Understanding motivation to drive lasting engagement.
Overview.
Vistra partnered with Forty1 to explore what truly drives motivation across its APAC workforce, unlocking insights to strengthen engagement and performance.
Find out how our expertise in employee listening and Behavioural Science revealed powerful new levers for change.
The challenge.
Vistra wanted to dig deeper into employee NPS data, particularly those in the APAC countries – where inconsistencies were shown compared to the organisational norms. The Forty1 Motivation Mapper provided an opportunity to do just that – lifting the lid on what motivates its people to join and stay in work – not just how engaged they feel.
While existing employee surveys provided valuable sentiment data, they didn’t uncover the why behind engagement trends.
Key challenges included:
- Identifying the underlying motivators influencing employee behaviour and performance
- Understanding regional and cultural differences across APAC
- Using data-driven insights to enhance the working experience and environment for all employees
The solution.
Following on from Vistra’s annual employee listening survey, we conducted deeper research using the Motivation Mapper, our proprietary tool grounded in behavioural science.
This anonymous survey explored both intrinsic (internal purpose and enjoyment) and extrinsic (external rewards and recognition) motivation across the APAC workforce. It gathered quantitative insights into how communication, wellbeing, and work experiences influence motivation – with over 6,000 employees invited to take part.
How we did it.
Our analysis revealed patterns across age, gender, and working style, as well as cultural nuances by country. Using these insights, we identified key organisational levers – particularly manager interactions – as a major opportunity to boost motivation through career development, autonomy, and positive feedback.
The value created.
The Motivation Mapper gave Vistra a robust and actionable view of motivation across its APAC workforce, helping them tailor engagement strategies by geography and culture.
The insights are now equipping country leaders with a deeper understanding of what drives their people, shaping more informed conversations and targeted initiatives. This data has also been layered into Vistra’s broader listening strategy, enabling the organisation to focus their actions in specific areas – such as leadership – resulting in greater impact.
By combining behavioural insight with practical guidance, Vistra continues to create an environment where employees feel inspired, supported, and motivated to do their best work.
Our client said.
We’ve taken this extra layer of detail and insight and really used it to our advantage. It’s brought valuable perspective we couldn’t achieve through our other listening activities. The best part was leaning into the expertise of the Forty1 team who presented the findings — challenging our thinking while providing practical, actionable guidance we could put in place straight away.
– David Gallagher, Global Director Culture & Engagement, Vistra
Our expertise on this project.
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Listening