Generation Y (the young men and women born after 1977) are
different from other generations in many respects, from
their political views to the careers they choose (or don't
choose). Their presence in the workplace is truly making
an impact, causing employers to worry, fret and scratch
their heade, and asking, "What do I do to attract the
20-something worker, and once I have them, how do I keep
them?"
When it comes to loyalty, the companies Gen Y works for are
last on their list. These millennial leaders are
ambitious, and if you can't find a compelling reason to
stick around, they won't. They will either find a better
job , or they'll move back in with mom and dad (hey...free
rent and a packed fridge is not a bad deal after all, and
moms and dads are allowing their 20-something age kids to
move back home in droves).
Many employers are labeling Gen Y workers "demanding" and
"self-serving" (not a smart move) and when you look at the
fact that over 64 million workers will exit from the
workforce by the year 2010, this puts employers in a talent
deficit dilemma. The pools they have to dip from are
these young men and women from ages 22-30. So, if you want
to attract the young knowledge work, I highly recommend
that you stop calling them names and start doing what you
can to accomodate their needs, even if outrageous.
The remainder of this article will share with you some
information about the companies who I believe are doing a
great job in attracting Gen Y into their workforce and a
few of the strategies they are using. As you read this
article, do your best to resist the thought of "Well,
Google, Intuit or Deloitte would never be my
competition...we are worlds apart in location, size, budget
and industry focus". While it is true that we are all not
like Google or Apple, there is one thing that is true: We
are in the age of the "young knowledge worker", and
Generation Y is the most high-performing generation in the
history of mankind with more information in their heads and
at their fingertips (and they can multi-task), so they can
perform a variety of tasks in many business domains and can
live anywhere if the job and company cool. So, in today's
world, any company is your competition, yet the big
question is
"Will Gen Y be working for you or for your competition?"
Here's my top ten list of companies who are being
successful with attracting the Gen Y worker. As you read
through this list, don't try to bite off everything on this
list. Simply ask yourself "How can I shift my business or
organization to include a few of these strategies to make
my company more attractive to the young knowledge worker?"
1) Google: Focus on Perks: Google is unfortunately (or
fortunately) raising the bar for each company in the world
in the war for young talent. According to a study done by
the Great Place to Work Institute, Google is at the top of
Gen Y's list of companies they most want to work for. Why
wouldn't when you can gain access to perks including
on-site dental and medical facilities, free breakfast,
lunch and dinner on a daily basis at 11 gourmet
restaurants, unlimited sick leave, and a global education
leave program which enables employees to take a leave of
absence to pursue further education for up to 5 years and
$150,000 in reimbursement.
2) Intuit: Focus on a Rotational Development Program. Gen
Y was born multi-tasking, so boredom on the job can set in
quickly. Intuit has addressed this by offering a
cracker-jack Rotational Development Program, allowing new
recruits rotation programs in finance, marketing and
product development every 6-12 months. This program not
only keeps young workers engaged but prepares them for
future leadership positions in the company.
3) Walt Disney: Focus on Internships and a Collaborative
Culture. Disney has a rock solid internship program for
college students, which includes college credits for the
colleges they partner with, which gets young leaders
committed to the company before they graduate. Disney is
also built on a foundation of a diverse and collaborative
culture, and Generation Y was born playing on teams made up
of members from all cultures and walks of life. The sense
of camaraderie makes Disney attractive for Gen Y, because
it breeds a familiar sense of teamwork.
4) Deloitte and Touche: Focus on Leadership Development.
Generation Y is very attracted to all aspects of learning
and development. They have been raised on a diet which
includes a combination of personal, leadership and team
development. Deloitte and Touche have therefore designed a
state of the art leadership program called the Future
Leaders Apprentice Program (FLAP), and new recruits are
immediately eligible for the program. Deloitte is also
offering a top flight coaching and mentoring program.
Because Gen Y has been coached since age 5, they are saying
that the coaching and development programs offered by
Deloitte are two of the main attraction points that has
them stick around or return later in their career.
5) The Peace Corps. Focus on Saving the World. The pay is
not so great (as a matter of fact, most Gen Y leaders say
it's lousy), but they are willing to sacrifice pay in order
to do meaningful work on a global scale, to work and live
in another country where they can become fluent in a new
language and to toughen up mentally and emotionally by
doing hard work with long hours. Generation Y sees
companies who are making a significant contribution back to
their communities as tops on their lists for future
employment. Teach for America is another hot and growing
company that allows emerging leaders the opportunity to
teach in failing school districts...another approach to
"making a difference" in the world.
6) Lockheed Martin. Focus on Continuing Education. Gen Y
is all about knowledge acquisition and this aeronautics and
space company has hit the nail on the head with
20-something recruits by offering a maximum of $7500.00
annual for education reimbursement and full graduate school
sponsorship for junior level employees.
7) L'Oreal USA: Focus on College Competitions and World
Travel. If you have not noticed this lately, Gen Y LOVES a
competition, and they are certainly keen on world travel.
You only have to watch American Idol, So You Think You Can
Dance or America's Next Top Model to verify this. L"Oreal
has latched onto this idea with its L'Oreal Brandstorm
Competition, providing college students the opportunity to
compete by putting themselves in the shoes of a L'Oreal
Brand Manager. The competition allows emerging leaders the
opportunity to analyze consumer trends while developing a
top of the line marketing and advertising campaign for
L'Oreal. The winner receives a trip to Paris and the
opportunity to interact with top L'Oreal managers, giving
young recruits a leg up during the recruiting and hiring
process. The competition alone creates buzz and a "cool
factor" for L'Oreal, which is appealing to 20-somethings.
8) Southwest Airlines: Focus on Fun. If you have never
flown Southwest, I highly recommend you do it just one
time...just for the fun of it. Generation Y's mantra is
"Live First, Work Second and Have Fun!", and Southwest's
quirky but fun-loving culture makes it a great first
stomping grounds for the young knowledge worker.
9) Nike: Focus on Fitness. Nike's campus is a prime
location for Gen Y, who hits the gym at least 3-4 times
each week. Nike is situated on over 170 acres, which
includes a fabulous exercise center, playing fields and
running trails. And of course, their "Just Do It" tagline
inspires young workers to actually use these facilities
rather than sitting at home in front of their computer or
the tube.
10) Apple: Focus on Simplicity. If you have visited an
Apple store lately, you will notice that you will be
greeted by a young man or woman under age 30 at the Genius
Bar. Apple is filled with Gen Y employees. The reason?
Apple makes things simple. In a report by Outlaw
Consulting, Apple won the number 1 loyalty spot for Gen Y,
because their products are as "stripped-down and unadorned
as possible" (According to Outlaw Consulting). To be
simple means convenience and speed to the multi-tasking Gen
Y crowd. This audience is also highly dedicated to saving
the environment, the concept of excess means that the
environment may be harmed even more. Gen Y is therefore
choosing to work for companies like Apple whose positioning
is dedicated to the greening of our world.
----------------------------------------------------
Bea Fields is an Executive Coach and the President of Bea
Fields Companies, Inc and the Founder of Five Star Leader
Coaching and Training. She specializes in Leadership and
Team Coaching for high growth companies, non-profit
organizations and medium-sized businesses. Fields is the
author of Millennial Leaders: Success Stories From Today's
Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders and Edge: A Leadership
Story. http://MillennialLeaders.com .
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