What are the pros and cons of competition at the workplace?

Competition is inseparable in one’s workplace. Most companies set competition as a

requirement to acquire recognition, raise, award, or promotion. However, this employee
competition culture could have both advantages and disadvantages.

It is clear that an employer judges an employee on the basis of his or performance levels.
And employee is evaluated in comparison with other employees. In order to go up the
ladder of success, the employee has to show better results than other co-employees by
performing well. Winning appreciation, workers could get a promotion or higher salary.
Because of that, employer encourages competition in order to motivate employees and get
better results from them in work matters.

How Competitive Work Environments Can Motivate Employees to Higher Performance?

In the workplace, competition can encourage workers to accomplish more. Here are some
ways that workplace competition can actually help improve a workplace.

1. Competition makes you work harder

If you feel like your job is threatened, it may cause you to feel sad or frustrated, and even
act in a mean way. However, if you see another employee working hard and succeeding, it
can also push you toward working harder yourself.

Whether you are working harder because you have a competitive nature or simply because
you want to make sure that you are doing as good as the person next to you, it isn’t as
important as the end result. The truth is that if your work improves, you will potentially set
yourself up for a raise, a promotion, or a completely different job at another company.
Improved work is a win-win for everyone, including your boss and yourself.

2. Competition increases productivity

3. Competition encourages you to try new things

When you are faced with people who are as skilled as you are (or more skilled), it forces
you to take risks and try new things. If you want to succeed when there are multiple
talented people, you have to get out of your comfort zone. This means that not only will you
work harder, but you may be more willing to come up with innovative ideas.

In the end, the competition you experience and the new things you try because of it may
lead to a better job. It’s easy to get comfortable in a position, and a little competition can
stop you from getting lazy or bored.
How Competition Can Harm Employee Motivation Levels.

There are many different types of employees with different personalities, drives or
background. Some workers who could be happy to work under pressure and some ones
who feel like working in a comfortable environment. Therefore, work could be stressful
and a competitive workplace could increase the anxiety in the workplace if it focus
employees on the threat of being laid off, losing income, … or pressure environment.

With teams that are already struggling with good teamwork and communication, a
competitive workplace could further diminish team morale. When a team loses morale,
their team productivity also goes down. This is also true if one person is a stand-out
employee, and every incentive and award goes to him. Therefore, competitive
environments must be fostered with communications and team-building workshops.

In conlusion, a competition can be a great way to boost motivation and productivity, in a

work environment, competition can have the negative effects of stressfulness and low
morale.