Working With Gen Y

Written by Anne Miller
Tuesday, 22 June 2010 01:34

The Essential Generation For Your Business

Here’s a common tale from employers that I guarantee you’ve all heard … Gen Y are just impossible in the workplace. If you don’t keep them busy they’re either texting someone or on Facebook! And once you’ve got them trained, they up and leave!!

Gen Y, of course, disputes this … they’re simply AWESOME! The best-educated, innovative and creative generation of workers yet. And work wouldn’t be so boring if those burned-out old baby boomers would just get out of the way and stop holding back their careers …

So what’s the truth?

David O’Connor – director of The Connection Coach and himself a Gen Y – says the key to engaging with Gen Y employees is to “get it right from the start”.

David has more than nine years experience teaching, leading and motivating Gen Y and knows how to get the best results.

As a youth worker, he mentored teenagers and young adults and at one stage was co-ordinating a team of 28 staff and 800 volunteers while organising large-scale events such as youth festivals and conferences.

Working with this many young people would sound like hell for most employers but David has thrived and achieved prodigious results.

“Employers have to get it right from the start. If you do, you will save a lot of heartaches later on,” he says.

“Put in the effort when it comes to recruitment. Look for young people with a great attitude not necessarily just with a piece of paper. Look for the ones who have been in leadership roles at school and uni, who have done volunteer work and have good ‘soft’ skills not just good ‘hard’ skills.

“And don’t undervalue those who volunteer or are involved in some sort of charitable work, who have a strong sense of purpose. Look for something that makes them different from their peers.”

But what about the horror stories?

David says Gen Ys expect more from work than just a pay packet.

“They grew up in a world of opportunity and they don’t fear joblessness,” he says.

“They want to be part of something that makes a difference, that has a compelling vision and a compelling purpose.

“They expect business leaders to be passionate about their business. If they’re not, you can forget about engaging Gen Y.

“This passion can be about social justice or delivering a standard but it can’t be just to make the boss or the business rich.

“If you can engage them, you will get a lot out of them!”

David believes that if Gen Ys have a weakness it is in their communication skills.

“These kids grew up on Instant Messenger and email, not in face-to-face communication so these skills can be poor,” he says.

“Patience is a huge thing for managers. There’s no point in just yelling at them and getting frustrated.”

David says mentoring is the key.

“Turn the lack of communication into a mentoring opportunity. Turning challenges into opportunities is critical for Gen Y, ” he says.

So how do you stop them running off to another job?

David admits this is difficult as Gen Y is a very mobile generation however “engagement” with the business is important.

“Managers should build a relationship with their Gen Y employees. Just giving them a uniform or a desk won’t work.

“Managers must be approachable, take a genuine interest in their staff and build an affirmative culture in the workplace.

“Gen Ys love to be part of something that is making a difference. They must get a sense of purpose out of their work or they feel they are just going through the motions.”

NB. Gen Ys (also known as “Millennials”) are usually taken as being born from about 1977 to 2001. The oldest, therefore, are already in their 30s and are raising their own little Gen Zs.

• David O’Connor helps business leaders better engage with their Gen Y staff through leadership coaching. Find out more at TheConnectionCoach.com.au and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @davidgoconnor.