In the article, a study of the evolution and development of views on the motivational mechanism that would contribute to a better motivation of the holders of human capital to fulfill their official duties was carried out. In particular, an analysis of the term "mechanism" and its influence on the formation of the category "motivational mechanism" was carried out. The opinions and various approaches of leading scientists regarding the mechanism of human capital motivation and the use of various motivation methods that will help enterprise managers to achieve better results are highlighted. An analysis of the internal and external elements of the motivational mechanism was carried out. The main needs of human capital were identified and analyzed and their differentiation was carried out. It has been found that in modern conditions of the development of social and labor relations, material motivation more and more often does not fully satisfy the needs of employees, especially at the highest level of management. Social and psychological methods and employees' desire for self-development, training and improvement in order to remain competitive in the labor market play a significant role in the process of motivation. Foreign models of labor motivation, in particular, such as the British model, the Japanese model, the American model, the German model, the Turkish model, and the possibility of their adaptation for motivating the human capital of domestic enterprises were studied. It was found that motivation as a function of management has a direct impact on the psychological state of human capital. Therefore, every manager should develop and implement in management practices such a model of employee stimulation that would be based on a combination of two important factors. The first of which is the satisfaction of the interests and needs of employees who are carriers of human capital. The second is the implementation of strategic tasks facing the enterprise and subordinating one's own interests to the general ones. An analysis of such methods of motivation as: economic, organizationaladministrative, social-psychological, moral, etc. was carried out.