If you think your employees are “fully engaged,” that thud you just heard was Dr. Beth Linderbaum falling out of her chair laughing.

This week on The Chad & Cheese Podcast, we unpack the myth that money = motivation. Spoiler: it doesn’t. Turns out people want to grow, belong, and not dread Mondays. Who knew?

Dr. Linderbaum schools us on why leaders are often the last to know when morale is circling the drain, how Gen Z wants feedback like it’s an IV drip, and why career development beats a 3% raise every time.

Oh, and we talk about AI—not the scary kind, but the kind that might actually help humans feel more human at work. Imagine that.

💡 Money might buy silence, but it won’t buy love. Or retention.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Beth Linderbaum

03:02 The Importance of Employee Engagement

06:00 Understanding the Engagement Illusion

08:50 Generational Perspectives on Work

12:05 The Shift in Employee Loyalty

14:58 The Role of Leadership in Employee Satisfaction

18:00 The Work from Home Debate

20:50 The Impact of Technology on Leadership

24:08 Job Seekers and the Importance of Fit

26:48 Conclusion and Future Research Directions