TimmyH
Generation Y - Unique workers
July 9th 2008 04:26
The Y Generation does not fit with the traditional model of a workforce. Young people who are now entering the workforce are by no means willing to stay with the same company for the entirety of their working lives. But increasingly, they are also choosing to move throughout industries and even countries.
Apparently you only live once. The opportunities to live and work around the world are abundant and Generation Y is increasingly looking to get away from their roots and create a personal model of employment. Since Generation Y is now dominating the Graduate job market, employers are striving to engage in new business practices which fulfil the social and work needs of young people in the workforce.
At the recent Association of Graduate Recruiters 40th annual conference being conducted this week experts on workplace trends have been debating whether tailoring recruitment processes to fit the needs of Generation Y is the best way for employers to attract the best young graduates.
Paul Redmond, head of the Careers and Employability Service in Liverpool believes that there are three main factors which distinguish Generation Y from their predecessors.
“The first and most significant is technology,” he said. “These are digital natives who have grown up with instant access to the internet and who are running their own businesses from their laptops while they’re still students.
The second is a change in institutions – education is very different now and organisations are more dynamic. The third factor is the change in society’s values. Young people in this generation have been really cared for and protected by their parents, which has shaped their outlook.”
Redmond says this collective influence has created a generation that is confident and entrepreneurial. They see a career as a cause and want a socially responsible employer. Gen Y's are sick of routine, success-driven and expect a balance between work and their social lives.
Yvonne Crew, graduate recruitment manager at Centrica, the energy company, explains that “There have been a number of studies into how to attract this group. One found that within three clicks on a company’s web-site these graduates want to know what your business does, what criteria they need to meet as candidates and to whom they can talk about it.
If that’s not there, they lose interest and go somewhere else. We want the top graduates to come to us, so it’s vital we speak to them in their own language.”
In the future it might be necessary to re-educate Generation X and Baby Boomer staff on how best to manage the new age group. Generation Y have been brought up to expect a lot from life. They’ve been molly-coddled from birth and expect to be treated with respect. Managers have to coach them through problems rather than simply telling them what to do.
But the world isn’t going to support them forever. The workplace is changing and Generation X and the Baby Boomers are just as adaptive as their younger counterparts. For now, though, Generation Y are convinced that their social lives are just as important as their careers. Perhaps their entrepreneurial spirit and technological nous will mean they remain unruffled by international competition.
Apparently you only live once. The opportunities to live and work around the world are abundant and Generation Y is increasingly looking to get away from their roots and create a personal model of employment. Since Generation Y is now dominating the Graduate job market, employers are striving to engage in new business practices which fulfil the social and work needs of young people in the workforce.
At the recent Association of Graduate Recruiters 40th annual conference being conducted this week experts on workplace trends have been debating whether tailoring recruitment processes to fit the needs of Generation Y is the best way for employers to attract the best young graduates.
Paul Redmond, head of the Careers and Employability Service in Liverpool believes that there are three main factors which distinguish Generation Y from their predecessors.
“The first and most significant is technology,” he said. “These are digital natives who have grown up with instant access to the internet and who are running their own businesses from their laptops while they’re still students.
The second is a change in institutions – education is very different now and organisations are more dynamic. The third factor is the change in society’s values. Young people in this generation have been really cared for and protected by their parents, which has shaped their outlook.”
Redmond says this collective influence has created a generation that is confident and entrepreneurial. They see a career as a cause and want a socially responsible employer. Gen Y's are sick of routine, success-driven and expect a balance between work and their social lives.
Yvonne Crew, graduate recruitment manager at Centrica, the energy company, explains that “There have been a number of studies into how to attract this group. One found that within three clicks on a company’s web-site these graduates want to know what your business does, what criteria they need to meet as candidates and to whom they can talk about it.
If that’s not there, they lose interest and go somewhere else. We want the top graduates to come to us, so it’s vital we speak to them in their own language.”
In the future it might be necessary to re-educate Generation X and Baby Boomer staff on how best to manage the new age group. Generation Y have been brought up to expect a lot from life. They’ve been molly-coddled from birth and expect to be treated with respect. Managers have to coach them through problems rather than simply telling them what to do.
But the world isn’t going to support them forever. The workplace is changing and Generation X and the Baby Boomers are just as adaptive as their younger counterparts. For now, though, Generation Y are convinced that their social lives are just as important as their careers. Perhaps their entrepreneurial spirit and technological nous will mean they remain unruffled by international competition.
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