Tuesday, August 14, 2007

So About Gen Y...

From the Australian Web site News.com.au:

THE jury is in on Generation Y and the verdict isn't good. Employers say Gen-Ys are short on skills, demanding, impatient and far from loyal, according to a survey.

The deep ambivalence of SME They don't define it, but I believe they mean "small-medium enterprise.) employers towards Gen-Ys - those born between 1977 and 1992 and now aged 15 to 30 - is revealed in the latest SME Opinion Leaders poll, a survey of 315 SME owners across the country conducted by SmartCompany in conjunction with Roy Morgan Research and Dun & Bradstreet.

Poor spelling and grammar and a failure to understand what constitutes appropriate corporate behaviour are the biggest bugbears, with almost 70 per cent of surveyed employers reporting dissatisfaction with their Gen-Y employees’ performance in those areas.

The communication skills of Gen-Y staff disappointed 48 per cent of SME owners.

But, it seems, Gen-Ys either don’t know or don’t care about their employers’ distinct lack of enthusiasm for what they have to offer. Almost 90 per cent of employers surveyed agree Gen-Ys are more demanding than other workers when it comes to advancing their careers, and 79 per cent say Gen-Ys are more likely to ask for a pay rise.

Getting behind Gen Y seems to be a fashion among deep thinkers and business media lately. I've heard senior recruiters talk about how important it is to adjust their approach to a workforce that demands more balance, more flexibility and more rewards more quickly. What seems to be a given, though, is that this generation will perform to the same standards as their predecessors - old people, like me at 47, who are apparently stuck in our ways and spend a fair amount of time worrying about the quality of our product.

The poll found that Gen Y'ers bring a lot of technical knowledge to their work, often bolstering the efforts of their Baby Boomer bosses. And the article goes on to suggest the way to get the most of these hires, and develop them into valuable employees, is to communicate with them - in their own language and through their own channels. Posting a message on the bulletin board - bad. Texting the message - good.

So I'm kind of split on all this. On the one hand, I think the business world could use some cultural change. I like balance, I like diversity and it seems the changing demographics of the work force are far more effective at pressing these issues than are fifty years worth of legislation. On the other hand, every time I hear of a job candidate showing up for an interview with a parent, or a parent talk about how they're going to call their child's boss because of a workplace issue - and I have heard these things - I wonder at what point Gen Y will stand on its own.

The point about communication is a great one, and ultimately the answer lies there. It's important that a firm communicate in ways its staff will pay attention to, and it's important for Gen Y hires to communicate effectively with their employers. Among Boomers, instant messaging and texting aren't always the first things that come to mind when they want to talk with someone. Someone from Gen Y who extends themselves to write a detailed e-mail, pick up the phone, or (gasp) talk to someone in person could end up with a whole range of new friends.

Why bosses hate Gen-Y [News.com.au]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think these articles can be recycled every five years or so. As a Gen X'er (so my memory skills still intact), I can remember the same things being said about us back in '99. We were those impatient, disloyal, tech-savvy brats who didn't care about pensions and would just as soon start an internet company as show up to work on time, blah, blah, blah. Sound familiar? I would be more worried about Gen Y if they were not ambitious. Let them enjoy their time in the sun, the work world will crush their spirit soon enough.