A new report by HR consultancy ETS reveals what makes workers want to ‘go the extra mile’ for their employers.

Going the extra mile is defined as doing more without being asked. According to ETS, it is one of the key behaviours demonstrated by ‘engaged’ employees.

Titled Getting employees to go the extra mile, the report highlights the following as the three most significant motivators that lead to employees being more prepared to go above and beyond their job description:

• Employee’s role – understanding what is expected in a given role and how this supports business goals
• Leadership – employees believing in leaders
• Communication – employees feeling free to communicate upwards within the company

The findings are based on a sample of over 3,000 employees from the retail, financial services, professional services, and construction industries.

Samantha Arnold, business psychologist at ETS and author of the report, said, “Maximising the return from every employee is hugely important at a time when many companies need to do more with less people.”

The report explains what makes employees go the extra mile and provides suggestions as to how companies can address these areas to unlock the full potential of their employees.

“The diverse sample of data used means that the findings from our analysis are representative of a wider employee population across companies of different sizes, operating in different industries. This means that all companies can realise the benefits associated with a more motivated workforce by putting recommended actions in place,” explained Samantha Arnold.