The employee's guide to evaluating a workplace and making a sound career decision

In today's world of work, a good salary or an impressive job title is not enough. Thoughtful employees know that satisfaction and success at work depend on the fit between their personal motives and the work environment.

This guide helps you name what moves you at work, then check how far any job, a new offer or the one you have now, gives you that. It is built on a published model of ten human motives, and it ends with a scoring table and a recommendation.

Prefer to do it on screen? The interactive work environment check takes you through the same ten motives, question by question, and calculates your score and result for you.

Why understand your motives?

Two jobs with the same salary and title can feel completely different, because they reward different things. One rewards competition and visibility; another rewards care, stability or freedom. If you do not know which of these matters most to you, you compare offers on the only things that are easy to compare, pay and title, and you find out about the rest after you join.

The Wheel of Motives model used in this guide comes from the research of Dr Beatriz Valderrama, published in the scientific journal Papeles del Psicólogo in 2018. The model sets out ten basic motives that drive human behaviour at work, in two groups.

This guide will help you set your priorities among these motives, then assess how far each one is met in any job you are considering, whether a new job or your current workplace.

How to use this guide

1. Read the details of each of the ten motives.

2. Set your personal priorities.

3. Use the indicators and questions while you research a company and during interviews.

4. Fill in the scoring table to reach a final recommendation.

A tip before you start: read each motive carefully. Choose the three to five motives that matter most to you, then focus on them when you assess any job. Do not try to satisfy every motive at once; focusing on what matters most will help you make a better decision.

Approach motives

1. Power and status

Definition: The wish to manage others, compete and win, move up, and gain recognition and standing.

Indicators to look for:

• A clear, hierarchical structure
• Prominent leadership roles, and news of the company leading its market
• Offices and location that signal prestige
• News of growth, expansion and acquisitions

Suggested interview questions:

• "What is the typical career path for someone in this role?"
• "How does the company reward leaders and high performers?"
• "What is the company's market share against its main competitors?"

2. Achievement and excellence

Definition: The wish to overcome challenges, succeed professionally and reach standards of excellence.

Indicators to look for:

• Job descriptions that talk about "achieving targets" and "exceeding expectations"
• Company values that include merit, excellence and quality
• Awards the company won for its performance or innovation
• A clear system for measuring performance and success

Suggested interview questions:

• "How is success measured in this role?"
• "Which KPIs would I be responsible for?"
• "Can you give an example of a difficult project the team recently delivered?"

3. Exploration and learning

Definition: The wish to learn, build skills, enjoy the work itself and try what is new.

Indicators to look for:

• A training and development budget named in the job ad
• A company blog about new technology or R&D projects
• Job rotation programmes or internal innovation labs
• Partnerships with universities or research centres

Suggested interview questions:

• "What chances are there for professional development and conferences?"
• "How does the company encourage people to put forward new ideas?"
• "Is there time set aside for learning or side projects?"

4. Autonomy

Definition: The wish to follow one's own standards and make one's own decisions.

Indicators to look for:

• Job descriptions asking for initiative and independent work
• Flexible working (remote, flexible hours) offered openly
• Employee reviews that describe managers as trusting, not micromanaging
• A way of working judged on results more than process

Suggested interview questions:

• "What is the management style in the team?"
• "How much freedom would I have in deciding how to do my work?"
• "How are day-to-day decisions made in the team?"

5. Contribution and impact

Definition: The wish to help others, improve their lives and contribute to society.

Indicators to look for:

• A clear mission with a human or social purpose
• A corporate social responsibility section on the website
• Customer stories about how the product or service changed their lives
• Charity or volunteering projects the company supports

Suggested interview questions:

• "How exactly does this role contribute to the company's mission?"
• "Can you tell me more about the community initiatives the company takes part in?"
• "How does the company measure its positive impact on customers or society?"

Avoidance motives

6. Belonging and acceptance

Definition: The wish to belong to a group, build good relationships and be accepted by others.

Indicators to look for:

• Regular social activities and team events
• Employees and their stories shown on the company's channels
• Mentoring and induction for new joiners
• An open-door culture and direct contact with management

Suggested interview questions:

• "How are new joiners welcomed and brought into the team?"
• "How does the company build team spirit?"
• "How does the company handle diversity and cultural differences?"

7. Cooperation and fairness

Definition: The wish for equal relationships, to avoid inequality, and to work somewhere fair and cooperative.

Indicators to look for:

• Clear equality and diversity policies
• A transparent system for promotions and rewards
• No rigid hierarchy or large gaps between levels
• Team success valued over individual competition

Suggested interview questions:

• "How does the company make sure opportunities and rewards are shared fairly?"
• "How does the company resolve conflict between employees?"
• "How does the company encourage departments to work together?"

8. Comfort and enjoyment

Definition: The wish to save effort and stress, not sacrifice personal wellbeing, and enjoy the work.

