> home
> About
> Contact Us
> Editorial Info
> IEEE-USA

03.09

Managing Young Employees: Recruiting and Retaining Them

By George McClure

The generation born after 1982 has been called Generation Y or the Millennials. There are at least 70 million of them in the United States, and they constitute 21 percent of our work force — 32 million workers. They have been put under the microscope to see how management must adapt to best use them. Intergenerational differences have been identified, as we have 60 year olds working alongside 22 year olds. There may be discomfort as the younger workers become supervisors for workers old enough to be their parents.

Gen Y grew up questioning their parents and now question their employers and supervisors, who get impatient with them. The earlier expectation was “Do it and do it now.” They value independence, and many start their own businesses so they can be their own boss. Where Boomers put a high value on career, Gen Y is interested in work-life balance — making their jobs accommodate their family and personal lives. That includes job flexibility, telecommuting options, and the ability to shift to part-time work or temporarily leave the workforce to care for children.

They are multitaskers who are comfortable with rapid change. They are likely to do email texting while talking on a cell phone and surfing the web. They may prefer virtual interaction to face-to-face meetings or phone calls. But they see colleagues as resources from whom they can gain knowledge.

They value feedback on their work; an annual job appraisal may not be sufficient. They appreciate fair and direct managers who are concerned for their professional development. Ownership and control of challenging projects will keep them happy, avoiding boredom and attrition. But they don’t want to bury themselves in a cubicle and take orders from others

Early on, Gen Ys gained a positive reputation for their energy, drive, and skills. But short attention spans and reluctance to perform small tasks when needed marred the overall impression. But they do like small goals with tight deadlines, where they can assume ownership of tasks.

Gen Y is more affluent, more adept at use of technology, better educated, and more ethnically diverse than any previous generation. It has always been familiar with the Internet, CDs, DVDs, cell phones, and digital cameras. Developing new skills and embracing challenges are important. They strive for success, and measure their own success in terms of what they have learned and the skills they have developed from each experience. They may take longer to settle into stable careers and find lifelong relationships than their predecessors.

The challenge for employers is capitalizing on the assets of Gen Ys in the work environment without alienating the rest of the workforce. Organizations must formulate strategies to attract and retain this talent.

Coaching is one way to do this. Frequent mentoring and coaching by higher-level employees encourages new graduates to take on more challenging work. By playing to their strengths while recognizing their weaknesses, where more work is needed, it takes advantage of employee potential. Gen Y do not expect to rely on their employers to take care of their careers, but they appreciate all the help they can get.

Dos and Don’ts

Do stress that the company values performance, attitude, integrity, dependability. Acronym: PAID.

Don’t overwhelm them with an unexplained assignment. They are used to being led and value a supportive environment.

Do give them challenges, but don’t abandon them. They are looking for coaching and expect praise for a job well done.

They are goal-oriented and accustomed to teamwork. If the job is structured properly, both they and you — the boss — will benefit.

To dig deeper

1. Generations at Work: Managing Millennials, by Claire Raines. http://generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm
    

2. How to Attract and Retain Generation Y Employees, a blog. www.rockyfu.com/blog/how-to-attract-and-retain-generation-y-employees/
    

3. Inside Recruitment Process Outsourcing : All the Fuss About Gen Y (aka, the Millennials) http://novotusllc.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/all-the-fuss-about-gen-y-aka-the-millennials-2/
    

4. The “Millennials” Are Coming. 60 Minutes. www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/08/60minutes/main3475200.shtml
    

5. Generation Y: The Millennials. www.nasrecruitment.com/talenttips/NASinsights/GenerationY.pdf
    

6. How to Hire Millennial Employees http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Hire-Millennial-Employees&id=814422
    

7. Understanding and Managing Generation Y www.rockyfu.com/blog/manage-generation-y

George McClure is Technology Policy editor for IEEE-USA Today’s Engineer and a member of IEEE-USA's Committee on Transportation and Aerospace policy. Comments on this article may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.