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In his recent post Michael Specht writes about the results of a survey conducted by SmartCompany regarding what employers think of Gen Y. Almost 70% of employers said:
poor spelling and grammar and a failure to understand what constitutes appropriate corporate behaviour are the biggest bugbears... communication skills of Gen Y staff disappointed 48% of SME owners, while 37% complain Gen Ys lack acceptable technical skills...
Almost 90% of employers said that Gen Ys are more demanding than other workers especially when it comes to advancing their careers, and 79% say Gen Ys are more likely to ask for a pay rise. They are also much more likely to demand better office amenities and more time off to study, as well as more training opportunities and mentoring.
There are positives. Gen Ys are tech savvy and companies can rely on them to help keep up with the latest technology trends.
Smart Company also provided some tips on managing Gen Y:
- Retention starts with recruitment
- Be flexible
- Provide the 'why'
- Provide regular constructive feedback
- Set clear career paths and determine goals
- Coaching and mentoring
- Salary
- Develop an organisational culture that is inclusive of everyone
- Watch your words
- Practice what you preach
For me this makes sense, not just for Gen Y, but for any employee. To really engage employees so that they are productive, managers need to understand what each one's needs are. There is no use saying that one single approach will suit everybody. I'm Gen X and I know the list above appeals to me, just not in that order.
A Manpower white paper titled Engaging the Total Workforce lists 12 engagement drivers which motivate employees, these are
- Being treated with respect
- Having a clear understanding of what is expected
- Having a sense of belonging
- Being treated equally
- Access to tools, resources and information to perform
- Receiving the training that is needed to perform in the role
- Open and honest two-way feedback
- Strong teamwork
- Receiving recognition
- Opportunities to learn, develop and progress
- Understanding how the role contributes to the success of the business
- Security
I find point 12 very interesting given that there is a trend to move from organisation to organisation or even into different careers.
So what can you do? If your organisation does not have employee surveys to find out what motivates employees, work with your line manager to help them understand what motivates their staff. Then assist the line managers in putting some of those strategies in place.
2 Comments
Alli, you said;
I find point 12 very interesting given that there is a trend to move from organisation to organisation or even into different careers. Point 12 was 'security'.
I started my recruitment career in '89 focussing on the IT industry and 2 years was considered a reasonable amount of time to stay in the same job, particularly for people younger than 30. Is it that much different now ?
Hudson's have a White Paper on the "Generational Mirage". Access it at http://au.hudson.com/node.asp?SID=100#whitepapernov05?SID=5580
Basically saying that the stereotypes we apply to Gen Ys actually apply almost equally to Gen X. The argument is an interesting one saying that the differences between the generations have less to do with the way they were brought up and more to do with 'life-cycle phases'.
The growing similarities between gen Y and gen X suggest though that we are learning from them !!! Anyway the paper is a good read and a slightly different perspective.
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