If you read my blogs regularly, you probably know I have a fascination with employee interaction; ESPECIALLY the interaction between Gen Y and “everyone else”.
This COULD be because I hover on the cusp of Gen X (born from the mid 1960’s to mid 1980’s) and Gen Y (born between 1981 and about 2000). As you can see there’s a bit of overlap and I fall smack dab in there!
Ever since Gen Y (AKA, the Millennials) have begun entering the workforce there’s been management pandemonium! How do we deal with these “kids”? They have so many demands! They don’t define themselves by their work; who the hell do they think they are?! Why is it so important to them to be social networking ALL THE TIME? Why in the WORLD do they think it’s admissible to come to work at 8am, take a full lunch and leave at 5pm?
Now I know I’m getting a little silly, but I’ve heard it all – the complaints are endless. The truth is that Gen Y are our future leaders. In 15 years they’ll be the Steve Jobs’ and Warren Buffet’s of the world – and they’re VERY capable of filling those shoes, by the way.
I’m a huge supporter of Gen Y – and NOT just because I could be considered one of them. They are the first generation in 20 years who find it important to work toward a cause, they are optimistic about a long and prosperous career but frugal having grown up during the recession. They have learned to work smarter; not harder AND are pretty close to mastering the art of a balance between work and LIFE. LIFE. LIFE. Why are we alive if not to LIVE? Why do we work if not to LIVE? I think Gen Y is pretty cool, and they’re slowly being more accepted in the corporate workforce.
INC Magazine wrote an article called the “Field Guide to Hiring Gen Y” which I LOVE.
You can read the full article here: www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/field-guide-to-hiring-gen-y.html
Some highlights of the article?
- Have a strong online and social networking presence. Gen Y’ers are looking for companies who have come out of the dark ages of technology
- Career advancement is more important to them than money
- Career progression is most important in retaining Gen Y’ers
- When it comes to finding a new job, 35% utilize LinkedIn (good for them) / NOT Facebook
- They look for a strong and likeable brand/image in a company they are considering
- Gen Y wants to do meaningful work. They want to see the big picture and understand how they fit in as a piece of the puzzle.
I do understand some of the hesitations in hiring what some would call an “entitled” and “flighty” generation – but if we’re talking about sheer numbers, who else are you going to hire?! Better get with the program! Gen Y has a lot to offer on their own terms and in their own way, and they have the numbers to demand a certain level of compliance!
Best of luck.
