"Carrots and sticks are so last century." So says Daniel Pink–an author who wants you to know that employees today aren't just looking for a fat paycheck and a pension. According to a 2009 survey, compensation's not even in the top 5 factors for workplace satisfaction.

Fulfilled employees go after the intangibles. They love things like the freedom to decide what to work on and acknowledgement when they do good work. But most importantly, people seek a feeling of significance–of contributing value and making a difference in their environment.

This need for significance is one of the biggest reasons so many companiesinies are embracing workplace giving and philanthropy. Here are 3 ways to value your employees by encouraging them to give back:

Get Them Involved
It's not good enough to tell employee about your favorite charity and encourage them to volunteer or donate. Effective philanthropy means getting people involved in the process–and allowing them to express their unique values. Survey your employees to figure out what kind of charitable activity would interest them. Figure out if there's a connection between existing values and a potential nonprofit partner. Allow employees to make their own decisions.

Strengthen Your Team
Sure, when everyone's working together, they're fighting for a common goal–in theory. The reality is that many times we find ourselves competing against our fellow coworkers and need an outside goal to unite us. Working together to help a nonprofit or fight a problem in the world is a great way to unify your team and create natural bonding experiences outside the workplace.

Helping the make the world a better place is an awesome goal. But what's even better is enriching the world AND your employee's careers. Give them opportunities to give back–and they'll bring that motivation back with them to work.