Research on Incentive Problems and Optimization Strategies for Post-2000 Employees: A Case Study of Small and Medium-sized Internet Enterprises in Chengdu

In the rapidly evolving digital economy era, the post-2000 generation has emerged as a vital workforce segment within small and medium-sized internet enterprises in Chengdu, China. However, a significant misalignment persists between the career expectations of these young employees and the traditional incentive models still predominantly employed by their employers. Drawing upon four foundational theoretical frameworks-career anchor theory, Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, Vroom's expectancy theory, and Adams' equity theory-this study conducts a comprehensive examination of the current incentive practices and their underlying deficiencies within this specific organizational context. A mixed-methods research design is adopted, integrating a systematic literature review, structured questionnaire surveys distributed to employees across multiple enterprises, and semi-structured in-depth interviews with both managerial staff and frontline post-2000 workers. The empirical findings reveal systemic shortcomings spanning four critical dimensions: rigid and insufficiently differentiated compensation structures, opaque and poorly communicated promotion channels, formalistic and superficial spiritual or non-material incentives, and an organizational culture that professes egalitarianism while perpetuating implicit hierarchical disparities. In response to these identified challenges, this paper proposes a multi-dimensional incentive optimization framework encompassing material, spiritual, developmental, and environmental dimensions. The proposed strategies are designed to be both cost-effective and practically actionable, offering enterprise managers concrete guidance for enhancing talent retention, boosting employee engagement, and ultimately strengthening organizational competitiveness and long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive labor market.