Research on Motivating Traditionalists with Travel Incentives

• Veterans (also referred to as Matures) were born before 1945, and as of 2010 there were 75 million Veterans in the United States. They came of age in an era in which it was typical for a person to work for a single company until retirement. Loyalty to their companies is a prime value for Veterans.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/engaging-employees-incentives-for-all-generations.html

• Today nearly 16 million Americans age 55 and over are either working or seeking work, representing about 21 percent of the workforce. They are characterized by their decades-long dedication to their employers and are non-risk-takers and conformers. For these workers, formal awards, publicly presented, are greatly valued.

http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2013/04/09/536945/10027728/en/Workplace-Stress-on-the-Rise-With-83-of-Americans-Frazzled-by-Something-at-Work.html

• The telephone survey of 1,019 employed adults found that 83% of Americans are stressed by at least one thing at work, a sharp increase of 10 percentage points when compared with 2012 (73%).
• When stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Digestive problems
  • Headaches
  • Heart disease
  • Sleep problems
  • Weight gain
  • Memory and concentration impairment

http://www.pipmag.com/feature_print.php?fid=200907fe03

• Employees who fall into [the Silent Generation/Traditionalists] have generally had predictable career paths, working hard for one or two companies and moving up the ladder of success. They are characterized by their dedication to their employer, and as a group are considered to be non-risk-takers and conformers. They are less willing to spend money on themselves, so non-cash recognition is key.
• It is now estimated that as of 2008, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for retirement. “The knowledge drain will be significant,” Kearney writes, “and the loss will go beyond factual knowledge because this group brings to corporations hidden knowledge, corporate dedication, experience and stability—all of which successful teams need. It is up to the project managers to develop a process that ensures that this loss is handled effectively by using and motivating cross-generational teams.”
• Boomers have always been a social bunch, so incentives for them have been workforce or organizationally centric. They have holiday parties and company picnics; which younger people don’t necessarily find attractive. Younger employees tend to maintain a social circle outside of the organization. And play is something they do somewhere else. Boomers were more likely to socialize with their co-workers.
• “Everybody likes to travel,” Toomey added. “Older people travel. Younger people travel. They want to do different things when they travel, of course.”

https://incentivesolutions.com/can-incentive-travel-motivate-generation-x/

• Corporate events and group travel opportunities can help Gen Xers break out of their “lone wolf” approach. Group travel incentive trip can offer Gen Xers a great opportunity to have meaningful, interesting interactions with their colleagues, rather than feeling that they’re immersed in corporate routines. Likely more than any other generation, Gen Xers want to get to know their co-workers on their own terms, not as part of their business obligations. This is why group incentive travel and team building corporate events can open up so many possibilities for growth in their roles.

http://theirf.org/research/generations-in-the-workforce-marketplacepreferences-in-rewards-recognition-incentives/1427/

• As of February 2015, about 55 million “Millennials,” (16-34 year-olds) form the largest share of the US civilian workforce. The remainder of the workforce includes about 53 million 35-50 year-olds—“Generation X”, and about 44 million 51-70 year olds — “Baby Boomers.” The remainder, about 4 to 5 million, are of the “traditionalist” generation—those still in the workforce who are 71 years of age and older