Definition
Basic workplace elements that don't motivate employees but cause dissatisfaction when absent, like adequate salary, clean facilities, or functional equipment. They're the vegetables of job satisfaction—necessary but not exciting.
Example Usage
We fixed the hygiene factors like broken chairs and slow computers, but engagement is still low because we haven't addressed actual motivators.
Origin
Frederick Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of motivation published in 1959.
Fun Fact
Herzberg found that the opposite of job satisfaction isn't dissatisfaction, but no satisfaction—they're on separate scales, which explains why raises don't fix toxic cultures.
Source: Organizational psychology and human resources theory
Related Terms
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See “hygiene factors” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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