What motivates you? For some of your coworkers it might be recognition; the more public the better. How do you reward all of the different generations?
The Veterans or Traditionals rely on their own personal appreciation of a job well done. This generation expected to work hard and to enjoy a pension or a defined retirement plan as a reward for loyalty.
Baby Boomers like to be recognized with rewards such as money, office space, or job title. Boomers like visible rewards such as parking spots, expense accounts, and unique personalized treatment. Public recognition is a great reward.
For Generation Xers, the best reward would be freedom. Autonomy and independence is most appreciated. Providing Gen Xers with flexibility to balance their personal and professional lives is a wonderful reward for this generation.
For Millennials, the best reward is understanding the mission of your organization, the meaning of their work, and the real, positive impact their work has on people’s lives. Sure they like the perks, the money, the giveaways, and discounts, but they are also interested in the impact.
Of course these are generalities, and individuals within each generation are different, however, with a little thoughtfulness we can make a minor adjustment in the reward programs at work, to make them just a little bit more…rewarding.