The Generation Y’ers aren’t that hard to attract to your business… Quite often, as I speak to motel owners about hiring new staff, I will hear them complain that “we had a young guy/girl working in here recently but they lasted about 5 minutes…” and it usually leads into some vitriolic diatribe about how the “kids these days”, “don’t want to work”, and “want everything for nothing” and show “no sense of loyalty”….. Although this is a gross generalization, it is not without some elements of truth. Millennials or Generation Y’ers, or pretty much everyone born between 1980 – 1995 are definitely presenting today’s employers (and recruitment people!) with challenges, but the good news is, that if you want to hire from this large pool of workers, there are a number of things you can do to make it work for you both… Face it…. Times have changed! Times have changed from when you (the boss) were looking for a job and today’s job seeker is seeking and expecting much more from an employer these days.

Gimme a future! Millennials will not be happy doing the same job, day after day, year after year. They have been schooled to look for the next step in eighteen months to two years lest they become stagnant. They scoff at their parent’s generation that spent 20 years at the one company, and today’s employer needs to recognize this.

Gimme responsibility! Today’s employees need to feel that they are an integral part of the system, not just a cog but part of the engine. They need to feel their opinion is valued by management and that the work they do has a significant impact on the operations. (Which is pretty accurate because these guys are probably going to be working at the front-line of your business talking to your customers…)

I wanna be proud of what I do…! C h a n c e s a r e t h a t t h e Millennial’s working with you will be earning significantly less than their peer group in other industries, so they need to at least feel pride in what they do and where they work, to be able to tell their friends that they are important and influential at work. They want to be proud of the work that their employer does within the community and their society. It is not all about work to these kids — they want to feel they are making an impact on the community. So what are you doing to make the changes that will appeal to those who genuinely care about the world around them? One well-known organization we know gives four hours off each week to do community or volunteer work with full pay. These are the elements that help you to craft a better company and a stronger value proposition to prospective employees.

I wanna be involved! They want (no…. demand!) to be involved in the decision making. They want and need to be trusted. The relationships that they develop with your suppliers and your clients are critical to their happiness (and therefore longevity) . As they are generally “people-people” this is what keeps them getting up and coming in to work. The Reservations system, the paperwork, the computers and security systems are merely the processes that link the personal relationships between the employee and your customers. The more we automate the process at our businesses – the m o r e w e r em o v e t h e interact ion between the customer and the employee – the less opportunity for em p l o y e e s t o d e v e l o p “relationships” with clients and suppliers, the harder it will be to maintain their enthusiasm and motivation. Generation Y, not unlike the generations before them, would rather talk to one client a thousand times, than a thousand clients – one time.

Gimme the tools to do my job! One area of your business that needs to be in absolutely tiptop order to appeal to this generation, is your operating systems. Having grown up with computers, they are exceptionally techno-savvy, and wont easily tolerate slow or antiquated systems. The flip side of this is that, they will quickly learn more about the your systems than you do (because they are IT-fearless!) and can add some real value to your business in this area (and save you bringing in the computer-techs!)

Gimme recognition! This is the generation that demands and has become accustomed to instant f e e d b a c k a n d gratification. They had “graduation ceremonies” from primary and high school, and received “participant” badges in every race they came last in at school-sports day. They have had overzealous parents and teachers pampering them w i t h p o s i t i v e reinforcement and sense of ent it lement… so r e c o g n i t i o n i s a s important as breathing to them. The recognition can take many forms, from supervisor-to-direct report , peer-to-peer , t e a m – b a s e d , o r organization-wide. The more creative, the better the impact. Ultimately, it is this recognition that will provide the extrinsic motivation that can s u s t a i n e m p l o y e e p e r f o r m a n c e a n d motivation. It’s the key ingredient to Gen Yer’s sense of self-fulfillment

Gimme Feedback! The once a year annual review doesn’t cut it any more for the Gen Y. This g e n e r a t i o n e x p e c t s feedback and validation more often. Both formal and informal. They wont be waiting around for their performance-review. Although a recognized virtue, patience is not n o t e d am o n g t h i s generation’s strong suit. Similarly – loyalty for them is very much a two way street – if they do not perceive l o y a l t y f r om t h e i r employer (or if they perceive they are being taken for granted) then don’t expect them to take a bullet for you or your business

Gimme flexibility…! Recognize that I have a life… and working here isn’t it! This generation are comfortable with being held accountable to their results and they bring some evolved thinking into the workplace with regard to when and how they go about doing their work. They live in a virtual world and respond well to the notion of autonomy around work s c h e d u l e s , telecommuting, homeoffice arrangements, and understanding that they desire true balance in their lives. So next time you are recruiting for your facility… don’t be turned off by the smooth talking, Self assured, tech-savvy, and idealistic Gen Ys… embrace their enthusiasm and their idealism. And remember With the huge talent exodus departing the employment pool with B a b y b o o m e r s retirement… they may well be the future of your business. “the more creative (the feedback) the better the impact”

Richard Kellaway General Manager Caretakers(Aust) For all your relief Management or permanent recruitment needs, Ph:1300972947