Great idea, but not always realistic given the budget constraints felt by most employers.  And more money doesn't automatically ensure motivated employees.

I've experienced a lot of well paid people who are very low on the motivation scale, and I've seen a lot of tremendously motivated people making slave wages.  Money is certainly part of the eqaution, but not the sole issue.

 Since most people's primary reason to work is earning an income, motivating employees with higher salaries is an obvious solution. However, to be truly successful with this strategy employees must also feel that these salaries aren't quite guaranteed. If I have a cush salary and no fear of losing it, that breeds complacency. If I know the guy working next to me might take some of my pay if I decrease productivity, than that will surely keep me motivated.

More money is probably the best motivation.If an employee is worth it,give them their due!

A living wage would be nice...

No matter what people say, money talks. You can prasie me to death and at some point I'll move onto a better paying job even if it isn't as good as the previous job. As long as America is capitalist, money will never go out of style.

Not everyone deserves a raise. Of course that person who's asking for the raise may think so. A rasie is a good way to motivate however, you can't give someone a raise every month just to motivate them it would be nice but the company would go broke.

Excellent motivator! It's the only one I know that's worth anything. Forget recognition and extra vacation time...PAY ME!!!

There needs to be a reason though otherwise that's not motivation. It's always great when deserved to get a pay raise.

Great idea, but salary increases must be tied to performance in order for it to create higher productivity. Simply increasing salaries across the board rewards people who don't put in as much as others in the same market. As long as it increases a firms competitiveness, increasing salaries is a good idea.

The way this question is structured I had to give it a terrible. You cannot motivate poor employees by increasing their salaries as they will continue to underperform at an increased cost. If they weren't motivated by their previous condition why would they be motivated now that you increased their salary and asked the same of them? Increasing the price you'll pay for human capital beyond the price the market will bear is poor business and does little to motivate individuals. As a matter of fact it works as a disincentive as the individual no longer has to strive to perform better or increase their worth in the possibility of attaining a better paying position. Increasing the salaries of those who merit the increases are only (and a great ones) responses to merit and performance. That individual has increased human capital and can simply sell his or her labor to the employer for a higher amount. The employer is forced to increase their salary or lose that human capital to another competitor. ****PBeavr, actually only the lack of satisfaction is motivating. The possibility of reward and growth movitvates people to increase their efforts. But in reality the manager or company isn't movtivating anyone but rather purchasing human capital they need. Are you telling me that paying someone 10% more for the same position will increase their productivity? Not a chance. Does paying someone 10% to ensure a competitor doesn't do it first make sense if the person is productive up and beyond the current salary? Of course! Does it make sense to give someone 10% and hope they increase their productivity by 10% absolutely not- then the business is incurring unnecessary cost.

The most important motivation because it's why most of us work in the first place. You can pat me on the back or tell you how much you appreciate me but if you really want to motivate me, give me a raise.

It certainly would not hurt and it shows employees that when the company does better they do better. This one is rare.

Increasing salaries is a powerful motivatior. Of course more money doesn't always mean better work.

I can't think of a better incentive than to increase pay.That would definitely motivate me.

If someone was payin me more money, why wouldn't I go the extra mile for them.

Show me the money, without it all that is left is just talk!

Sure helps, but usually not much.

Hate to sound crass but that's what I'm there for. Again, depending on the amount more money wouldn't just talk it might even sing, dance and recite poetry.

They can increase salaries to substantial amounts to motivate and we might even be happy for a while until the prospect of being paid good money soon fades and reality soon kicks in when we realise nothing can actually buy job satisfaction.