Bea Fields Companies USA provides leadership coaching and training to over 1000 local and global business leaders. In addition it provides Generation Y Training,executive coaching ,executive leadership coaching program and team Coaching programs.
This presentation is in parts 1-4. From the IDC A/P Panel: “Generation Y and the Emerging Power of User Generated Content
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Jacci Schiff is an amazing Gen Y leader. She hit the streets two weeks ago in Washington D.C. for Y Talk Radio to ask a few Gen Y’s about their views on the state of the economy. Really insightful interview. Download the interview here.
Jacci is a pro with interview style podcasts and pulled this great snippet together in less than a week. So, check out what she is up to. And…if you are interested in having a professionally done audio interview like this one, contact Jacci through the Schiff Report.
The podcast below includes the above linked interview and a few other thoughts from Jacci about Gen Y and the state of the economy from a recent interview on Y Talk. Thanks Jacci for all you are doing!.
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Nadira Hira writes The Gig (great blog by the way) for Fortune. Great blog post on Gen Y forces the green issue today. Hira points out that companies are using the green movement as a great attraction point for hiring Gen Y.
I have been talking with my daughters about this very question. Ann, my daughter who is a sophomore at Duke has chosen public policy as a major and is considering environmental law, because she really believes that she and her Gen Y colleagues are going to have no other choice but to make some very bold moves in the direction of taking care of the environment. So…the post is good food for thought..
Interesting blog post by Tammy Erickson, discussion leader for Harvard Business Review.
Recruiting Today: What Are You Promising Top Job Candidates .
This blog post Gen Y Workplace Demands Can Help You Retain Boomers On The Verge of Retirement on CollegeRecruiter.com offers a concise but fresh perspective on Gen Y’s demands in the workplace..
The independent living in austin has the desire for flexibility, teamwork and fun are some of the same values that can keep boomers in the door.
As I am going around the county, I am answering the same question about “Why do we need to change…this sounds like pandering to Gen Y?” I just disagree with this question…which comes across as a negative comment.
Each time we usher a new generation into the workforce, the way work is done and the values at play are going to change. Each generation has a different world view, which shapes their values. So, we can either change to adapt to the largest workforce (Gen Y), or they will change it for us over the next few years.
I also believe that Gen Y is getting a few things right here. As humans, we need more flex time. People are burned out from working 60 hours a week. We need a rewards and recognition program…humans are craving acknowledgement, and they just don’t seem to get enough pats on the back. We need better team communication…it will save us so much time, money and energy. We need more fun and laughter…fun reduces stress, and we are all way too uptight as it is (just look around at all of the analysis paralysis and need for perfection…it is just ridiculous!)
So…rather than look at Gen Y’s requests as pandering, let’s look at the bigger picture…how can our lives and work be more satisfying by shifting to meet the needs of Gen Y? I think that we would all be much happier if we stopped whining and started implementing a few of their ideas. They are our future! It’s time to start working with Gen Y and stop resisting their efforts..
As I am traveling around the country speaking to companies and conferences about Gen Y, a question keeps popping up
How do I prevent my Gen Y workers from becoming bored and restless?
My response to this question is this “Embrace the entrepreneurial spirit of Gen Y”. Let me explain.
Generation Y is the most entrepreneurial generation in history. It is not uncommon for members of Gen Y to be working full time for an organization while running a small business or a non-profit organization outside of work. Most Gen Y’s will tell you that they see themselves in 2 careers: One that is working for a company or for their own business and one that allows them the time to give back to their community.
The need for flexible work hours, the ability to work from home and the opportunity to work as a community volunteer during the work week will increase as Gen Y tries to balance a full time job with their own social and entrepreneurial interests. Employers who embrace this entrepreneurial spirit, help to cultivate it and support Gen Y in having their own business and giving back to their local and greater community will be much more competitive than employers who don’t embrace this notion. These opportunities can expand a company’s internal and external network and new ideas will be born as Gen Y brings their best practices from their own life back to your organization.
We are certainly in an era that embraces the free agent. Your company can grow by leaps and bounds by teaching young talent about how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, one which focuses on not just working for your company but ON the company…on its growth and development. By getting Gen Y involved in creative ideas for growing your company, you will find that they are much more invested in your mission and in the long-term success for your company.
