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Dalahn Colley
Entrepreneur, United States
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What Motivates Employees? The Answer Depends (Partly) on their Generation
The age of retirement has been moved to 60, 65, 70 years and beyond. Where each generation used to pass the baton; there is no baton being passed anymore.
We can now find multiple generations (up to 4!) working in the workplace together. There are many intergenerational differences, including work motivation. While every person is different, it is proven that generational similarities such as priorities, motivators, reward preferences etc. do exist.
 An organization has to address that when creating a motivational plan. There are currently four generations in the workforce / rat race :-). Generational trends and motivators have been researched and identified by experts. To address the employees as a group an effective leader will understand and convey the messages proven to motivate each generation:
The generational names are debatable but these are the names I chose to use:
1. The Matures are born prior to 1946. They believe work is an obligation, no news is good news, their employer respects their experience and professionalism. Their satisfaction is gained from a job well done.
2. The Baby Boomers are born between 1946-1964. They view work as an adventure, want to be valued and needed by their employer. They don’t appreciate criticism and work for money, title and recognition.
3. The Generation X’ers are born between 1965-1980. They view work as a contract, want to do it their way without rules. They also feel freedom is the best reward and will seek feedback as opposed to waiting.
4. The Millennia's are born between 1981-1994. They view work as a means to an end, but want meaningful work done with other bright creative people, and want everything to manifest with the push of a button.
(Source: Lesonsky R., 2011).
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Scott Greenwood, United States
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What Motivates Employees? What's Behind Generational Differences The generational differences are a function of what the environment offered at the time their behaviors were being formed.
Everyone has a natural behavioral pattern. In my business we refer to it as a Predictive Index™ (PI) pattern. That natural pattern will offer predictable data as to what will motivate a person, what might not motivate them, or even what might demotivate them. It is all based on needs which are identifiable from the pattern. Once we know your needs, we know how to motivate you.
People with similar behavior patterns will be motivated by similar needs no matter which generation they are from. Those needs are the same, but how those needs are expressed and how they are met can be different based on their generations. The solution starts with understanding the needs. More on the Predictive Index.
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David Wilson
Manager, Canada
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Multiple Generations Have there Own Characteristics I agree that every generation has its unique characteristics. However, I believe the challenge is developing reward and recognition programs, which improve employee satisfaction across all generations.
Consider the fact that there are 5 generations in the workforce. Hopefully organizations will be prepared to employee people from any of these generations...
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Daniele
Manager, Italy
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How to Arrange Employees into Motivational Groups Generations is only one aspect to be take into account for exploring employees motivation: culture, geography, personality, deeply influence motivation as well.
I believe that the motivation point in the youngest generation is more flat and easily predictable. In the oldest generation also the various frustrations acquired along the work life influence the employees motivation, making this group more variable with respect to motivation points.
The work history of employees must be viewed in relationship with their generation to arrange them correctly into motivational groups.
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Hinda K. Sterling, Ph.D.
Consultant, United States
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Motivation is Complex and is Primarily Based on Traits Thank you for the thoughts you presented. However, even though assigning characteristics to generations is popular, it is at best poor behavioral science. Motivation is complex and so I refer you to the work of David McClelland who did some seminal studies of competencies.
Motivation lies at the trait level. We are motivated by power or achievement or affiliation or a combination of 2. This runs across all generations. You cannot motivate a person to do anything that is against their nature. You can however coach them for engagement.
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Loek Hopstaken
Consultant, Netherlands
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Generational Differences in Motivation / Communication Depend on the World Region Communication across generations is definitely an issue, as most of us have experienced it in one way or another.
I'd like to add that the 4 generations as mentioned in Dalahn's quote apply to Europe, N. America, perhaps S. America, Australia. I doubt if they apply to Africa, India or China. They do not apply to the country I live & work in: Vietnam.
Differentiation in generations leads to... different results. But the issue of cross-generational communication / cooperation is an issue that needs attention.
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Gil Vondrasek
Consultant, United States
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We Are What We Were When There was a great training film from the 1980's entitled "We are what we were when". It describes quite vividly what Dalahn is describing.
I would also mention Peter Block's great work on Stewardship which talks about a whole new relationship and the price companies pay for consistency and control.
Most people want freedom and control over their work and a say in what goes on and how things are done. Some people do not want the accountability that goes with that.
Does our birth date impact our willingness to accept accountability?
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Dr Hussein Laqwer
CEO, Saudi Arabia
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Culture Influences Employee Motivation More than Generation I think the motivation for work is a cultural issue more than any other thing.
Cultures that give values for work will not show these types of differences between generations.
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Dev Sen
Teacher, United Kingdom
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Age is Just a Number We tend to forget the idea of "retirement" is just a recent invention. In fact the people being called "mature" come from generation where the concept of retirement did not exist as we now have come to accept it.
In many countries, generations work together. This was the tradition in the agricultural era - the idea of family and larger village units with all members working together.
The industrial era destroyed this, but I think the information era is going to bring it back in the so called western developed nations. But in other countries, even countries like India, China and Japan, the notion of 70 year olds working together with 20 year old is not a big deal.
