Frederick Herzberg was a psychologist interested in the correlation between employee attitude and workplace motivation. He wanted to find out what made people feel satisfied and unsatisfied when it came to the workplace. After spending countless hours interviewing employees about what made them feel both good and bad about their jobs, Herzberg developed a theory of workplace motivation called the two-factor theory. The two-factor theory is based on the assumption that there are two sets of factors that influence motivation in the workplace by either enhancing employee satisfaction or hindering it.
The first of the two are called hygiene factors and no, I am not talking about the personal hygiene of your co-workers, though that can certainly be questionable at times. Rather, Herzberg used the term 'hygiene' to describe factors that cause dissatisfaction in the workplace, are extrinsic (or independent of the work itself), and are linked to things such as compensation, job security, organizational politics, working conditions, quality of leadership, and relationships between supervisors, subordinates, and peers.
According to Herzberg, these factors do not motivate employees. However, when they are missing or inadequate, hygiene factors can cause serious dissatisfaction. Just think about how unhappy you would be in a job where you were underpaid, were in fear of losing your job, dealt constantly with gossip, lacked effective leadership, and were surrounded by coworkers whom you despised. Hygiene factors are all about making an employee feel comfortable, secure, and happy. When hygiene factors are not fulfilled, it feels like something is missing or not quite right, kind of how you would feel if you couldn't shower, brush your teeth, or wash your hands after using the bathroom.
The second factor is motivators or satisfiers. These are linked to employee motivation and arise from intrinsic, or dependent, conditions of the job itself. Factors for satisfaction include responsibility, job satisfaction, recognition, achievement, opportunities for growth, and advancement.