Incentive - December 2008 - (Page 24)

INTERVIEW A Motivated Culture Cindy Ventrice knows how to make an employee’s day By Alex Palmer A t this year’s Motivation Show, of the approximately 60 educational sessions available, author Cindy Ventrice’s “Motivating Millennials: Recognition Preferences of the Emerging Workforce” drew one of the largest crowds, with over 100 attendees. Clearly, figuring out what makes the youngest generation tick continues to be intensely interesting to incentive planners. But the room is packed, too, because Ventrice has been attracting attention through her workshops, webinars, -mailed weekly recognition tips and her 2003 book, Make Their Day: Employee Recognition that Works. A second, updated edition is due out this spring. The book aims to guide managers through the process of effective recognition for employees, with plenty of do’s, don’ts and actual examples of the strategies in action. Ventrice says that the new edition takes a closer look at “cultural considerations” (such as generational differences) when offering recognition. She emphasizes that “culture” is not defined as just Incentive background or nationality, but includes a wide range of characteristics, like which department and industry the employee is in, and even whether he or she works from home or in the office. “It’s the team’s sense of who they are—it’s their identity, how they think of themselves and what’s unique to them,” says Ventrice. “If you don’t try to match what your people want to the recognition that you’re giving, you’re not going to get the results that you want.” For example, working from research she recently completed, Ventrice suggested in the Motivation Show seminar that millennials are motivated less than older workers by time off, but are motivated more by gift cards. Additionally, those under 25 years of age who were surveyed demonstrated a significantly higher belief that 24 | | December 2008 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - December 2008

Incentive - December 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
Headlines
Cover Story: Motivating Their Own
Incentive Interview
Case Study: Cargill's Course
Travel News
Cruises: Saving Without Sacrifice
Spas to the Rescue
Field Report: French Polynesia
Potentials Here and Now
Spa Products
Research: Corporate Gift IQ
Gift Cards: Dining & Entertainment
Advertiser Index
Last Word: Can You Be Specific?

Incentive - December 2008