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Capturing the Y
By Laura Fragiacomo MIS
They're different from baby boomers, more demanding than generation X, and they'll be doing
your job one day. Laura Fragiacomo takes a look at what makes generation Y tick in the
workplace.

"83 per cent of people will fit the profile of the generation in which they're born in mindset and
behaviour" - Avril Henry.

They're different from baby boomers, more demanding than generation X, and they'll be doing your
job one day. Laura Fragiacomo takes a look at what makes generation Y tick in the workplace.

Baby boomers born in the 15 years after WWII will start reaching retirement age by 2005. They
outnumber generation X by 2:1, and it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that there won't be
enough people to fill the jobs vacated by the boomers. Born from 1982 onwards, generation Y
outnumbers the Xers and over time will attain critical mass; however organisations looking to
generation Y as fodder to fuel the engines of business are set to be sorely disappointed.

Also known as Millennials, Nexters, Echo Boomers, or Yers; generation Y is a different breed. Yers
think differently, behave differently, and their beliefs and value systems are decidedly different to
their older counterparts. This is the workforce of the future and the group that is fundamental to long
term sustainability. Failure to understand what drives gen Y will result in failure to attract or retain
the very people who hold the key to an organisation's survival.

"When the skills shortage was flagged nobody was prepared to believe or address it," says Lisa
Norris, regional director for recruitment solutions at Spherion. "If you don't look at the ageing
population and the role of generation Y in the skills shortage, there won't be any long term business
success. There is little point to addressing something that's already happened; the result will be
organisations throwing money at people, and this may not yield the right result given that money is
not the primary motivator for generation Y."

Nature or nurture?
"People resemble their times more than they resemble their parents, says social researcher Mark
McCrindle. He describes Y as a generation that has embraced constant change as a way of life.

"Yers spent their formative years surrounded by instability. Their attitudes and beliefs started
developing back when they witnessed their parents coping with the effects of redundancy and
downsizing, when a job for life simply wasn't a factor in anybody's equation," he says.

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Avril Henry, executive director of AHRevelations, has been researching generational diversity for the
past five years and believes that generation Y has been learning from their predecessors' mistakes.
"Generation Y stood on the sidelines watching the boomers and Xers sacrifice lifestyle for work, and
they won't be making the same mistakes. Y will only work for you on their terms. They are the most
technologically sophisticated generation, they're educated, highly employable, and they know it."

While generation X's mantra was 'how can I add value to the organisation?', generation Y grew up
listening to Radio WIIFM (What's In It For Me?). Henry believes that generation Y is entering the
workforce in an exciting era of expanded job opportunities where the power has been transferred to
the employees. Corporate loyalty is dead and job-hopping is par for the course. Stick to a job for too
long and a Yer is apt to wonder what's wrong with you.

IT recruitment consultant, Simon Titan, agrees. He sees the challenge now as finding young
employees that will stay more than one year. "The IT market has picked up considerably in the last
six months. A weekend's advertising in September last year [2003] would yield approximately 40
CVs - the figure now would be closer to 15. Candidates are job-hopping and choosey because they
can be."

The Australian business reality is that organisations are lagging behind in implementing strategies to
attract and retain gen X, let alone dealing with the complexities associated with luring gen Y. Gen Y
separates life and work and, unlike the boomers and the Xers, they do not define themselves by their
job - it's lifestyle that counts. Yers won't be clocking in and out. Nine to five was dispensed with a
long time ago, and Yers see self-employment as a viable alternative to the shackles of corporate life.

"Meet a boomer at a party and one of the first three questions they ask you will be what you do for a
living. A Yer will ask you what you like doing. The answer could be surfing or trekking in Nepal for
all they care. Yers generally don't talk about their jobs unless you ask them specifically," notes Avril
Henry.

Where's the Y in IT?

Some of the largest employers in Australia are only just coming to grips with how the new wave of
gen Y employees will affect their organisations, let alone how it will affect IT departments. While the
debate about the role of generation Y and IT is not an area one of Australia's largest employers - the
Commonwealth Bank - wishes to engage in, Branko Panich, head of IT strategy at Westpac, was more
forthcoming about the bank's recruitment programs.

According to Panich, Yers like to know how they fit into the big picture and it's important to show
them how everything comes together. Flexibility and diversity of experience are the keys to engaging
with gen Y - they're simply not prepared to lock themselves into a job or an organisation. And
although he concedes there are no guarantees they will stay, Panich believes companies can try to
create an environment where there will be no reason to leave.

The graduate program at Westpac includes a number of compulsory rotations lasting between four
and six months, which provide exposure to different parts of the business. Panich advocates taking a
portfolio approach to work. Manage staff as a resource pool and treat jobs as assignments rather than
line jobs. Once the assignment is completed, teams are absorbed back into the resource pool to be
redeployed, he says.

