The “Flip Flop” Generation:

Tips for Hiring, Managing and Working With Generation Y

Written By Michelle Day, Frederick County Workforce Services

An employer interviewed a recent college graduate with no prior professional work experience for an entry- level position.  Upon concluding the interview he asked this young candidate, “Now, what were you thinking in terms of your salary expectations?”  The candidate confidently replied, “$80,000/year sounds good.”   The expectation of the candidate did not exactly match what the employer had in mind.  Similarly, a Human Resource manager at a local call center recently shared with me that her younger employees were showing up to work in flip flops and pajama pants!  She was appalled as many of us would be.  However, workplace demographics as well as expectations of the upcoming workforce are changing.  Is your company aware of what factors shaped this generation and how you can best work with them?

Generation Y is a force of as many as 70 million, and the first wave is just now embarking on their careers — taking their place in an increasingly multigenerational workplace. They are the most diverse and technology savvy generation in history.  They are arriving in the workplace with higher expectations than any generation before them—and they’re so well connected that, if an employer doesn’t match those expectations, they can tell thousands of their cohorts with one click of the mouse.

Most resources agree that the terms, Generation Y and Millennial, refer to those who were born roughly between 1977 – 2000. Whatever we call them, one thing is certain - they are the future workforce, CEO’s, entrepreneurs, and global citizens of our world.  The remainder of this article provides some food for thought to consider when faced with hiring, managing, and working with these newcomers.  According to Claire Raines, author of Connecting Generations: The Sourcebook, there are several key trends of the 1990’s and 2000’s that have had a “profound effect” on the collective millennial personality.  Some of them are:

Focus on family.  The Federal Forum on Family Statistics reported that national attention to children was at an all-time high (The earlier peak was in the 1960s when the Boomers were kids.). Older parents—the average age for moms are now 27—brought more maturity to their roles as caregivers, teachers, and coaches.

Scheduled, structured lives.  They were signed up for soccer camp, karate club, and ballet lessons—and their parents were called into service, shuttling them from one activity to the next.

Multiculturalism.  The most recent data from UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute shows that interracial interaction among college freshmen has reached a record high. 

Heroism. Policemen, firemen, firefighters, and mayors were pictured on the front page of the newspaper, featured on TV specials, and portrayed in art and memorabilia. In the ten months following 9/11, the word hero was heard more than it had been in the entire ten years before. 

Parent advocacy. Parents challenged poor grades, negotiated with the soccer coach, visited college campuses, and even went along to Army recruiting centers.

Globalism. With pen pals in Singapore and Senegal, Millennials grow up seeing things as global, connected, and open for business 24/7.

What does all this mean for businesses?  It means that in order to maintain a competitive advantage we must acknowledge what motivates them so that you can hire, manage, and work together alongside them. Here are some ideas to consider:

Be the “Employer of Choice.”  Use the Internet to market your company using virtual tours that allow potential candidates to see what it would be like to work there. “Sell” telecommuting and flexible scheduling as a benefit.  This generation, as well as Generation X, prefers a well-balanced personal and professional life. Xerox is using the slogan "Express Yourself" as a way to describe its culture to recruits. The hope is that the slogan will appeal to Gen Y's desire to develop solutions and change. Recruiters also point out the importance of diversity at the company; Gen Y is one of the most diverse demographic groups — one out of three is a minority.

Give them cutting-edge technology.  Generation Y grew up with computers, iPods, and PlayStations and this techno upbringing shapes their work expectations. You can successfully motivate Yers by structuring their work so that it is congruent with their technical prowess. For example, allow them to communicate with customers via instant messaging, provide training on-demand in multi-media formats, and give them Internet access for research and resources.

Design rewards and incentives with immediate payout. Believe it or not, money does not typically motivate Generation Y or X.  They are skeptical of long-term commitments from employers. Many younger workers have seen their parents lose jobs to downsizing and outsourcing and this has led to doubts about their own futures. For any reward to work with a Yer, it has to be very short term. So instead of a 12-month contest with a huge payout, consider a 60-day contest with a moderate payout.

Manage by getting involved. Managing from behind a desk will be most ineffective with Yers. They want to see managers roll up their sleeves and get in the trenches. One easy way to get involved is modeled by Southwest Airlines – they request managers to play baggage handler, reservation clerk, or ticket agent once a month. This keeps management in touch with the challenges their people experience every day.

Feedback. Be sure to give plenty of feedback often. This generation requires more input and commentary on their performance than all the other generations before them. They will not wait for a semi-annual or annual review. Set aside time weekly to check in with your Millennial and give positive, constructive feedback as often as you can.

Clear communication.  Make things crystal clear. Millennials are used to following directions (think gaming here). Clarity on all processes, especially how they will move up in the company, is essential. Communicating clearly from the beginning can save enormous amounts of time and energy. What may seem glaringly obvious to you isn’t always so with this group.

Focus on the positive. This group is energetic, bright, fearless, and multi-task better than anyone. They are technologically savvy and are used to a 24/7 environment.  Instead of complaining about the ways in which this group differs from past generations, use their strengths to your advantage. 

References:

Managing Millennials, by Claire Raines, 2002

http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm 

http://top7business.com/

http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm

For additional resources and information on generations in the workplace consider the following:

http://www.generationwhy.com/

http://www.iconoculture.com/

http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm     

Generation X Managing Generation X, by Claire Raines, 1997; http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/ genx.htm.

Generational Leadership Listening Sessions Report, by Frances Kunreuther, Ludovic Blain, and Kim Fellenr, Building Movement Project, 2004.

http://www.buildingmovement.org/artman/uploads/glls_report_001.pdf