Summary With the vast majority of society having to work, have you ever thought: “Why do we spend so much of our lives at work and not enjoy the pleasures of life ? » The answer is simple; to meet our needs. There are several theories that explain how our needs impact our daily choices. One of these theories, that of psychologist Abraham Maslow, lists our five basic needs in hierarchical form. These five basic needs are in order: physiological, security, love, esteem and self-actualization. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2008) By working, we help meet our most instinctive needs. In today's society, our basic needs are usually easily met with a Wal-Mart in every town. These needs being regularly met, what then motivates our actions? A more subtle set of needs begin to impact our decisions in life. Studies are beginning to show that a person's motivation is directly linked to how these subtle needs are met. Businesses have taken this idea seriously, gone are the days of just throwing money at the problem. Companies today are starting to implement employee loyalty programs. These programs have been established to help meet individual needs, thereby helping to motivate the employee. The preceding text will discuss what three Fortunes 500 companies (AT&T, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart) do to motivate their employees. Can you imagine working for a company that says one of its core missions is to take care of its employees? For those who work at Microsoft, this is a reality. Microsoft invests a lot of resources to retain and motivate its employees. The most pronounced program offered by Microsoft is an employee advancement program. (Microsoft Corp. 2008) A psychologist named McClelland is known for his theory about a person's need for achievement. McClelland's theory explains that some people need to overcome difficult tasks, achieve their goals, and improve themselves. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2008) Microsoft has human resources personnel responsible for developing leaders. The goals of these individuals are to help develop the skills that will make future and current leaders more competent in their area of ​​expertise. Microsoft encourages its employees to deepen their learning by offering management clinics, seminars and professional courses. If Microsoft doesn't offer what the employee is looking for, it supports them by providing funding for professional courses and giving them time off..