---

Workers want to know
how to obtain rewards,
avoid punishment

Managers have the responsibility of ensuring that their departments are contributing to company goals. As part of this complex task, they must make sure that workers under their supervision are motivated to work hard and effectively for the company. Motivating the workplace is multifaceted. In last week's column I discussed how managers must discover worker valences, that is, they must discover what will move workers from the status quo to the acceptance of challenging goals. This column deals with how managers communicate that if employees put their valences to work, then various rewards will come their way.

Valences include people's various psychological requirements. Some people enjoy cordial interactions with many different individuals, and they will be unhappy if they find themselves working alone in an office. Some workers enjoy taking on challenging tasks and basking in the praise that accompanies goal achievement. Some workers enjoy nurturing and helping others. Managers need to make sure that all these different workers understand that if they apply their valences to various company tasks, they will be rewarded. Rewards include salary increases, travel, promotions, advanced training opportunities, and perks such as prestigious parking spaces.

Managers can also communicate how punishments can be avoided. If there are three awards to be given out at the yearly company banquet, those not receiving awards may find attendance at the banquet to be punishing. Good managers communicate how to obtain the awards and how to avoid the indignity of never receiving public recognition for stellar efforts on behalf of the company.

Managers need to make sure that workers feel that there are close links among themselves, their valences, the rewards they desire, and their company. Workers should be able to say to themselves, "I know that I have talents, such as working well with others or working hard on tasks that are assigned to me. I want to be able to use my talents in the workplace. If I am able to employ my talents, then I know that the managers in this company will reward me with promotions and salary increases."

The lack of links between valences and rewards can be seen in many unsuccessful job candidates. Some people do not seem to have valences that can be used in the workplace. They work only because they need enough money to support themselves. Further, they do not seem able to apply any of their talents to the successful pursuit of company goals. In addition, some do not see a link between their own behavior and any rewards that a workplace can offer. They feel that even if they word hard, nothing good will happen to them. Such people often do not pass a company's initial screenings for new hires.

In preparing their resumes, they are unable to communicate that they have talents of use to the company and that they have a good work history where their behavior has led to rewards. Job applicants are advised to use active verbs like "produced, achieved, led" and "organized" on their resumes. One reason is to make selection committee members aware that they have talents and know that hard work leads to rewards.

Once managers have identified workers who are confident that application of their valences will lead to rewards, they need to deal with worker expectancies regarding what they can do for the organization. Managers also need to help workers plan for their future in the company. These will be the topics of next week's column.

---