Motivating Millennials in the Workplace to Maximize Growth: Nichole Gunn Featured in Workspan

Motivating Millennials in the workplace is a hot topic – and one that leaves many employers scratching their heads. Luckily, Nichole Gunn’s article, “Motivating Millennials: How to Recognize and Reward Millennial Employees,” published in Workspan, provides actionable advice.

Nichole Gunn begins her article:

While the topic of Millennials shaking things up in the United States’ workforce has been well covered, not nearly as much has been written about what an incredible asset they can be to companies that know how to keep them motivated…Making a few adjustment to your employee rewards and recognition programs can be enough to begin transforming your workplace into an environment where Millennials thrive.

Read “Motivating Millennials: How to Recognize and Reward Millennial Employees” Online

To read Nichole Gunn’s full article in Workspan, check out the interactive .pdf below!

Key Takeaways for Motivating Millennials in the Workplace

Below are key takeaways from Nichole’s article that employers can use for motivating Millennial employees:

Company Culture and Inspiring Growth

  • “It’s important to be flexible and to make an effort to be empathetic to the sensibilities of a new workplace demographics.” Understanding what makes Millennials tick is crucial to effectively motivating them in the workplace. Instead of worrying about whether tattoos or blue hair is OK, focus on how to capitalize on Millennials’ strengths and to shift your company culture to make room for them to express their individuality!
  • It’s time to get rid of the idea of the ‘the old 9-to-5.’” Millennial employees are digital natives, adept at leveraging technology to improve productivity. Offering remote workdays and flex schedules give Millennial employees the flexibility they crave without dinging productivity.Motivating Millennial Employees
  • “Make sure Millennials know what your companies stand for.” Millennials are fiercely idealistic and crave meaning from their work life. Standing by your core values and taking part in charitable outreaches will go a long way in getting Millennial employees invested in your company.
  • “Millennials will work extremely hard when they feel their work is meaningful.” Use your employee rewards and recognition program to make sure Millennials know you recognize and value their work. Rewards show Millennial employees you are invested in their growth, which is important for motivating Millennials in the workplace.
    Incentives for Millennials

Communication and Engagement for Millennial Employees

  • “Embrace new media of instant communication and use those channels to provide Millennials with connected communication and meaningful feedback.” Millennials are a connected generation that craves regular feedback. Provide clear goals and use your employee rewards and recognition program as a tool to provide feedback and goal-tracking in between performance reviews.
  • “In order to create an employee rewards and recognition program that motivates Millennials, it’s important to place a focus on connectivity.” Nichole Gunn recommends using interactive incentive platforms such as quizzes and trivia, leaderboards, social media recognition walls, on-the-spot points certificates, mobile apps, and omni-channel communication tools. These platforms will help you engage Millennial employees.

Rewards for Motivating Millennials in the Workplace

  • “When it comes to choosing rewards for Millennial employee programs, there are two words to keep in mind: Lifestyle and Experience.” Millennials love experiential and lifestyle rewards such as kayaks, travel adventures, sports gear, high-end tech, and gift card incentives for brands they use in their day-to-day life, like Amazon and Uber.
  • “Rewards that inspire a sense of community among Millennial employees are also strong motivators.” Nichole Gunn mentions team lunches or other inclusive activities such as bowling as good ways to reward Millennial employees and build relationships with them.
    Breaking the Status Quo

Benefits: What Motivated Millennial Employees Bring to the Table

Finally, Nichole Gunn closes her article by sharing the rewards employers receive from having motivated Millennial staff on their side:

  • Millennial talent is essential for solving the modern business challenges that arise from digital transformation.
  • Millennials are often creative, innovative, and willing to challenge (and improve!) the status quo.
  • Millennial employees’ facility with tech can help businesses achieve their goals more efficiently.
  • Millennials embrace new channels of communication that can improve collaboration between staff, as well as customer response times.
  • Millennials are culturally aware and up-to-date on trends, which can be used to construct relevant, attention-grabbing marketing campaigns.