MIAMI -- It didn't take accounting firm owner Richard Berkowitz long to figure out he had a problem during tax season relating to his younger workers. "When I told them it was mandatory they come in on the weekend, they looked at me like I was out of my mind."
Mr. Berkowitz has discovered what many boomers who lead companies now face: For most workers in their 20s and 30s, time is currency. And, like most currency, few are willing to give it away.
It's a complex dynamic playing out in workplaces across the country: A significant number of boomers can't figure out why younger workers don't have the pay-your-dues attitude they do. For boomers, success means unrelenting toil and sacrificing family time in order to secure a corner office filled with Lucite plaques. For Generation Xers, success means balance.
"There's a lot of frustration in the workplace," says Cam Marston, a consultant and speaker on multigenerational issues. "Boomers are having a hard time finding their replica in the work force today."
To motivate younger workers and curb turnover, some managers are rethinking how they communicate with employees. Harmony can be as simple as understanding the generational differences and talking the right language or using the right rewards.
Mr. Marston says older managers -- boomers roughly ages 42 to 60 -- must use language with younger staffers that acknowledges the value of their time: "I know work isn't your life but while you're here, let's agree on what you'll be accountable for."
To motivate Xers (ages 27 to 41), think short term. Most are not interested in long-term solutions or putting in overtime and waiting for rewards later. Instead of giving them a bonus at the end of the year, Mr. Marston says, an Xer would prefer this: "You've really worked hard this past week. Why don't you take off half a day on Friday."
Mr. Berkowitz, enlightened by Mr. Marston at a companywide meeting, says he now understands the different generational perspectives and will change his approach during tax season. He no longer will refer to overtime as "mandatory." Instead, he will inform staff that there is a certain amount of work that needs to get done and let them create their own schedules. Even more, Mr. Berkowitz says the firm may change its bonus and compensation plan to reward productivity rather than hours.
A few companies already have overhauled their employee reward programs to acknowledge younger workers' value on time. Wachovia started a "manager-awarded time away" program about a year ago that allows bosses to hand out as many as three extra paid days off as a performance bonus, in addition to the cash performance rewards they already receive. And some retailers are rewarding employees with time-off gift certificates for good customer service.
Even more, progressive companies that understand Generation Xers' emphasis on balance use the concept in their recruiting.
For Fabienne Fahnestock, a 33-year-old litigator, the lure of balance enticed her to change law firms. Ms. Fahnestock says Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart made it clear she would work hard but not at the expense of her personal life. A Gen Xer, Ms. Fahnestock says she is motivated by a job she enjoys rather than by titles or promotions and believes most of her generation agrees.
"Give me interesting work; make me feel part of a team; make my time at work valuable so I can have spare time to do other things," she says.
The younger set, Millennials, born after 1980, have a unique work ethic, too. They have been coddled and look to the workplace for personal fulfillment. Yet they want active lives outside the office.
"They are living at home and having their meat cut for them," Mr. Marston says. "They aren't lusting to take promotions because they don't see that as success."
To understand how to motivate them, consider Jennifer Kuperman, 23, brimming with enthusiasm for her new job as marketing assistant at Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Miami. Along with the personal fulfillment of helping others, Ms. Kuperman says she is enthused by her boss's respect for her time. She will be allowed to take time off during the day when she works on night events.
"To me, it shows they care about their employees," Ms. Kuperman says, "It makes you want to go into work every day."
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