Every organization strives for growth, stability, and the maximum amount of productivity from their employees. Achieving organizational success is accomplished by having a motivated workforce that understands the end goal. With that said, what exactly keeps your employees motivated? Motivation comes in all shapes and sizes, but first you need to understand who your employees are.
Employees in today’s workforce have never been more diverse, ranging from Baby Boomers to Millennials and now Generation Z. Based on an analysis from Pew Research Center, millennials make up for more than thirty percent of the American workforce. This generation’s strengths for being technological savvy and more collaborative gives organizations a new outlook on the traditional work environment. With millennials destined to become our future leaders, it is important for management to find the best strategies to motivate their employees.
Here are few key strategies management can use when determining how to motivate millennials:
Interest:
It is in every organization’s best interest to learn how to attract and motivate millennials. This generation has been criticized for having the “me attitude” or being individualistic, but this assumption isn’t necessarily true. Millennials consist of passionate, self-driven, and technologically-advanced group of people. Work-life balance is the key essential factor when it comes to retaining millennials. The typical work week of Monday-Friday, 9-to-5 is no longer attractive to the young thriving millennial. In order to meet this generation’s craving for flexibility, offering unlimited PTO or even flexible scheduling can create trust and enhance the relationships between the employee and employer. Implementing automated time and attendance or absence management software reduces obstacles organizations face by offering employees continued access to submit requests online and review PTO balances. The Deloitte Millennial Survey 2017 stated that “Millennials in organizations that offer a high degree of flexibility in working arrangements seem to reward their employers with higher levels of loyalty.” It is very important that organizations have a millennial’s best interest in mind to maintain and enhance motivation throughout the workplace.
Impact & Innovate:
Millennials, the outside of the box thinkers are the new leaders of innovation. Relaxed work environments lead to more innovation and collaboration. Extreme office layouts are not a necessity, but eliminating cubicles and creating more open space results in more collaboration and an increase in productivity. Open offices instill communication and encourage more face-to-face interactions. This generation prefers working in a social environment, due to the fact that the workplace is just an extension of their social life. Management should acknowledge opportunities to enhance relationships and creativity between employees by decreasing the traditional work environment.
Inspire:
Millennials want to feel inspired at work, resulting in better productivity and an increase of fulfillment. They are looking for opportunities to invest in an organization where they can make the most positive impact. The need for feedback and evaluation is what this generation desires. They want to be informed on what is being done correctly and what needs to be improved in order to achieve their goals. Millennials thrive on being autonomous but still want a sense of direction to confirm they are on the right path. It is important for management to find a proper balance when communicating that involves both firm and honest feedback. Empowering, respecting, and giving millennials guidance leads to a greater chance of retaining productive millennials.
Every employee is an investment. Implementing the three strategies above can lead to a positive impact towards your organization and its productive millennials. As this generation continues to dominate the workforce, the ability to motivate millennials becomes an important factor to an organization’s growth strategy.
This DATIS Blog was written by Annalyssa Mendez, DATIS, on December 5th, 2017 and may not be re-posted without permission.