The article deals with the theme of motivation for self-development of employees as a forming factor of competence. The definition of the concept of «professional competence» and its main elements are analyzed. The author’s vision of factors that will help to determine the motivational environment of employees is proposed; with the help of which it is possible to determine for each a map of motives and incentives, which will contribute to the development of professionalism and the formation of professional competence. The self-development of employees is necessary not only for improving the quality of professional activity, but also for the development of competitiveness and the organization itself. With the help of motivation, as well as analysis and control over a certain period of time, analysis of methods and measures, it is possible to reveal both the shortcomings and the advantages of professional self-development. In order to evaluate motivational factors for self-development of employees and formation of professional competence, the authors conducted a sociological study «Motivational factors for self-development» among employees of enterprises and organizations, the main results of which are highlighted in the article. Attention is focused on the motivational concept, which could act as a tool for choosing means of stimulating personnel to self-development, within the framework of which five types of labour motivation are distinguished—instrumental, professional, patriotic, economic and preventive. The model was developed specifically for the analysis of the motivation of employees of enterprises and has a number of significant differences from other structural models of motivation. The article contains a formulation of the problem, a review of literary sources on the subject of the study, results of the investigation and conclusions.