If you have not read A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink, I highly recommend it as required reading for everyone in your company. Give it out to your Gen Y employees the first day on the job, ask them to read it, and then sit down with them to find out what ideas they have that will spark creativity for your team. You might just be surprised at what you come up with.
I was interviewed yesterday by Tarsha Polk, The Marketing Lady, of Let’s Talk Success on Blog Talk Radio on the topic of Marketing to Generation Y.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (17.1MB) | Embed
Many organizations and businesses are asking how they need to change in order to attract and then retain Generation Y. When I answer this question, many people don’t seem to like my answer, because my answer is this: If you want to attract young talent into your organization, you will be called to not just change but undergo a metamorphosis that will keep Gen Y interested and excited about working for and with your company. And, if you try to sit on them, keep them or make life difficult, they will leave in a heartbeat.
I am not a futurist, and many futurists will tell you that it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict the formula for the future workplace, because as technology and our global business landscape change, so will the way our organizations work and the way we go about attracting young talent. However, I do have a few ideas on the topic (based on my conversations with Gen Y and companies who seem to be “getting it right”. Over the next week, I will be sharing a few of those ideas with you through a challenge/solution format:
1) CHALLENGE: KEEPING GEN Y ENGAGED
Solution: Redesign the organization to put the focus on the the knowledge worker as your number one growth asset.
The future will belong to the companies who embrace knowledge as the number one asset for growth. There is no generation better to fill the role of the knowledge worker than Generation Y. This Generation was born with a cell phone and laptop in their cribs. They have had instant access to massive amounts of information at the touch of a button for the last 15-20 years of their lives. Companies that thrive in the future will be looking at not only who has the most knowledge but creative methods to capture and leverage tacit knowledge. I believe that the Chief Knowledge Officer is going to be one of the most important roles for the future workplace. The CKO will be the leader who can provide companies with an honest, unbiased view about the world and where their company stands in relationship to its competitors.
I spoke to a young woman last week who said she felt as if her job was not challenging her enough, keeping her interested enough. She knows she can be doing more and giving more to her job…if only her boss could provide her with the challenge and developmental opportunities she has been craving. I hear this constantly. Many people believe that this is just more of Gen Y trying to “get what they want”, but I have to ask you “Isn’t this what we all want?” Don’t we all want to feel that we are learning more, being challenged more and being offered an inspiring environment to work and live in?
If you are reading this blog today, I want to ask you to sit down with your Gen Y careerists and ask them what you can do to help them grow, develop and feel as if they are learning more because you have provided an inspiring environment to do it in.
The article, Job Hunting In A Downturn, which appeared on Forbes.com on 03/04/08 points out that even though the economy is a bit sluggish, this is probably not going to affect Gen Y’s ability to land a job (of course, the question is always Will Gen Y be able to find the job that they want?)
Based on everything we are learning, it appears that the need for this young, tech savvy, entrepreneurial minded generation is going to only get stronger in the future. We will watch and see how all goes over the next few months.
I had the opportunity to speak to the NAIW Southeastern Region Annual Convention this past Friday in Raleigh. It was really such a great group to speak to…200 women leaders in the insurance industry, many of whom are concerned about the growing need for young talent, since insurances are so much necessary in the present world, where everyone suffer injuries and accidents, there are even lawyers specialized in Mass injuries, that you can find online. Also, there’s this lady attorney that will help you in case of car accidents, if your car was wrecked and the insurance company is hassling you? Do not worry, go to Amy Witherite of 1800-Car-Wreck. But if you want to sell or buy a new car, it´s better to get insurance4motortrade.
The topic of my presentation was on how to attract, retain and lead Generation Y. One of the best studies I have read recently on this topic is a study released by Deloitte: How Insurance Companies Can Beat the Talent Crisis.
In this report, Texas attorneys highlights their simple but powerful Develop, Deploy, Connect Model for recruitment. As we have been saying, Generation Y is highly inspired by ongoing learning and development and being able to engage in meaningful work, and this report really brings this concept to light..