Motivating Young Employees

Today, there are many challenges facing businesses, both large and small. In my ten years of management, I've realized that attracting and retaining valuable employees is a major challenge most companies are just not sure how to deal with. A lot of companies offer incentive packages to motivate management employees; such as 401K, insurance, stock options, etc..., but the real problem lies in keeping the much younger, lower level employees you have.

The value of these young employees lies as much in the future as it does the present. Of course, motivating them to come into work and do a great job and focus on the same vision management has is very important. If you can keep these employees for a long period of time, though, it could reduce training costs and harvest a long-term loyal workforce that is looking out for the company as much as themselves.

The core ingredient to solving this problem lies in ways to motivate the employees, or rewards. Many employers believe that more money is what the average worker wants, which is too costly in today's economy. The reality is that many American workers want to know they are appreciated by the company, and my experience has taught me this is especially true with today's younger employees.

In researching this article, I rely heavily on my experiences in training and finding effective ways to motivate the younger generation of workers. I will discuss my hits, as well as my misses. I also had numerous talks with children and young adults ranging in ages from 16 - 25, to find out what they were looking for to motivate them at their jobs. Fellow career managers have also given me some ideas as to what they perceive as the 'proper' way to deal with the new, young workforce of today.

The most important thing to young adults starting out in the workplace is recognition. They do know the reality of what their salary will be and are happy to be making that much. When your employees accomplish something, they like to feel that they have achieved something. Your recognition is appreciation for that achievement and will motivate them to make you happy again.

There are many ways to show recognition, or appreciation, for a job well done. Most do not take much money to implement, but also fall on the shoulders of the direct managers and supervisors to bring about the desired outcome. The most common practice is awarding 'Employee of the Month' plaques or certificates. In smaller businesses, this may be difficult since a store may only have three to five employees. In these cases it is necessary to think creatively. I have given 'awards' for things such as perfect attendance in a given time period; consistently hitting company numbers, or standards; or best attitude at work. Whatever the reasoning for the recognition, it is always greeted with a warm acceptance from the young employees. Take the time to be creative, matching special accomplishments with unique awards.

Another idea some of my colleagues have found useful is applause. At staff meetings or shift meetings just point out a job well-done and give a little applause. Seeing their peers clapping for them gives a little boost to their esteem and motivate them to go out and try to get more attention next time.

Both employers and young employees mention communication as being important. "How was your weekend?", "How are you finding the job?" or "Are there any changes you would like to suggest?". Starting or ending the day with a general chat is a great way to motivate and build relationships, and it creates a more pleasant work environment. Young people appreciate it when you show a genuine interest in them. Build a quality relationship with the young people and it can be a critical factor on whether they stay or leave their job.

Communication isn't just what you say, it's also how you say it. Your tone and body language play an important role in how the employee receives what you say. Make your discussion the center of attention and don't be distracted. It will be more meaningful and effective, leaves less room for misinterpretation, and shows you are genuinely interested.

Positive feedback should usually be given in a fairly public place. This again, brings attention to the young employee among peers, but it also acts as a natural stimulant for those in close enough proximity to hear the praise. On the other hand, negative feedback should always be kept private. You never want to single out an employee in front of others for mistakes or poor job performance. This humiliates the employee and fosters resentment for the management as well as the company. Always aim to boost morale, not lower it, if you want to motivate any team.

Unmotivated employees stem from somewhere. Don't be afraid to pull them aside and talk to them about it. At times it may be a personal issue, which may be helped with a little understanding. At other times it may be work related. In these cases it is your duty as management to find and correct the problem to the best of your ability. Don't be afraid to initiate discussions regarding pay, duties, or career growth. You may not be able to fix the problem but you may be able to at least reach an understanding.

Young employees often become more motivated and find their work more interesting if they know how their job fits into the overall scheme of things. Let them see the big picture and make them aware of how their job and what they do affects the profitability of the business. Basically, let them know what they do actually does matter.

Promoting from within is a very important, and cost-effective, key in motivating the proper employees. Point out future career paths in the company. According to Ben Moravec, a young retail worker who has been with the same company for almost two years now, when his supervisor pointed out the track record of young employees who became management rather quickly after starting with the company, he was motivated to do more to become management when he turned eighteen. Future pay raises is a good motivating tool, and since you're going to be paying somebody in that position anyways, why not be somebody that's been fostered by your organization.

Give your employees a sense of pride by bestowing a job title upon them. People would rather work to be a 'Backroom Specialist' rather than the kid who puts stock away. Most companies have no problem with this minor show of appreciation and the young employees get excited to have an actual job title.

With the job title comes small responsibilities. I used 'Backroom Specialist' as an example because setting one employee, or a couple depending on size of job, to make sure stockrooms are in order and straightened gives them something to care about that doesn't take much time or training to do. Again, be creative. It all depends on what your company does, but there is always something that gives kids a sense of pride in their work.

Promoting a team-spirit to bring the workplace together is invaluable to any organization. An excellent way to do this is to have a team picture taken on a regular basis. Then, enlarge and hang the photo in a visible spot. Physically seeing themselves as part of the team has a morale boosting effect.

Schedule off-site gatherings for employees. Take them out bowling or play a round of miniature golf after an especially tough week or to promote a good team accomplishment. A sense of togetherness will further loyalty not only to the company, but to each other.

Offer extra time-off for an employee that has been working hard. This may cause management to have to work a couple extra hours, but that's a small price to pay for the respect that will be given in return. The thing to remember is that young adults between 16 - 21 rely a lot on their social life, which is important to the growing process.

The final, and most important, suggestion I have to motivate the younger generation is constant performance reviews. It is very important to make sure all employees know what they are doing right and wrong on a very regular basis. Giving reviews every three to six months doesn't do anything for the employee to learn and grow. By discussing their performance every thirty days, at least, you have the ability to mold them into what the company would like them to be. This shorter time frame also gives you the chance to keep fresher positives in your mind, and not just focus primarily on the negatives.

Set these reviews down on paper. Make sure the employee can see what they have been improving on and where possible work still needs to be done. Having a paper track record shows physical growth to the employee and more of an effort on the part of management. This will come across as a more caring attitude.

Overall, what these young Americans want is guidance. They are raised by society to be too strong to really ask for it, but deep down there is a craving to be given suggestions of where to go. In most cases, they look up to there supervisors and management at this young age. Leading by example, among many other guidance techniques, will have great impact on their outlooks.

These are only a few of the many ideas that have been brought up to me and pointed out. As always, be creative and come up with even more ways to show them that you care and that you are there for them. They will appreciate it in the end.

If companies urged more of the management and supervisors to follow these suggestions, they would have more motivated employees. None of these ideas cost much money at all, yet the future profits can be great. Just remember to respect your younger employees and they'll respect you and the company.