Why should a concept (retirement) largely developed by the so called progressive sociologists (who have done untold damage to the western work ethic with their experimental ideas on human behaviour and development) tell me when I should or should not work?
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SAMUEL LUZOBE
Consultant, Uganda
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The Relation between Maslow's Pyramid and Motivation of Generations Employee motivation... Interesting! My contention is that Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs scheme seems to be operational in my own country. Because most people are at the lower positions of the hierarchy,...
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Prasanna
Student (University), Sri Lanka
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We Need a Method to Efficiently Assess Individual Employee Motivation Motivation levels of workers differ from one to another because of their intensity, direction and persistence toward the organizational goal differ.
According to already mentioned Hierarchy of Needs ...
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Truong Thi Lan Anh, Viet Nam
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Work-life Balance is the Common Motivator among Generations I would suggest there's one thing in common among generations: work-life balance that finally brings in their happiness and sustainability....
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jorge eixeres
Director, Spain
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4 Generations for 4 Ways or Life Imagine those 4 generations with the same instruments of knowledgement, as internet is. You can notice then that younger people are less motivated to develop their own career. Just by pressing a butto...
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Jone Sovalawa, Australia
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Differences in What Motivates Younger and Older Employees Motivating the younger generation remains a challenge in many work places because they can be more qualified, but their salary scale will still start from the base.
Also it is worthy to note that for...
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Johnny Michael Tan
Management Consultant, Malaysia
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6 Commonalities in what Motivates Employees Among Generations 6 commonalities straddle the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y! They are:
1. All three generations want to make money
2. Everyone needs to be respected
3. Having 'friendship' is important
4. Success i...
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Danilo Mazzarol, Italy
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The Age of Individuals Influences their Behavior and Motivation For sure the individual's age makes the difference. The different generations produce different behaviours. The HR manager has to create the best atmosphere in the company to produce the people belief...
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Wulf-Dieter Krueger
Teacher, Thailand
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What Motivates All Generations? What motivates all generations? Competence of and setting good examples by 'superiors'.
There might be variances according to generation, though....
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WALTER Pascal, France
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Common Motivations Among all Generations I agree that the answer depends partly on their generation. That's a fact.
But all generations also have common motivations and that's what is the most important. Money, recognition, satisfaction or ...
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JoAnn Becker
Management Consultant, United States
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Just Learn About the Multi-generational Workforce I know a 98 yr young retired US Federal judge who still practices and gets called back to the bench to serve. All generations need to learn to work with other generations.
As the leader of the MacCar...
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karel sovak
Professor, United States
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Leaders can Motivate Multiple Generations with Empowerment I think the best indicator of a motivated employee comes from the empowerment they are given and the ability to make use of their strengths. This is not necessarily a generational thing.
People love ...
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Rebecca Kibazo-Gasque
United States
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Employee Motivation Across Age Groups @Truong Thi Lan Anh: I agree with you that work life balance and sustainability are great employee motivators across all the age groups.
We chase both success and self esteem but without joy and pea...
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gonzalez
Management Consultant, France
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How Employers Motivated Employees over the Years... Since last industrial era in 1900, modern companies still have considered workers like machines or raw material. Now, this motivation has not changed in our companies mind even we are in the 21 centur...
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Maia de Lourdes Larrea, Ecuador
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Motivation is Different for Different Cultures @Dr Hussein Laqwer: I also think that this theory is not applicable for everyone, each culture will have different motivations for the economical situation, education, for generations.
But people alw...
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Angel, Brazil
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It Doesn't Matter How Old People Are, they Want Only One Thing... A promotion, better salary, a tap on the back, etc.
Isolated or combined, they mean only one thing: recognition!...
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Bert Walker, USA
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Dealing with Responsibility / Accountability When you Grow Older @Gil Vondrasek: You wrote: "Does our birth date impact our willingness to accept accountability?"
I think that your accountability or sense of responsibility is at least partly a function of age, and...
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Vance E. Woods
Student (MBA), United States
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Generational Motivation @Samuel Luzobe: Generation motivation is definitely a cultural phenomenon. It is relevant only in cultures with mixed workforces, and who have been institutionalized into a relatively stable work envi...
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Daniel Newton Obaka, United States
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Two Levels of Motivation: The Natural-Purpose and the Environment-Tainted Motivation This generational analysis comes at a time when the need to redefine value added leadership has become one of the greatest challenges of our time. The techno-generation (current generation) depends la...
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Alain Kriegel, France
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What Motivates People over the Generations? I agree that everyone is looking for a balance between work and private life. The equilibrium point of the balance varies with the generations.
But whatever generations that is, the more the desire o...
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Carlos Torres
Business Consultant
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Work Motivations of Young and Mature People Indeed, the different generations may have other perspectives on the meaning and purpose of their work. For over 13 years or so, I had to share experiences with people from different generations. In t...
