Question

What do you think are the most important motivational needs for the majority of people? Do you think your needs differ from those of most people? How will generational differences impact the workforce of the future?

Answer 1

Solution:

The motivational needs vary greatly depending on person to person. However, there will be a certain set of motivating factors which will be common for all the people working in an organization. The motivating factors for people are not fixed and they vary and change as the person progresses through her career. Because of the varying nature of motivational factors for people, it becomes difficult for organizations to come to a fixed set of activities which can help the organization in defining and utilizing these activities to keep their employees motivated.

The motivational factors differ as per the progress of a person through her career. At the start of the career, the best motivating factors will be money, rewards, ability to learn and growth potential in an organization. These factors can help in motivating a person at the initial stages of her career. However, as she progresses through her career her motivational factors may change and become job satisfaction, socio-professional status, promotions, and the work-life balance. Hence the motivational factors do change for the same person as she progresses through her career.

My motivational factors are similar to that of people who are in the same career stage as that of me and hence I am motivated by great compensation benefits, ability to learn and grow. In the future, as the workforce changes and more millennials join the workforce, the workforce dynamics will change to a great extent because of the nature of the cultural differences and generation gaps. The culture and motivational factors will change drastically. The millennials will prefer more flexibility at work and hence organizations should try to change as per the needs of the current workforce to attract the best talent to their workforce.

Hence, there will be significant changes in the workforce in the future years.