I’ve known many managers who simply don’t want to institute any sort of extra incentive plans for their Gen Whys. Their attitude is basically this: “I’m paying these kids to work already. That should be enough incentive for them to give me their best efforts.”

I will readily concede that the pay he gets for working should be enough for any employee to give his all. But that’s simply not the case with many young people. So, managers who are reluctant to implement these plans need to change their strategies. I know it’s painful and it feels like it shouldn’t be the case. But managers cannot afford to allow their views of the way the world ought to function to overshadow their understanding of the way the world actually is.

Retail companies recognize that, while people ought not steal, many people will steal. So, they adjust to this unpleasant reality by hiring loss prevention and buying security devices. They adapt their business practices to the world in which it must function. They’d be dumb not to. Employers must do the same thing when it comes to motivating young employees.

Once you’re ready to start providing that extra little push for your young employees, there still exists the question of how to do this efficiently. When I say ”incentive plans,” my mind jumps to stock options, company cars, and six-figure bonuses. I think that this type of association leads to a lot of reluctance and hesitation for employers who are told that they need to add a little extra incentive to get the most out of their Gen Whys.

But I know for a fact that extra incentives to get your Gen Whys to perform better can be easy and cheap. I swear it. I’ll prove it in my next post.