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7 Must Knows Of Hiring Generation ‘Me’ (aka Gen Y)

Let’s face it, many of us have heard the stories with disbelief and some times mortification of an outrageous demand or spoiled-brat attitude of a Generation Y encounter in the workplace. Baby boomers and Generation X’ers mutter ‘It never would have happened in ‘my day’ or chuff quietly to themselves at the ‘cute’, but gullibly over-ambitious statement by a younger Gen Y that they intend to be Vice President of Marketing, next year, with only 2 years experience out of college.

Demanding and arrogant? Whether you like them or hate them. Generation Y are here to stay and you need them in your business.

But here is the squeeze. KPMG demographer Bernard Salt* highlights that Gen Y now number 4.67 million, in Australia. This overshadows and becomes a bigger group than Gen X. So you may have the title and authority up the food chain, but in the workplace, Gen Y has the sheer numbers.

So what do you need to consider, know or do about hiring Gen Y’s that can make the process more successful?

Here are the seven secrets to hiring Gen-Y workers:

1. Choose Soft Skills First – in whatever form possible
Many Generation Y workers on the younger end of the scale have not had the same opportunities as older generations to be self-reliant or responsible. Look for those that demonstrate a desire and willingness to be responsible. Use personality profiling tools, such as the McQuaig System, DISC or Myer Briggs to determine strengths or weakness in these areas. Look for those who have travelled independently for a considerable length of time away from Mum & Dad, held down part-time jobs for a long period of time or been involved in long-term volunteer work.

2. Don’t Fight ‘The Gap’
By ‘The Gap’ I don’t mean in the difference between the generations, but the concept of ‘The Gap Year’. Many Gen-Ys have an expectation (and almost their ‘right’) to have their gap-year and adopt a “work to travel” attitude. Salt says “Many entrepreneurs have been burned before when they find out their new employee who they thought would be in for the long haul abandons the company for a trip of unknown length.”

The combination of many Gen Y’s still living at home, cheaper global air travel and easing of age limitations of overseas work visas, they have greater access and ease to take off for global exploration that would make Columbus turn in his grave.

Find out if they have quenched their curiosity for travelling or have plans for it in the future. Adopt a flexible policy around Gap Year leave, but build in milestones of achievement to qualify or specific skill development to focus on whilst away to bring back to the organisation. Can you guarantee they will come back? No, but you increase the probability with an open and flexible attitude.

3. Hold Their Hand
This is the area that possibly irks many of us ‘oldies’ is that one minute they are more ambitious than Superman and then next they need to be spoon fed. What IS it with that?
Strong economic times in the past decade has allowed more Gen Y’s to feed off Mum and Dad’s income in the pre and post teens rather than go out and get their own part-time jobs. They simply are not being exposed to work at the earlier stages of their life than the masses of previous generations.
Social etiquette in the general public domain has certainly become more relaxed, however in the work environment, especially corporate environment, whilst there has been a general loosening of the stuffy etiquette of previous decades, it is a culture-shock to Gen Y’s when they come up against expectations of their professional demeanor and following office etiquette.

Create mentor or on-boarding programs that go through these basics to help smooth the way. Don’t just focus on the job skills, but the social skills they need to develop within the organisation. What we take for granted and is ingrained in our ‘professional pysche’ isn’t there for them yet. It’s completely foreign. So just like you may not realise you don’t sit directly across from a CEO in Japan if you are in a lower position to them, Gen Y’s don’t realise either that telling you that they will have your job within 12 months is not …well, endearing you. Just be flattered you chose a driven and motivated individual.

4. Negotiate on work/life issues
Interestingly, Gen Y’s are a lot more financially savvy than previous generations and push marketing to them as children has made them so much more aware of value for dollar, than the bright eyed children of the 60′s & 70′s . Combined with this is that many (but not all) still do live at home, so are not pressured for day to day, domestic survival needs.

As a result, they do value the salary they receive, however employers need to be willing to negotiate on other issues, such as flexibility around  work schedules, shifts, social networking access and perhaps even a dress code. They are more acutely focused on social issues and look to employers to share that view. They want to be contributing to the world. They are so much more blended in their personal pursuits and attitudes with their professional drive and have that expectation to be making a difference to the world. In addition their relaxed social style is reflected in the social and physical environment they want to be surrounded by.

5. My Brilliant Career

When B00mers entered the job market you were lucky to have an employer who would ‘take you on’ and, if you remained loyal in tenure, you would be rewarded with moving up the chain. Gen Y’s have been influenced by their Gen X parents on creating a good career path, but Gen Y’s take it a step further by having the full expectation it is provided for them. Like a micro-wave dinner, preferably sooner rather than later. The difference between previous generations and Gen Y is that we were blazing the trail and creating more sophisticated people management approaches around talent management. So whilst we had to beg, scrape or steal the for career development opportunity, they are well aware, and schooled through educational institutions, that it is the ‘done thing’ these days that employers provide a career path. The challenge is that smaller organisations and family owned businesses don’t have the flexibility for this.

6. More responsibility

Every generation thinks the next one down are ‘Sooooo irresponsible!’ and the tendency to hold back on allowing Gen Y’s to spread their wings can be tempting. However more sophisticated education has allowed a more ‘entrepreneurial’ mind-set develop a lot earlier than in previous generations. This combined with their confidence and self-motivation can add value to your business if given the right opportunity.

7. Give Coaching Not Direction

Giving them responsibility is one thing, but then leaving it to them is another. However this is where a lot of Boomers & Gen X managers get it wrong, either from one end of the spectrum or the other. Many younger Gen Y’s have grown up in total adult supervision 24 x 7, so whilst they yearn for and can be responsible, they still  need direction. So leaving them with a task with out direction or specific outlined results expected can set them up to fail. Where some managers get it wrong is when they misunderstand ‘give direction’ for micro-managing or giving autocratic instructions. Gen Y’s respond much better to a coaching style of management, which is designed to create accountability by allowing the individual to determine the options available to them and the path to take under guidance.

Gen Y’s are a well educated, talented, technically-savvy and vibrant  body of power that can add tremendous value to any business, with the right ‘incubation period’ and guidance. By implementing the right structure and level of flexibility, both parties will meet with harmony.

Learn more about adopting a coaching management method and style for Gen Y’s.

What do you think? What is your experience with hiring Gen Y’s? Leave Your Comment below

*source – SmartCompany