Question

Students will research three (3) separate Fortune 500 companies and see what types of motivational techniques they use to motivate a diverse workforce.

Most information will be on the companies’ own HR web pages. Students should prepare an 800-1000 word essay comparing and contrasting the types of techniques used, and what they think employees would respond best to.

All sources should be cited in MLA format.

Answer 1

Going with 3 Fortune 500 companies and what types of motivational techniques they use to motivate a diverse workforce;

1 – Google LLC

2- Walmart Inc.

3 – International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

Google

When it comes to motivating their employees, it can be said without question that Google stands out from the rest. Google was named the 2014 “Best Company to Work For” by the Great Place to Work Institute and Fortune Magazine. The organization topped the list for the fifth time. True, in its short lifespan, Google has acquired for itself a huge and bright workforce (over 50,000 employees spread throughout the world) that serves millions of people all over the globe.

Google’s model of motivation and leadership topples traditional leadership theory which focuses more on results than on the people who deliver those results. The company’s work culture is true to its philosophy:

“To create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world.”

These words from the Vice President of people development at Google only serve to support that fact:

“It’s less about the aspiration to be No.1 in the world, and more that we want our employees and future employees to love it here, because that’s what’s going to make us successful.”

• EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION THE GOOGLE WAY

Uncommon Yet Affordable, on-site car wash, oil change, bike repair, dry cleaning, gym, massage therapy and hair stylist are available at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View

At the Googleplex, there’s an onsite doctor and free fitness center and trainer and facility to wash clothes among other benefits

Lunch and dinner is available free of charge, In addition, an assortment of delicious but healthy meals are available every day, prepared by gourmet chefs.

One of Google’s strongly held beliefs is that they can get amazing output from people by giving them freedom.

Google’s employees are allowed greater discretion on their hours of work and also on when they can go and have some fun whether it involves getting a massage, heading to the gym or just indulging in volleyball. In addition, the firm allows each of its employees to give 20 percent of his time (1 day every week) to doing anything they like. This can range from assisting with another project to even just sleeping. Anything that is ethical and lawful is okay with Google.

In keeping with Google’s philosophy, life at Google is not all work. There are plenty of opportunities for fun which help Googlers get out of their office and even interact more with each other. The opportunities include frequent breaks, facilities for wall climbing, beach volleyball or bowling; and personal creative sessions. In addition, there are pajama days, dress up days and a Halloween costume party.

With all the fun, flexibility, freedom and perks that seem to be an employee’s heaven, one can’t help wondering if any work really gets done at Google. The truth is that not only does work get done but, Googlers usually surpass management expectations for delivering brilliant work. In the first place, Google is very choosing when it comes to the people it hires. The organization intentionally employs ambitious people with established track records of elevated achievement.

2 – Walmart:-

Walmart (“WMT”) has made it a top priority to motivate its 1.3 million U.S. store workers.

Earlier, the discount chain announced higher starting wages for hundreds of thousands of workers — costing an extra $1 billion annually — in effort to improve customer service. The idea is to encourage workers to think more about a long-term career with the company.

At a meeting with 3,000 store employees in Fayetteville, AR, top U.S. Walmart execs announced new strategies to make employees happy including new cash incentives and a looser dress code. But one strategy that elicited a particularly loud ovation from the crowd: An end to the constant loop of Celine Dion and Justin Bieber music blasted into stores from headquarters.

Instead, the company is bringing back Radio Walmart after 9 years, meaning an actual DJ will keep things fresh, rather than playing the same handful of CD’s over and over as many stores did, driving countless associates (and customers, too, probably) batty. Even better, individual stores have more control over their thermostats rather than having headquarters decide.

While those may seem a mundane moves, the changes are meant to show workers that senior management is listening to their complaints.

“There is nothing I like better than hearing about your jobs, your ideas, your hopes and dreams, and frustration, and listening to how we can make your lives easier” Walmart U.S. CEO Greg Foran told the store workers.

Walmart also announced a looser dress code. Associates will be able to wear black and khaki denim. Those doing more physical chores are allowed blue denim too.

Walmart has brought back the slogan “Our People Make The Difference” to associates name tags. The retailer is also rolling out new, though modest cash incentives to employees who do the best selling certain products.

IBM

Introduction to IBM’s work culture;

As per IBM a personalized, authentic employee experience can improve engagement and enrich the customer experience. It's a critical key to unlocking higher overall business performance.

