The term “Motivation” Gets thrown around in training a lot these days; indeed, it has become one of the biggest buzzwords in the training industry. Like many concepts that we deal with on a day-to-day basis, there is a danger that motivation as a concept can become nebulous and detached from the real world S.M.A.R.T goals of training; increasing sales and performance. We must be careful not to use terms like motivation without a clear understanding of what they mean and how they affect your sales team and their ability to make sales and add value to the organisation.
With that in mind, let’s look at some figures that show the true cost of a lack of motivation in the workplace, showing that you can’t afford to not keep your entire team motivated!
- The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that 185.6 million working days were lost in 2022 due to sickness absence—about one-third more than in 2015. Assuming a 230-day work year, this equates to over 800,000 full-time equivalent positions lost.
- The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) estimates that the hidden cost of employee sickness surged from £73 billion to £103 billion annually between 2018 and 2023.
- Of this rise, £5 billion comes from increased sick days, while a striking £25 billion stems from presenteeism—lost productivity when employees work while unwell. The GuardianIPPR
- In 2024, IPPR also highlighted that employees now lose, on average, 44 days of productivity per year due to working while sick, plus 6.7 days from actual sick leave. These represent substantial hidden costs. The Times
- According to Gallup’s 2023 “State of the Global Workplace” report, only 10% of UK workers are actively engaged in their roles—meaning around 90% are not engaged or are actively disengaged. Personnel TodayCNBCPeople Management
- This percentage places the UK near the bottom of European rankings—33rd out of 38 countries—trailing behind the European average of 13% engaged.
The TimesFMJPersonnel TodayEmployee Benefits
- More recent confirmation comes from the Financial Times, which cites Gallup showing UK engagement remains at just 10%.
Financial Times
- Meanwhile, a people-science–oriented submission to a UK parliamentary committee indicates that as of January 2025, 65% of UK employees are engaged, implying that 35% are not.
UK Parliament
As you can clearly see, it is not just a theoretical concept that we can study in the training room or on courses; an unmotivated workforce costs your organisation a tremendous amount to your bottom line.
Innovative new tools in the training industry have also helped us to have a better understanding of the role motivation plays in the workforce. With Motivational Maps - which we have been using at Vital Spark Training Consultants as part of our training packages since 2016 – it’s now possible to see, as a percentage, the exact levels of motivation of individual members of your staff, and which of the 9 key motivators, will bring the best out of each of them. Each map is unique to each team member. This data is invaluable for showing just how much a lack of motivation is costing your organisation
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At Vital Spark Training Consultants, we aim to always focus on how the training we deliver, impacts the bottom line of your organisation. Regarding motivation, the economic data, coupled with new developments in training techniques such as Motivational Maps, paints a clear picture: an unmotivated workforce spells financial disaster for any organisation, large or small.
