Incentive - June 2008 - (Page 43)

Diversity Rules The HR Guide to Recognition & Incentives Doing Recognition Right by Everyone I n this spring’s movie comedy Baby Mama, Tina Fey plays a 37-year-old career woman confronting the pull of motherhood with the push of her job responsibilities. Not offering much in the way of support is her boss, played by Steve Martin, an aging-hippie type who rewards good work with five minutes of uninterrupted eye contact. Not many employees would appreciate that kind of recognition. Ok, maybe no one. But his clueless approach brings into comic relief generational—and personality—differences inherent in almost every workplace. This year’s HR Guide examines aspects of diversity in recognition programs. Diversity is a big tent, encompassing issues of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability. A quarter of the respondents to Incentive’s 2008 employee recognition survey cited a diverse/global workforce as one of their hurdles to running successful programs. Overcoming them to create fair and meaningful recognition for everyone can boost recruitment, retention and profits. First up is a look at where the four generations stand in today’s labor landscape and in relation to recognition. It’s a topic that’s proving very relevant. A study this year conducted by the Boston Consulting Group, the World Federation of Personnel Management Associations, and the Society for Human Resource Management rated managing demographics, adapting to an aging workforce and the needs of Generation Y, a top challenge between now and 2015. If you think the logistics of setting up a recognition program in one language is hard enough, try two or three others. Employers are increasingly finding that to motivate all employees, English alone won’t do. Scotiabank and Red Roof Inn reveal how they’ve designed bilingual programs that take into account language and cultural differences. As you’ll see, diversity issues serve to reinforce a basic tenet of recognition and incentives: understanding who it is you are motivating and rewarding them accordingly. What’s Inside One Size Does Not Fit All 44 Generational differences have influenced the workplace, but beware of making generalizations that could undermine your recognition and rewards programs. Measuring Up 50 HR managers answered the call for the latest numbers in Incentive’s annual employee recognition survey. Speaking Their Language 54 Habla usted español? Parlez-vous français? Communicating in the right language and knowing where your employees are coming from are universal keys to driving performance. Produced by Incentive Special Projects Department 770 Broadway New York, NY 10003 Editorial: (646) 654-7647 Advertising: (646) 654-7638 Marilyn Moore, Director Karen Gines, Executive Editor Denniston Brown, Creative Director Tessa Sestina, Art Director Nancy Lazarus, Research Director Anita Wise, Production Manager SPECIAL SECTION JUNE 2008 43

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - June 2008

Incentive - June 2008 Contents Editor’s Note In The News Cover Story: Seventh Annual Industry Roundtable Incentive Interview Case Study Soft Incentives Empowerment and Engagement The Incentive Career Incentive Primer Travel News: Where To Go and What To Do The Cook Islands Field Report: Bermuda Potentials: Here and Now 50 Top Motivators: The Best of the Best Electronics: High-end Audio Equipment Gift Cards: Should One Be Enough? Advertiser Index Off The Cuff

Incentive - June 2008

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