Tune into the voice of employees, use data and insight to design more meaningful staff experiences, improve workforce engagement — and drive your business forward.

The benefits;

Invest in improving the employee experience to help lower overall HR costs.

Motivate staff with proactive engagement programs to stimulate innovation.

Improve customer satisfaction and sales by empowering employees to succeed.

Employee Engagement Services;

C-suite leaders understand that engaged and empowered employees are critical in the battle for customer loyalty. The creative employee experience design approach from IBM combines behavioral science and analytics, IBM Design Thinking techniques, mobile and social technologies, and digital change consulting. This combination can improve the day-to-day work experience of your people and empower them to win your customers' loyalty — again and again.

It's time to rethink the workplace with the employee experience at the center.

By creating a differentiated work experience for employees, IBM helps your employees thrive and grow in a constantly changing environment. A positive experience helps employees feel empowered to respond to customer needs and market challenges — which is good for business.

Today’s organizations need to attract and grow top-performing talent, create engaging social and collaborative cultures, and connect the right people to get work done. IBM solutions combine marketleading talent management and social collaboration tools with the power of workforce science and advanced analytics. We help organizations build impassioned and engaged workforces, and deepen client relationships that can lead to measurable business outcomes.

IBM Winning employees’ hearts and minds;

Much as designing customer experience has dominated the thinking of companies competing in today’s digital environment, organizations are now reexamining the employee experience. Recognizing the impact experience has on employee engagement and productivity, companies are taking a more comprehensive view of how to influence it. Our research shows that employee experience is an important and complex issue, requiring companies to evaluate the close connection between employees’ physical, social and cultural environments, as well as the tools and relationships they need to accomplish work on a daily basis.

IBM is paying attention to employee experience;

Organizations are examining employee experience from many different perspectives. Themes that emerged from our conversations with experts include: linking the employee experience to the organization’s culture, fostering a collaborative community, and building purpose and value in work. For many companies we spoke with, the enhanced focus on designing meaningful employee experiences has its roots in five important trends: • The ongoing war for talent is intensifying, particularly in emerging disciplines. Organizations across industries recognize that to attract and retain top talent, they need to differentiate themselves. In addition to traditional competitors, companies in other industries are now also vying for employees with in-demand skills. • The Millennial mindset is permeating the entire workforce. As this latest generation has established itself in the workforce, its expectations for workforce flexibility, use of mobile tools and enhanced performance feedback have spread to other generations. • Employees are approaching the workplace as consumers. Individuals want the same experiences in the workplace that they have as consumers, such as having the use of simple, intuitive technology, the ability to rate and share opinions about products and services, and direct access to decision makers. • Organizations are recognizing the relationship between customer experience and employee experience. Many experts from companies we spoke with said that to provide unique, positive customer experiences, they need to create an environment where employees not only feel valued, but are able to perform their jobs effectively. • Research continues to show linkages between employee engagement and productivity. Numerous studies demonstrate that employees who are positively engaged in their work environments are likely to be more productive, achieve higher customer satisfaction scores, produce higher levels of quality, and have lower absenteeism and attrition rates.

Influencing employee experience: Five practices;

Personalization - Work is rarely a one-size-fits-all proposition. We find many companies recognize the importance of balancing the needs of the organization with the unique characteristics of individuals and work groups. Therefore, they are looking for ways to tailor the employee experience to address both requirements.

Transparency - Much as individuals are looking to gain a greater understanding of what goes into their food, clothing, and other goods and services, they are also seeking to understand their own organizations’ workings. They want to know how their efforts contribute to larger goals. Social platforms give individuals a forum to raise concerns, contribute innovative ideas and maintain an ongoing dialogue with leadership.

Simplicity - Many individuals in large organizations struggle with two forces that make the flow of work increasingly challenging. On the one hand, years of mergers, acquisitions and technology changes have turned work processes into convoluted sets of procedures and regulations that contribute to frustration and poor customer responsiveness.

Authenticity - Many of the organizations we spoke with highlighted the importance of aligning employee experiences to the organization’s culture and value system. Organizations can express corporate values in numerous ways, from the physical design of corporate headquarters and local offices, to the establishment of corporate events

Responsiveness - Feedback is quickly becoming ubiquitous in our consumer and professional lives. Not only do individuals want to provide input into their working environments, they expect companies to respond to their ideas and concerns.