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Shafiul Azam
HR Consultant, Bangladesh
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Employee Motivation also Varies According to Individual Personality Indeed employee motivation varies from generation to generation to some extent. But it also varies among generations in a way that psychological construction define behaviour of a person.
That is why...
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Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
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Careful with Generalizations of Generational Imbalances in Working Mindsets @Gil Vondrasek: Another movie that comes to my mind is ‘The way we were’. Having said that we must remember that when we talk of generational working mindsets, what cannot be overlooked is regional an...
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Dev Sen
Teacher, United Kingdom
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Baton of Experience is Not Passed among Generations @Carlos Torres: indeed the problem we face as more graduates and MBA students are churned out of business school believing that the world is based on the narrow rational models that we teach, the more...
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raffaele campanella, Italy
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The Importance of the Boss I have a very clear statement in my mind, after 35 years spent in industrial organizations: "The most difficult task of a boss is to motivate his employees"! Therefore I do not think that motivation i...
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Dilip Khanal
CEO, Nepal
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Common Motivation for 4 Generations Appreciation, challenge and reward are common in all generations. The Generation X'ers and Millenia's are also motivated if the work place has gender balance....
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Upadhyayula Narayana Das
HR Consultant, India
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What Motivates Employees? Generational Determinant Ascribing motivation as a function of generation might be too simplistic a view.
One might find a veteran for whom "work is worship" and a rookie who is only interested in the paycheck and really not...
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Martin Noonan, Australia
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Motivating Younger Employees to Find Greater Depth in Understanding Motivation is like perception. "It's not mine, its theirs" is what is most important here, irrespective of age, ethnicity, culture or position. Managers responsibility is to "create an environment" th...
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Beddoe, United Kingdom
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Age / Generations Don't Matter Much Personally I feel these simple categories are generalising and as many others have stated do not take into account the numerous other factors which influence motivation in employees.
From experience ...
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Ellis, United Kingdom
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What Motivates Employees from Various Generations Basic needs, such as security and recognition have always been around. All that's changed is our willingness to accept things.
The war generations learned to put up with just about anything and compa...
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Dr Gary Jones, Australia
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Interesting Comments by All All the comments are valid some coming from an academic research base, others from experience. Some of the participants in this forum have mentioned Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Herzbergs' works. Ha...
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Mbaile
Manager, South Africa
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What Motivates Employees: Use what they Like Most For the younger generation of employees the most important aspect to use to get them motivated is, to show them what they can achieve for their personal benefit (in short-term) ie. tangibles/ material...
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hendrick Sauzande
Manager, Malawi
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Motivation of Generations not Valid in Poor Countries Motivation is not a direct function of generation, particularly in most poor or under-developed countries such as Malawi. As earlier alluded to by others, the need for money to purchase basic necessit...
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Hemant Desai
Management Consultant, India
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Motivation Based on Generations Alone is Suicidal All theories give you a point of view which necessarily has to be customised for the individual being managed.
In that sense Expectancy Theory is a helpful framework, although it does not identify s...
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de vries
Consultant, Netherlands
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Attributes of Generations / Cohorts Generation planning is important. Not only in managing. Generations share common values but more important common experiences/ trauma's. Most trauma's are bonded to countries sometimes continents. How...
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John limpus
Australia
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What Motivates Employees from Various Genarations What motivates employees is reward. This is not always monetary:
- For the Mature generation, it is the satisfaction of a job done well.
- For Baby Boomers it is recognition
- For Generation "X" it...
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AKOM JOSHUA, Ghana
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Motivations of the Various Generations According to Maslow, motivation need not depend on the type of generation but instead on the individual's need. It could be that certain needs would cut across all generations. I also agree partly wit...
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Gafar Bamikole
Accountant, United Kingdom
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Generational Traits in Employees’ Motivation Compared to universal motivational theories, generational traits represent a more specific concept from which other (individual) motivational variables can be derived. The time or generational context...
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DOUGLAS AIDOO, Ghana
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What Motivate an Employee does not Depend on Generation I think flexibility in job designs and reward systems contribute greatly to employee motivation. If these fall short in a particular state of employment, whether one belongs to a particular generation...
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abraham garshong, Ghana
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Common Denominator to Motivate Employees from Various Generations? @David Wilson: I am in line with your thinking. It is possible to have a common denominator of factors that motivates employee to higher performance irrespective of their generations.
Despite all the...
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KATHRYN STEINER, MBA
Entrepreneur, United States
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Various Generations Differences and Perspectives Worthy of Study As the parent of a 21 year old, I have to admit I find it challenging at times to step into her shoes and see how she views the world.
I can probably understand the perspectives of those OLDER than m...
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hernando bernal
Professor, Colombia
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Media Motivate the New Generation? Motivation is more than perception, Alvin Toffler said family and human behavior change with the greatest exposure to information.
Since the arrival of internet and the new media, watching the motiva...
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Naomi Elisabeth
Indonesia
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The World Changes and that Impacts the Motivation of Generations Change can be associated with this topic. I mean, the world is changing over a century, decade, or even years.
There are so many factors causing change: economy, political, social, nature, etc.
Th...
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