What motivates Millenials and Gen Z?: An investigation into the motivation and associated rewards which impact the two generational age cohorts; Millennials and Gen Z.

The value of human resource is said to be an organisations most significant advantage and so in order to obtain superior operational results, investments into human resource motivation is indispensable. With the creation of scientific management nearly 100 years ago, the motivation and the associated rewards which impact employees has become a prevalent issue for organisations and management alike (Hansen, et al., 2002). By the year 2020 it is assumed that Millennials and Gen Z will make up for over half of the global workforce. With this in mind, this study examines the motivation and associated rewards which impact Millennials and Gen Z in the workplace. A survey of 92 respondents within both generational age cohorts was conducted. The data received was based around the respondents own opinions surrounding the concepts of motivation and rewards. It was found that Millennial and Gen Z respondents desire monetary reward over all other non-monetary rewards however, they are intrinsically motivated by their work. The implications of this study are considered for both researchers and practitioners with a number of recommendations being made based on the findings. The aim is for organisations to understand what motivates their youngest employees as a motivated employee will perform better and align their own individual goals with the goals of the organisation