Episode: 8-motivating-young-people-at-work

Tease: What motivates today’s younger workers to join—and stay with—a company? It’s not just the paycheck or perks. We’re talking about this next on The Perna Syndicate. 

Ep 8 show:

When it comes to recruiting and retaining younger workers today, it’s all about purpose and vision. What is your company all about? What are you doing to make the world a better place? These are the questions that younger workers are asking. If you don’t have a compelling answer, they may still join your team—but it will be a lot easier for them to walk away. 

Millennials in particular aren’t as motivated by the paycheck as previous generations (though that’s still important). They want to find purpose and meaning in their work, to be part of something bigger than themselves. And they’re looking to their careers to provide it.

Companies that embrace this reality will take a step back to evaluate their culture and company vision. Does it have value that goes beyond stock numbers, shareholder returns, and simply making money? If a company does not have a vision and culture focused on doing something positive for the community, Millennial and Gen-Z workers are much less likely to want to invest their time, energy, and career there. 

But when a meaningful, world-bettering vision is consistently communicated and prioritized as a cornerstone of the company, younger employees are much more likely to buy into that narrative and contribute their best effort to the outcome. 

Today’s younger workers can be more than employees; they can be tremendous allies in the pursuit of heightened organizational performance. But this will only happen if they want to go where the company is headed. 

Find out more about the younger generations in my award-winning bestseller, Answering Why — available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook on Amazon.com.