Motivation in the workplace is the key to getting the most out of your young employees. Understand that each has unique driving forces. Some work for advancement—and others do just enough to stay employed. Whatever the reason, focus on the motivating factors of your employees, and you will help them work to their potential. Here are six of the most common motivators for millennial employees.
Innovation
Millennials want to change the world—and they believe innovation is the catalyst. They will lean into their high-tech and hyper-connected upbringing to find answers to today’s complex problems. Innovation matters to millennials, and they must get to tap into this.
Flexibility
New research reveals employees (especially millennials) get more done and have a better impression of their employer when they have workplace flexibility. Millennials are interested in customizing their career tracks and what they do. They grew up in an age of customization enabled by the Internet and now expect a similar level of customization at work. Since the pandemic, many companies have utilized remote work, giving millennials a taste of what the flexibility of remote work feels like—and they like it!
Collaboration
Millennials seek collaboration—they learn better and more quickly in a team setting, and often they will leverage their social networks to crowdsource their research or decision-making. Collaboration in the workplace is necessary as it encourages problem-solving, allows employees to learn from each other, and typically increases employee production rates.
Development
Training and development help companies gain and retain top talent, increase job satisfaction and morale, improve productivity and earn more profit. Millennials want a clear picture of what is expected in the workplace and what skills and experience are required to level up and accomplish more at work. Giving them the opportunity for growth within their role is something that millennials crave.
Ownership
Growing up in a time where barriers for entrepreneurs are low—especially with the recent explosion of social media influencers—millennials embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. They desire ownership of their positions, tasks, and careers. They have learned to manage their brand since the dawn of social media and are looking for ways to utilize these skills.
Purpose
Most millennials define career success by how meaningful the work is. They are attracted to organizations with heavy impact and leaders who can communicate the purposeful vision of the organization. Employees see purpose as a way to bring meaning to their work and understand the contributions they are making to the company, as well as society. Employees need to have meaning in their daily work to be fully engaged.
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With the post-COVID employment numbers rollercoaster, many businesses are scrambling to find and keep workers. Keeping employees motivated and happy in their jobs is extremely important in the current economic cycle, so learning techniques for motivating employees in the workplace is going to be necessary for any manager and company.