Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting

The boomers are coming and boy, are they coming in big numbers - 76 million to be exact.  It is predicted that 70% of them will remain in the workforce, some because they don’t want to live off a mandated wage through social security or pensions, and others because they want to remain productive and to give back.  The boomers are the most educated and have set the bar on health and wellness.  So, how can organizations motivate and satisfy this generation to continue to work at their highest level and be poised for success? Here are five ways to motivate this age group:

1.  Titles matter -boomers think of work as the ultimate accompishment, they value titles and the responsibilities that go with those titles; allow them opportunties for advancement

2. Status matters - boomers are motivated by position, power and prestige and want to be known and valued for their knowledge and experience; allow them to participate in decision-making and to make contributions to the team

3. Joining matters - boomers enjoy connecting with other like minds and want to do  so through membership in professional associations and to attend seminars or conventions

4. Collaboration matters - boomers are motivated by working together on professional projects and want to be valued for their contributions as a team member

5.  Loyalty matters - boomers are known for their loyalty and dedication to the company and want to be recognized for it

6.  Giving back matters - boomers want the next stage of their working lives to be different from their earlier careers and want to make a difference which can be accomplished through coaching and mentoring

As this is the largest group that will be in the workforce, with a boomer turning 50 every 7 seconds between now and 2030, when the last of the boomers reach retirement, it is imperative for organizations to understand their needs and continue to find ways to motivate and retain them.  There will not be enough younger workers to fill this void and organizations that don’t take the time to understand and plan will be left behind and have great difficulty staying afloat in the future.