Things You'll Need:
- The desire to motivate Generation Y employees
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Step 1
It's hard to sell a Generation Y employee on "job security." We've seen our parents and other people get laid off during our lifetimes. One of the most annoying things I've seen companies do is wait until the last minute to tell people they're being laid off. It creates a financial crisis for many people and develops a distrust in the employees that are kept. I used to cringe every time I heard a HR representative mention job security as a benefit to a position. It's much better to have a "we're all in this together" mentality when it comes to motivating employees for overall company success.
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Step 2
We love flexibility and lifestyle. I would be very interested in the results if a company changed their work models into paying people well based on what they got done that used to be by the hour. Not only would they save a ton of money on overhead but more would get accomplished in less time when it comes to Generation Y employees. Most of us are used to being efficient and would like the "win-win" situation of having more money and more time. I think legitimate working-at-home opportunities from employers would also appeal to Generation Y employees if offered.
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Step 3
Don't mistake youth with a lack of experience. One of the funniest situations I've ever been in was being a bottom-rung employee and business owner at the same time (because of wanting to pay off debt faster). Corporate managers would talk down to me and not know I was making more money than they were! The sad aspect of that issue were that talented people my age were kept in lower-level positions that didn't fit their true abilities...therefore they did an average job due to boredom. I've had a business of some sort as an outlet for my creativity since I was 19, but it is hard watching other people gradually lose hope in their careers. Nobody wins in that situation, not the employee and not the owner of the company.
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Step 4
We want to have a passion and purpose in our work. I think this is shared in almost every generation. If you can get a Generation Y employee into a position that fits their talents and personality, you'll be amazed at their attitude and how often they're willing to go above and beyond to get things done.
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Step 5
Being nice and respectful toward us will get you a lot in return. I want to contrast two different types of managers I've had. The first assumes Generation Y "kids" are ignorant and have to be micromanaged. They never give praise or acknowledge an employee's good work and only communicate when something is wrong. They don't listen and discourage input from the people they're in charge over. Managers like this make you wish the work day was over before it's even begun. Contrast that with a manager who is nice but hard-working. It's a lead-by-example situation that can quickly gain a Generation Y employee's respect. They tell the people on their (true) team when they're doing well and make sure that they have everything they need to get their work done. They thank people for what they're doing and encourage them to grow. In my experience, I would go out of my way to help managers like that. Those would also be the type of managers I would hire if I ever wanted to expand into a larger operation.