Indicators to look for:

• Clear work-life balance policies
• Generous paid leave and flexible remote work
• Comfortable facilities at work (rest areas, gym, cafés)
• No expectation of work outside official hours

Suggested interview questions:

• "What are the usual working hours, and is work expected outside them?"
• "How does the company support work-life balance?"
• "What facilities are there for rest and recovery?"

9. Security and stability

Definition: The wish to have control, order and stability, and to avoid change and uncertainty.

Indicators to look for:

• A long company history and a stable market position
• Low employee turnover
• Clear, written policies and procedures
• Comprehensive insurance and benefits (health, pension, life)

Suggested interview questions:

• "How long do employees stay, and what is the average tenure?"
• "How does the company manage major change?"
• "What benefits and insurance does the package include?"

10. Conservation and financial security

Definition: The wish to protect oneself, earn money and keep one's material resources safe.

Indicators to look for:

• A competitive salary and clear financial benefits
• Savings or investment schemes for employees
• Transparent pay structure and raise policy
• Financial bonuses and incentives linked to performance

Suggested interview questions:

• "What is the detailed structure of salary and financial benefits?"
• "How are salaries reviewed, and what is the usual annual raise?"
• "Are there profit-sharing schemes or employee share options?"

The scoring table

Use this table to assess any job. For each motive, give two numbers from 1 to 5:

• Rating: how well this job meets the motive.
• Priority: how important the motive is to you.

Then multiply them: weighted score = rating × priority. Add the ten weighted scores to get your total. The lowest possible total is 10 and the highest is 250.

Why multiply instead of adding? Because a motive you do not care about should not lift the result much, however well the job meets it. A rating of 5 on a motive with priority 1 adds 5 points; the same rating on a motive with priority 5 adds 25. For example, with invented numbers: if the job rates 4 on autonomy and autonomy is a priority 5 for you, that row scores 20.

Use the notes column for what you saw or heard, and the action column for what you still need to find out or negotiate.

What your total means

After filling in the table, you have a total weighted score. Use the bands below to understand it and decide what to do about the opportunity.

Two notes on reading the bands. They are the guide's design thresholds, not a benchmark drawn from other people's scores. And the lowest band starts at 50, while the lowest possible total is 10: read any total under 50 as a weak fit too.

Extra tips for the decision

1. Focus on your top 3 motives: if the ones that matter most to you are well met, that matters more than the total.

2. Think long term: will this help you reach your career goals in 3 to 5 years?

3. Compare alternatives: score other options with the same table and choose the best.

The first tip matters most. A high total can hide a low score on the one motive you care about most; a modest total can hide a strong fit on your top three. Look at your top three rows before you look at the total.

Conclusion

Understanding your motives at work is not just a tool for choosing the right job. It is an investment in your career and your personal happiness. Use this guide every time you face an important career decision, or take the work environment check to do it on screen.

If you are assessing your current job because something feels wrong, two related articles may help: is my work environment toxic? separates a poor fit from real harm, and what to do in a bad work environment takes you from the score to a decision.

About the model

The ten motives come from Beatriz Valderrama's Wheel of Motives (Valderrama, 2018). In the paper the motives sit in two areas, approach and avoidance, and form five opposing pairs: affiliation and autonomy, cooperation and power, hedonism and achievement, security and exploration, conservation and contribution. This guide uses everyday names for them (for example, "belonging and acceptance" for affiliation and "comfort and enjoyment" for hedonism). The indicators, interview questions, scoring table and bands are this guide's own, not part of Valderrama's model.

Frequently asked questions

What are the ten motives at work?

Power and status, achievement and excellence, exploration and learning, autonomy, and contribution and impact (the approach motives), and belonging and acceptance, cooperation and fairness, comfort and enjoyment, security and stability, and conservation and financial security (the avoidance motives). They come from Beatriz Valderrama's Wheel of Motives model, published in 2018.

How do I evaluate a job offer?

Choose the motives that matter most to you, look for their indicators while you research the company, ask the interview questions that go with them, then rate the job on each motive and multiply by its priority. The total, out of 250, gives a recommendation; your top three motives should weigh more than the total.

Can I use this guide on my current job?

Yes. Rate your current workplace on each motive the same way. A low score on your top motives tells you what to raise with your manager, or what your next job must offer.

Is the score a scientific measure?

No. It is a self-assessment based on your own ratings, and the bands are design thresholds, not a benchmark. The motive model is published research; the scoring table is a practical tool for structuring your decision.

References

• Valderrama, B. (2018), "La rueda de motivos: hacia una tabla periódica de la motivación humana" [The Wheel of Motives: towards a periodic table of human motivation], Papeles del Psicólogo 39(1), 60-70. doi.org/10.23923/pap.psicol2018.2855