Recognizing a Multigenerational & Culturally Diverse Workforce

Does your workforce span multiple generations from GenY to Boomers and cultures from New York to New Delhi, Berlin to Beijing?

My article on just this topic appears in the latest issue of Workspan magazine. In “How to Reward a Multigenerational and Culturally Diverse Workforce,” I offer insight into engaging four generations of employees from global cultures by redefining recognition or the 21st century. Guidelines for achieving this include:

1) Make it matter – help employees see the meaning and purpose in their work by uniting them behind the company vision and inciting passion to achieve your objectives

2) Reward frequently and in a timely manner – make sure the recognition moment closely follows the act that is being recognized to ensure the act is top-of-mind

3) Give the reward of choice – cater to the demographics of a global, multigenerational workforce and their unique needs by letting them invest in their local communities with broad, local choice

4) Involve everyone – move beyond traditional elitist programs that only target the top 10% to involve up to 90% of employees in a culture of recognition

5) Measure results to ensure success – when measured appropriately, recognition can reveal patterns of behaviors and understanding of company values and objectives

As I conclude in the article, in today’s challenging economy, companies are looking for new and creative ways to enhance performance within the organization. Realizing employee engagement through strategic recognition efforts holds the potential to be the next significant return on investment opportunity. These programs empower companies to create a unified, global workforce, aligning employees from multiple generations and multiple cultures around the very essence of the company, its core goals and values.