As I noted in a
n earlier post, I skipped out early from a session at SHRM’s 63rd annual conference that was just an overview of global trends, but the speaker did say something in passing that served me well in the next session I jetted off to: This is the first time in history that at least three generations (for example, Baby Boomers, Generations X and Y) are active in the workplace. And dealing with Generation Y (individuals born between the mid 1970s-1980s and mid 1990s-early 2000 depending on your information source) seems to be no small feat, as evidenced in the June 27 session, “Why Y? Plugging into a Generational Powerhouse.”
I came in on the middle of this session and, already, speaker Aaron Kosher, principal consultant with deepSEE Consulting in Oakdale, Minn., was engaged in a very spirited question-and-answer session with the audience. It seems that, sometimes the different generations just don’t understand each other. Kosher noted that such misunderstandings can border on being judgmental, and can actually result in stereotypes. But he noted that every generation has its different issues, and to that end, he acted as an interpreter for Gen Y.
So, for example, Kosher interpreted Gen Y comments such as “Why do only white people work here?” Gen Y grew up with more diversity, so they are more likely to challenge a workplace culture lacking such. He explained Gen Y philosophies such as, “Sure, I love my job, but I love my life more.” Gen Y wants more of a mission, not just a job, he noted – they were raised to follow their dreams. As one HR professional/Gen Y expounded upon during a Q&A, she grew up seeing her parents complain about work and was determined not to be like that. Accordingly, it was important for her to have a job that was rewarding.
Koshner later shared several tips for HR professionals when recruiting Gen Y, including: (1) speak their language; (2) use social media; (3) connect work to lifestyle and mission; (4) focus on the bigger issues; (4) explain that you need what they have; (5) remember that they are used to having input in family decisions, so they expect that in the workplace; and (6) remember that they want to learn new skills and have a meaningful impact on the organization.
And once you hire Gen Y, here’s what you can do to keep them onboard, according to Koshner: (1) understand that they need a personal connection – you need to get to know them, and just showing them their cubicle and handing them an employee handbook will not cut it; (2) because of the need for personal connections, they also need a longer orientation period; (3) they need faster feedback and more recognition; (4) give them more responsibility but also allow them to fail; (5) connect their responsibility on the job to their personal values; and (6) listen as much as you can.