Generation Y at work
Recently, there has been an increasing amount of research and publications on the generation of 20-somethings who have entered adulthood in the new century, referred to as Generation Y (or the millennial generation). Since this is also the baby boomer generation, their attitudes and aspirations are being studied in detail by sociologists, marketers and suppliers of various types of products and services.
The Polish Y is not only a citizen, an active Internet user and a discerning consumer, but also - and perhaps most importantly - an employee about whom most employers do not have a very complimentary opinion. Here are a number of tips on how to understand Generation Y, become an attractive employer to them and raise great employees for yourself.
Who is Y?
The first determinant of Generation Y is the date of their birth around 1980-90: we are generally talking about the common experience of young people who were born in the last years of socialism, received education in the 1990s, and entered adulthood around 2000.Their most important generational experiences are:
Growing up in a free market economy
Contact with new technology that was developing before their eyes - computer , Internet, cell phone, instant messaging
Rising standards of living and consumption
More choices in education (private universities) and career path (new specialties)
Greater mobility and openness - easier travel and contact with other cultures (including through the Internet and foreign language skills)
Excellent knowledge of new technologies - fast acquisition of needed information, creation of virtual communities, but often difficulties in direct interpersonal contacts
The fast pace of life - change as a normal state, the ability to communicate and move quickly, do several things at once, but also impatience and the desire to have everything immediately
Changed approach to one's own life - greater individualism, self-reliance, high self-esteem, striving for self-actualization
It might seem that Poland's Generation Y are the big lucky ones. However, their chances in the labor market do not match the opportunities that history has created for their older colleagues known as Generation X (children of transformation). This term is used to describe a group of Poles born in 1960-70, who received a wonderful gift at the beginning of adulthood - capitalism. Today's 40-year-olds had a unique opportunity in the 1990s to adjust their career path to the needs of the free market, learning about knowledge, technology and foreign labor standards that did not exist in Poland before. Fast career opportunities were within the reach of every moderately enterprising and hard-working 20-year-old. Research shows that Generation X has made great use of this opportunity - Polish managers take twice as long to reach top positions in companies as their European counterparts, and are at least a few years younger than them (the statistical president of a Polish listed company is now 47 years old). This is very bad news for Generation Y - despite the favorable situation on the labor market , their opportunities for a fast career are limited. They realize that they will not repeat the success of the Xs and this frustrates them.
Y at work
Today's Y's approach to work differs significantly from X's . First of all, the statistical Y knows its own value , has a well-developed art of self-presentation and quite high requirements in terms of salary and development (according to many employers - unrealistically high). Let's take a brief stock of Y's potential as an employee:
Strengths:
Knowledge of new ICT technologies
Task-based approach to work
Independence and ambition
High importance of personal development and financial success
Seeking change, innovation
Being confident and clear about your expectations
Strong commitment to work that is truly interesting and rewarding
High importance of the company's reputation and good working atmosphere
Taking care of work-life balance
Weaknesses:
Reluctance to comply with rules
An attitude of entitlement towards the employer - "What's in it for me?"
Need for constant feedback and stimulation (can't stand routine)
Difficulty in face-to-face contacts (prefer electronic communication)
Willingness to take risks
Problems with accepting criticism
Less propensity for loyalty
Own comfort and convenience instead of sacrificing for the employer
Today's workplaces are much more dynamic than in the previous decade, everything is happening faster, values and standards are being modified . Generation Y does not look back, it represents a whole new set of expectations and needs, so employers need to hire them with the benefit of inventory and apply new management methods that reach them.
Y-management
We already know who Y is, now some tips for managers on how to manage it:
Recruitment
The Y draws labor market information mainly from the Internet and informal contacts. Most of them keep abreast of what is happening in their industry, review job advertisements, exchange information about employers and recruitment experiences on discussion forums. It is important, therefore, that the employer's image and the job offer be genuine and at the same time reflect Y's natural expectations of continuous development and performance-based compensation. Also important is the course of the recruitment process and adaptation in the company - carried out unprofessionally and carelessly will effectively discourage Y from a particular job.
Loyalty
For the Xs, the opportunity to do interesting work for good money had an extremely high value . Generation Y has fresh in its memory the experience of parents who dedicated most of their lives to their companies and one day heard that they were no longer needed. Y values work, but gives the new employer little credit: first you show that I am important to the company and develop, and then I will work for many years with commitment. They need to see that the company's goals and their personal goals are aligned.
Communications
Raised by electronic media, Y is accustomed to short and specific messages. All presentations and training must be in a varied form. When delegating tasks to him, cause-and-effect relationships should always be explained so that he understands the importance of his work and how the company operates. The Y also values the opportunity to express his opinions and proposals for changes to existing standards - you should always praise his initiative and inform him if and to what extent these changes can be implemented.
Motivation
Y is focused on results, so it is necessary to closely link rewarding his work to specific achievements, explain these relationships and remind him of the goal he is pursuing (i.e., answering his favorite question, "And what will I get out of it?"). Goals should always be ambitious, but realistic. Y's boss needs to be prepared that he articulates his expectations directly and has no problem insisting on a promotion or raise.
Diversity
Y needs constant stimulation and novelty - there must be something going on in his workplace, and he should be given new tasks or more responsibility from time to time so that he doesn't feel like he's standing still. Six months or a year in the same position is plenty for him. Critical is the second year of working for a particular employer - if Y feels that he is not developing, has not received a raise, then he quickly decides to change jobs.
Evaluation of results
Y is accustomed to getting the information he needs quickly, is impatient, and needs regular feedback on the performance of his work - basing only on the annual evaluation is not enough, Y's boss needs to provide him with ongoing feedback and stimulate him for further development. It is advisable to assign Y-k a mentor to support him in developing the necessary competencies.
Continuous development
Each Y has its own individual life goals and career expectations - it is necessary to know them already at the time of hiring and establish a plan for its development over several years. Development is not only a raise and promotion , but also expanding existing skills , improving soft skills, diversifying tasks, expanding responsibilities, etc. It is important that the goals of the Y and the company are agreed upon and those expectations that the company cannot meet are indicated (promising something that the employer cannot provide is a mistake that the Y will not forgive).
