I want it now! How to motivate Gen Y employees

The generation raised on gizmos and social media need very different handling to their predecessors.

Generation Y, the iPod generation, echo boomers – however you describe them, this new wave of employees is steadily filtering into the workplace. Born to baby boomers, many are recent graduates and students aged around 18-30 years old and it is this generation that will soon be at the heart of a company, leading it forward into the future.

So how can you get the most out of this generation?

1. Know its defining characteristics

Compared to Generation X, people in this group are more likely to put their careers first, postponing marriage and children. They are the social media generation who like to be connected at all times. Socialising, both actual and virtual, is a top priority.

Instant gratification and a hunger for immediate information mean they often resent waiting, something applicable to both their professional and personal life. They often choose to find jobs on a short-term basis, are keen to always remain aware of new opportunities that will help to improve their skill set, and will happily change jobs in order to achieve this. These factors combined mean that retention rates are likely to be lower in this generation and that employers may find they need to work harder to keep them.

2. Adopt a tailored approach

To motivate, engage and inspire people it is naturally important to apply different techniques and approaches depending on various aspects, such as age, sex, geographic location, likes and interests.

Reward and recognition schemes should be tailored to include the needs of Generation Y. But what is it that will have the desired effect in terms of motivating them, and how can employers strive to ensure they get it right?

3. Provide ongoing communication and feedback

Why Talented People Underperform And How To Stop It

One of the most frustrating things for a manager or small-business owner is to see a smart, talented employee underperforming.

Often, this happens because people faced with tough challenges tend to revert to a primitive mindset, which bestselling author Christine Comaford calls "the critter state." They react to problems by fighting, running, or freezing, rather than intelligently responding.

They become scared or uncertain and use just a fraction of their brains and abilities as they regress to the low-risk, uncreative behavior they see as "safe."

Ask questions instead of making statements.

"Most leaders give orders all of the time, and then they complain that they have a culture of order-takers," Comaford says. "Well, they created that."

When leaders are asked a question, their impulse is to give an immediate answer. That trains employees to constantly ask questions instead of trying to solve problems and find solutions.

Instead of just answering a question, she suggests asking employees what they would try, who could be looped in, and what could go right or wrong. That puts their brains into problem-solving mode rather than a state in which they're more inclined to freeze or fight back, or ignore the problem entirely.

Be extremely clear. Don't leave people to "figure it out."

It's extremely easy to think that employees know everything that you know, and that they can figure out what you want. Often, that's not the case. Uncertainty leads people to waste time, get nervous, and revert to that critter state, says Comaford.

The more detail you put into a request, the better. Say exactly what you want — in which format, on what terms, and by when — instead of being vague.

Make accountability central to your culture.

"The problem with accountability is two-fold," Comaford says. Oftentimes, businesses don't have clear structures. People may not know exactly what they're accountable for or the consequences of underperforming.

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Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation: What Works Best to Motivate Employees?

When it comes to motivating, engaging and retaining employees, there’s no one-size-fits all strategy that small business owners can rely on.

Key Finding to Motivate Employees

One key finding that might make cash-strapped small business owners nervous: Job rewards (that is, monetary or non-monetary compensation).

It is the most important factor in employee engagement overall. Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents rank job rewards first, above job recognition (42 percent) and job motivation (11 percent).

Keep in mind, however, that “job rewards” include both monetary and non-monetary compensation. So if you can’t offer raises or bonuses, you can offer non-monetary rewards (something 60 percent of companies in the survey do). In fact, the survey found that younger employees are driving a shift toward non-monetary rewards.

Sixty-four per cent of employees surveyed say they would like to see their companies offer non-monetary rewards, but among Generation Y, the percentage jumped to 70 percent.

The most popular non-monetary rewards:

•  Comp time off

•  Free food or meals

•  Event tickets (to shows, sporting events and concerts)

While these do cost money, they cost less than offering raises since they’re given on an occasional, not ongoing, basis.

That said, tangible rewards like raises, bonuses and promotions still matter to Gen Y. In fact, possibly more than they do to other age groups. While 31 percent of respondents overall say they’d start job-hunting if an expected raise, bonus or promotion didn’t materialize, among Gen Y that figure jumps to 48 percent.

It Depends on the Life Stage of the Employee

Other key motivators for employees vary depending on their ages and life-stages, too. For example:

• Gen Y and Boomer respondents are more motivated by interesting work.

• Gen X was more motivated by good benefits and good pay/salary.

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7 tips to become a better public speaker

Did you know that there are four versions of a presentation?

•  The one you planned to do

•  The one you actually did 

•  The one you wished you did

•  The one the audience perceived

You can never judge which one of these four that is the best, because it differs from time to time and who you ask. This “theory” helps me to understand that a presentation depends on your performance at that exact moment. And, the more prepared you are, the better you will deliver.

Tip 1: START & END – Create a first impression that lasts

“A presentation has a start, an end and something in between.”

- Martin Gunnarsson

Your first two minutes in any presentation are the most important. The audience will analyze your personality, your clothes, your accent, your hair, how you walk, your slides—everything. They do so to decide whether it’s worth the investment to listen to you or not. During these two minutes, it’s difficult to digest detailed information. Instead, use this time to build trust, let the audience get to know you and build a relationship with them.

The START of your presentation should be something that is easy to understand and something everyone can relate to. Preferably a story or a topic that is unexpected so as to surprise the listener. This sends a signal that you feel safe in this situation. You build trust. The listener will also open up his/her senses to new influences as you do something unexpected and, therefore, the brain will be more open to receive new information.

At the END of your presentation, you have to tie together your presentation and messages. You have to clearly tell the audience what to remember after the session.

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15 Team Building Activities for the Workplace

Are you interested in holding team building events in your workplace? You don’t have to spend a lot of money nor do they need to be ostentatious or complicated. You just need to create structured opportunities for employees to mingle. You can schedule team building activities in the workplace and in your local community for your employees. Here are 15 team building activities that fit the bill.

• Lunch discussion and team building groups: Provide lunch for the whole company, a department or a work team. Assign employees to various work groups of up to ten people to thoughtfully discuss and respond to work related questions. One fun way to divide employees, when you don’t care who is in which group, is to put numbers on the bottom of plates. All employees who have a number 1 on their plate take their lunch and meet in the library or conference room B, for example.

--Additional ways to divide employees into discussion groups.

--Thoughtful questions for ice breakers that you can use as samples, although you will want the discussion topics to reflect the interests and happenings in your workplace.

• Take an employee to work day: Schedule employees to visit another department for take an employee to work day. Employees are always curious about what other employees do. Satisfy their interest and introduce the employees to a whole new work group in the process. The opportunity to observe in another department allows employees to participate in team building that enhances cross department cooperation and understanding. It also offers employees the chance to explore another career path. Here’s how one company put together their take an employee to work day.

• Provide comfortable collaboration spaces with couches, snacks and beverages. Ask employees to schedule the space as they might reserve a conference room. Require that all food and beverages must be consumed in the collaboration area in a group experience.

• Hold work book clubs: