their basic survival and physiological needs is going to be under great stress. Unfortunately, employees under such stress will begin to show it through their poor work performance.

If a person has their basic needs met such as a place to live, a rewarding family experience, and financial stability, they are more likely to excel in the workplace. It is hard to focus on the job at hand, especially if you don't have the ability to focus. When you are able to focus you are more efficient and effective at work.

For this reason, the best interests of the business are served by hiring employees only after a rigorous interview process, ensuring that they have the most stability in their life. The Maslow theory indicates that employees in the self-actualization and esteem stages are the ones that should be most sought after and hired. Those that have reached these stages generally tend to have others most clearly in mind when they are working.

People at the esteem stage make the best employees, since their largest goal is to gain recognition and praise. At work they have a perfect outlet for this, generating superior work and trying to get along well with others in the workplace. Their competitive spirit also kicks in at full steam at work, and healthy competition increases the bottom line and team spirit.

Workers present in the self-actualization part of a firm are quite productive. Such workers concentrate more on the job in hand. These workers seem to be calm with good conduct and pretty well sure of their worth and are prepared to face the hardships of life. To add to this, workers don't simply stagnate at a particular stage - they may drop back down the ladder. Hence, it's advisable to have only those people who are high up enough in the ladder to impart confidence even when they have occasional backslides.

The Maslow theory has proven useful in many facets of life, but perhaps the business world most importantly. A thorough review of business will find that the more competent, focused, efficient employees on staff, the better the ultimate success of the business. And what better way to secure this success than to hire members of the workforce who embody traits enabled by the top tier of Maslow's pyramid.

[Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com]

The Maslow Hierarchy of Needs focuses on the business community more than any other facet of life. Conflicts are often prevalent in the business world because the people involved are typically in varying stages of life. The dichotomy between the lives of the entry-level employee (just starting out in life) and the middle manager (who may be more settled) can effect these conflicts.

Daiv Russell is a management and marketing consultant with Envision Web Promotion. Read more Management Articles, learn about Abraham Maslow and the Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs.

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