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In a climate where there is a choice between multiple offers, it is how an organisation positions and
differentiates itself in the eyes of potential employees that will result in successful recruitment.

"It's the coolness of the brand that matters to Yers. It's not just what you wear and the car you drive -
it's also who you work for and what that organisation stands for," says Panich. "For Yers it's a case of
'What does who I work for say about me?' The mantle of social responsibility has kudos with gen Y.
It's now more important than ever for a brand to have a good reputation."

It's the culture, stupid

The disparity between the number of jobs being created and the shrinking pool of talent available to
fill them means generation Y can afford to be selective.

"Gen Y will put your company's culture under the microscope and if they don't like what they see
they'll walk away. Yers will not apply for jobs with organisations they perceive have poor policies
and stupid procedures. If they don't believe in what the organisation stands for, they won't bother
applying," warns Henry.

As the skills shortage starts to bite, organisations will find it increasingly difficult to go to the market
to bring in the skill sets they need - these will have to be developed internally. Slotting people into
line jobs and keeping them there will be a thing of the past. Companies on the ball will look at the
talent within and determine how best to harness it.

Hierarchies are set to become flatter than ever and will be replaced with self-led teams. It's too early
to judge what sort of leaders Yers will make, but McCrindle does not see gen Y as seeking power and
respect as did previous generations. Y has active interests outside work, and when they look at those
in leadership roles, they don't see a lifestyle they aspire to, simply because it doesn't support a
work/life balance.

"Yers were exposed to leadership at a very early age, both at school and in workplaces such as
McDonald's - it's no big deal to them. They're sceptical of the empowered leader, preferring a
collaborative team-based approach, so it's unlikely that they will be adopting the old models of
authoritarian leadership. The autocrat is being superseded by the notion of the leader as guide and
mentor," says McCrindle.

What gen Y wants is the opportunity to explore a variety of different jobs and a supportive work
environment that is flexible enough to allow them to pursue an active life outside of the workplace.

"Most managers define flexibility as part-time work that takes place between 9.30am and 2.30pm for
women with school-age children. It's not," says Henry. "People won't be able to afford to just stop
working, however, they will be moving in and out of the workforce when it suits them. They want
the flexibility to have a lifestyle. And if they don't get it, Yers in particular will be voting with their
feet."

Top motivators for Gen Y

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l Inspiring leadership
l Mentoring
l Regular, constructive feedback
l Access to state-of-the-art training
l Inclusive team environment
l Clear understanding of their role in the big picture
l Opportunity to contribute
l Recognition and reward
l Flexibility in terms of hours
l Cutting-edge technology

How to attract, manage and retain Generation Y

l Redefine expectations: Long-term employment will be four to five years and nine to five is out.
l Provide training: Not just technical training. Include leadership training, conflict resolution and communication
skills.
l Don't wait too long before providing an opportunity for Y to contribute.
l Give recognition: A card, movie tickets, dinner or even a simple 'thank you' make people feel valued.
l Make the workplace more inviting: Colour, rest and recreation rooms, plants, funky meeting rooms. Provide food - even if
it is a loaf of bread, a few spreads and bowls of fruit.
l Build relationships: Create a sense of belonging. Ensure management has first class communication skills - Y is loyal to
people not organisations.
l Communicate: Find out what they want. Communicate openly and honestly - corporate double-speak is a dead language.
l Respect their strengths: Gen Y was weaned on technology. Smart managers will be willing to be up-mentored by Yers on
technology.
l Offer flexibility: Both in terms of hours and trust them to work from home. Provide opportunities to do different jobs.
l Career planning advice:
l Offer opportunities for growth and development according to individual needs: Show them a path that will allow them
to change paths within the same company.

Gen Y strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

l Sociable team players, cope well with diversity, connect well with people
l Flexible, cope well with change
l Creative thinkers
l High self-esteem
l Fast paced
l Time conscious
l Risk takers with no expectation of stability
l Loyal to people
l Independent
l Greater connection with friends, sports and work teams

Weaknesses:
l Lifestyle driven, work not the number one priority, think work should be fun
l Opportunistic, can lack focus

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Can be slow to apply logical and analytical thinking, poor literacy skills

l Over-confident, self-gratifying,just-in-time generation - will do things at the last possible moment

l Want everything NOW; don't see why they should put in the hard yards
l Look for the highest gain with the least amount of effort; focused on the short term, live for the here and now
l Transient, won't commit
l No loyalty to the organisation, anti-authoritarian, their respect must be earned
l Demand rights but shy away from mutual obligations
l Lack traditional mentors, disconnected with the traditional bonds of family, church and social groups

This story was found at:

http://www.misweb.com/magarticle.asp?doc_id=24115&rgid=2&listed_months=0

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