Become an Employer of Choice for Generation Y
The Generation Y group is the largest employee group to enter the workforce since the baby boomers.
Given that the first baby boomer hit age 65 this year, it is likely that within the next 5 to 10 years, a significant number of them will choose to retire, thereby; making Generation Y the largest segment of the workforce.
For leaders and managers, in all lines of business, it will be important to recognize that members of this group may not be motivated or engaged by the same type of working environment as their predecessors.
They will come to the workplace, or stay with an employer, if the environment provided meets their professional needs and offers them the benefits associated with their preferred working style.
Characterisitics of Generation Y: They are the product of the self-esteem movement of the 1990's and so have been taught they can make a difference.
They are more affluent, more technologically savvy, better educated, and more ethnically diverse than any previous generation.
They are known for their optimism, collaborative ability, open-mindedness and drive and they are more likely to pursue and attain graduate degrees due to their high regard for education.
They are knowledgeable about the world and its issues as they have grown up in the global environment so they are inclined to view the world as a vast resource of connection, knowledge and community.
They are smart and driven to make a difference.
But they also have a very strong sense of entitlement, are outspoken, and are generally not responsive to criticism.
As a result, they may be deemed to be high maintenance, although they will most likely be the highest performing generation.
The Preferred Generation Y Workplace: Generation Y will enter the workplace with a strong sense of civic investment and social responsibility so will seek the same from their employer.
They will seek an environment that encourages, and provides access to and tools for, their personal and professional development as they measure their own success in terms of what they have learned and what skills they have developed from each and every experience.
They will look for workplaces which offer them a fast-track career path but which also promotes work-life balance, positive feedback, training and cutting-edge technology.
They will look for collaborative environments where they are offered the challenge of working in virtual teams to tackle complex problems.
However, this group will struggle with processing failure and any form of criticism of their work, competency or ability.
So as they enter the workforce, they will struggle if they are expected to 'hit the ground running', learn on the job or do not have significant and effective supervision.
How to Make your Workplace a Generation Y Workplace: Support the technology they use in their personal lives.
Generation Y will gravitate to the organizations that harness the best information technology as they want access to hardware and software they use.
Consider providing them with access and time to stay connected to their on line social networks.
Ensure you have in place a solid new employee orientation program and process.
As new employees, Generation Y will require much more initial investment than their predecessors, Generation X, who preferred to work things out on their own.
Explain the big picture to them and how their roles service the organization's direction and objectives.
Provide mentors for these new employees to show them the ropes.
They will need to learn what is expected of them on a professional or business level, the corporate culture, how to process constructive feedback rather than discounting it, and how to improve their self-motivation, their problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Generation Y will benefit most from hands-on training so provide a variety of training options for them to learn new skills - on line, on the job and, classroom.
Establish a schedule of check-in types of meetings with their supervisor to ensure they are motivated and achieving the goals.
This will also provide an opportunity to offer feedback and solicit their input.
Generation Y has grown up with email, text, instant messaging and chat rooms so rely heavily on technology for their personal and professional communication requirements.
Managers will need to provide professional communication expectations, when and where face to face, phone, text, email, and IM forms of communication are appropriate.
Finally, your organization should give serious consideration to making a commitment to a socially responsible cause.
If you want to become an employer of choice for the next generation of high performers, you need to start creating the type of workplace they will seek out.
Given that the first baby boomer hit age 65 this year, it is likely that within the next 5 to 10 years, a significant number of them will choose to retire, thereby; making Generation Y the largest segment of the workforce.
For leaders and managers, in all lines of business, it will be important to recognize that members of this group may not be motivated or engaged by the same type of working environment as their predecessors.
They will come to the workplace, or stay with an employer, if the environment provided meets their professional needs and offers them the benefits associated with their preferred working style.
Characterisitics of Generation Y: They are the product of the self-esteem movement of the 1990's and so have been taught they can make a difference.
They are more affluent, more technologically savvy, better educated, and more ethnically diverse than any previous generation.
They are known for their optimism, collaborative ability, open-mindedness and drive and they are more likely to pursue and attain graduate degrees due to their high regard for education.
They are knowledgeable about the world and its issues as they have grown up in the global environment so they are inclined to view the world as a vast resource of connection, knowledge and community.
They are smart and driven to make a difference.
But they also have a very strong sense of entitlement, are outspoken, and are generally not responsive to criticism.
As a result, they may be deemed to be high maintenance, although they will most likely be the highest performing generation.
The Preferred Generation Y Workplace: Generation Y will enter the workplace with a strong sense of civic investment and social responsibility so will seek the same from their employer.
They will seek an environment that encourages, and provides access to and tools for, their personal and professional development as they measure their own success in terms of what they have learned and what skills they have developed from each and every experience.
They will look for workplaces which offer them a fast-track career path but which also promotes work-life balance, positive feedback, training and cutting-edge technology.
They will look for collaborative environments where they are offered the challenge of working in virtual teams to tackle complex problems.
However, this group will struggle with processing failure and any form of criticism of their work, competency or ability.
So as they enter the workforce, they will struggle if they are expected to 'hit the ground running', learn on the job or do not have significant and effective supervision.
How to Make your Workplace a Generation Y Workplace: Support the technology they use in their personal lives.
Generation Y will gravitate to the organizations that harness the best information technology as they want access to hardware and software they use.
Consider providing them with access and time to stay connected to their on line social networks.
Ensure you have in place a solid new employee orientation program and process.
As new employees, Generation Y will require much more initial investment than their predecessors, Generation X, who preferred to work things out on their own.
Explain the big picture to them and how their roles service the organization's direction and objectives.
Provide mentors for these new employees to show them the ropes.
They will need to learn what is expected of them on a professional or business level, the corporate culture, how to process constructive feedback rather than discounting it, and how to improve their self-motivation, their problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Generation Y will benefit most from hands-on training so provide a variety of training options for them to learn new skills - on line, on the job and, classroom.
Establish a schedule of check-in types of meetings with their supervisor to ensure they are motivated and achieving the goals.
This will also provide an opportunity to offer feedback and solicit their input.
Generation Y has grown up with email, text, instant messaging and chat rooms so rely heavily on technology for their personal and professional communication requirements.
Managers will need to provide professional communication expectations, when and where face to face, phone, text, email, and IM forms of communication are appropriate.
Finally, your organization should give serious consideration to making a commitment to a socially responsible cause.
If you want to become an employer of choice for the next generation of high performers, you need to start creating the type of workplace they will seek out.
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