The Changing Faces of Staff Recognition Awards

Part Three: How to retain and motivate Baby Boomers, Veteran Employees

For the past two weeks I have been discussing how to design an employee incentive program in order to make it appeal to various demographical groups of employees. Last week I discussed targeting younger employees and I wanted to end this series with a piece on how to motivate and retain Baby Boomers and Veteran employees with employee award programs. 

Baby Boomers make up close to 50% of the total workforce according to Karen Beaman in a recent article featured on Jeitosa. Beaman advises, in a related article on Jeitosa, that Baby Boomers want their employer to include health and wellness components and mentoring or job training goals in an overall employment package to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to their younger constituents. 

Veterans are very much like Baby Boomers, but have started transitioning from their careers into meaningful part-time, mentoring and volunteer positions. Veterans want to be known as helpful resources that organizations can tap into and also enjoy being kept involved and active in health and wellness award programs and mentoring award programs. 

It should come as no surprise then that many employee incentive programs geared to Baby Boomers and Veteran employees often include health and wellness goals as well as mentoring and job training objectives. In addition, these award programs generally include personalized certificates of appreciation and recognition packages that are presented at recognition award events. 

The importance of public recognition to this group of employees is an often understated need by actual Baby Boomer and Veteran employees. Unlike younger generations, who seem to have fewer qualms about approaching employers and voicing their opinions, Baby Boomers and Veterans appear mute on such topics without provocation. However, as many of my clients have seen, Baby Boomers and Veterans are the ones most motivated after an award ceremony and receive the largest boost to workplace morale. 

Many of my clients see these award banquets as a well deserved treat and motivating to not only the awardees but to others who see the importance an organization puts on giving public recognition of a job well done. By scheduling formal recognition events for employees who reach significant milestones and goals, an employee incentive program has a personal touch. 

Many of my clients are introducing health and wellness goals to Baby Boomer and Veteran employees as part of an overall employee incentive program. Mark Bruno estimates, in his article featured on FinancialWeek.com, "that anywhere from 70% to 90% of employers have at least one type of [wellness] program in place." Not only are employees motivated to improve their overall health, these programs tend to get Baby Boomers and Veteran employees more involved in social activities outside the workplace.

In addition to adding health and wellness goals to an incentive program, participation in volunteering, training, mentoring and community events can also be goals in an employee incentive program. By including these kinds of objectives, more employees are healthier, motivated, active and also are likely to feel like an important component of a team. This in turn is what helps to retain Baby Boomers and Veteran employees in the long run to combat the Brain Drain. 

For example, one of my clients in the healthcare industry awards points on a monthly basis to its employees who attend or participate in community walks and runs for local charity events. Employees have the option to attend and are not required by their employer, but many participants find that the exercise and community involvement is rewarding and worthwhile. Depending on the length of the run/walk each employee completes, they are awarded points that can be accumulated or spent right away on lifestyle, luxury merchandise. This program has a very high return on investment, but the intangible effects of the program on employees and their community are even more profound.