Motivating employees
Motivating Employees
Motivating employees to work effectively towards the set goals and objectives requires determination and commitment. There are various ways the managers and human resource (HR) specialists must do to ensure the employees are committed to the organization’s success. Indeed, setting achievable goals and recognizing success is the overall vision for every organization. There is a need to warrant inclusion and diversity in the workplace by communicating frequently and honestly with all employees. Notably, there is a strong correlation between productivity and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction relies partially on tangible rewards, including how the employees are paid and any benefits or bonuses they receive. Various motivation strategies and initiatives make people feel more motivated. For instance, employees will feel motivated if they work in a positive organizational culture, feel a sense of purpose and meaning in the company, and when recognized for their hard work. The paper will critically review the assigned article, What Motivates Your Workers: It Depends on Their Generation, outlining the critical concepts of enhancing inclusion and diversity. It will also describe how to motivate different generations towards a shared goal in the workplace, among other pertinent facets.
Dealing with employees of diverse generations in the workplace and motivating them towards a common goal requires devotion and expertise. Job satisfaction and a conducive workplace are fundamental factors that encourage employees to work. How employees feel about their job, and working environment determines how enthused they are. The article describes various generations prominent in the contemporary workplace. There are mainly five aged generations affecting the activities in the workplace and the overall performance. They include traditionalists, the baby boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. All these generations are born at different years, making them have diverse perceptions of work and enthusiasm. Again, all the generations have a particular life facet they vastly value, motivation factors, and a diverse workforce. According to the author of this article, traditionalists are a generation mainly motivated by respect and money in the workplace. The generation develops an extensive effect in the workplace and adds value to the company and the community. The second generation encompassing baby boomers are also enthused by monetary rewards, including flexible retirement policy and job recognition. Again, the employees in this class are goal-oriented, ambitious, and inspired by job promotions, career development, and recognition of their expertise and skills.
Consequently, there is another generation, generation X, which is essentially driven by workplace stock and bonuses. According to this category, working independently is the only way to enhance career development and progression. The employees under this category are inspired by culture, training, mentoring programs, and feedback in the workplace. To them, professional development must be centered on competence rather than age, rank, or seniority in work. The recognition should mainly come from their seniors and be rapid, informal, and publicly communicated recognition, including gift cards, flexible schedules, and experimental rewards. The other category comprising employees from generation Y has a different perception. According to the workers, there are distinctive aspects and traits fostering motivation, including stock options including, monetary rewards, and values of consistent feedback. The workers under this category are enthused by mentoring programs, skills training, workplace culture, and feedback. They prefer regular and informal communication primarily through flexible schedules and time off. Critical benefits of this generation include consistent learning and training. The last generation, generation Z, prefers social rewards such as consistent mentorship and continuous feedback instead of money. Besides, the members of this group are mainly motivated by meaningful jobs and being given accountability.
Markedly, leaders and other HR professionals must understand the best ways to motivate workers of varied generations towards a shared goal. Motivating the employees by fostering inclusion and diversity would encourage productivity and job satisfaction. For instance, promoting celebration and collaboration in the workplace will facilitate employee participation in the crucial activities of the organization. This involves creating a social sharing forum where employees would share their experiences, skills, and success with each other. Such platforms will enable the diverse employees to understand the primary goal of the company and work towards its achievement. Again, the human resource professionals must invest vastly in leadership and training programs, provide mentorship initiatives, and other critical opportunities for developing the diverse workforce.
Moreover, setting up a compensation and benefits policy in the organization will help motivate most employees in the workplace. Most competent and experienced employees do not require money as compensation but as social rewards. Such strategies will enable the employees to feel part of the organization and its achievements. Enhancing proper work coordination through active teamwork and work-life balance will allow each generation to appreciate the job. Also, giving employees opportunities to develop themselves is an ideal initiative. Most employees need independence when doing their work, depending on their competency and capability. This is an optimal way of fostering career development and progression. Developing and enhancing a positive corporate culture would enable the selection of competent leaders based on their aptitude, leadership styles, and personality traits. Proficient leadership would promote employee well-being and foster overall productivity and recognition initiatives.
References
Thompson, C., & Gregory, J. B. (2012). Managing millennials: A framework for improving attraction, motivation, and retention. The psychologist-manager journal, 15(4), 237-246.
Gurchiek, K. (2016). What motivates your workers? It depends on their generation. Society For Human Resource Management.
Harrison, D., Assel, K., & Lilly, T. (2017). Blending generational differences in the workplace. Southern Illinois University: Edwardsville School of Business.
Korhani, L. (2021). Flexible Leadership in a Multigenerational Workforce (Doctoral dissertation, Northeastern University).
Magni, F., & Manzoni, B. (2020). Generational differences in workers’ expectations: Millennials want more of the same things. European Management Review, 17(4), 901-914.