Hanging On to Your Top Generation Y Workers
Posted September 23rd, 2013
Companies are always looking for ways to hold onto their best people. And this problem becomes even more of a task when it comes to younger workers, who are more restive and footloose than many of their older colleagues.
This group of younger workers, generally known as Generation Y, has its own career expectations. Like all workers, these younger employees (the oldest of which are entering their early 30s) want attention and recognition, but growing up in a world saturated with technology, where everything is instantaneous, they expect that attention and recognition more often than others.
They are part of a generation that received a lot of attention as they grew up, and those expectations carry over into the workplace. They enjoy attention, recognition and feedback from their supervisors because they associate this attention with their own merit. They want their supervisors to work with them, to plan goals with them, to take an active role in their career planning. When this doesn’t happen, Gen Y workers begin to feel isolated, that they are being ignored by the company. They begin to look elsewhere.
So, when working with Gen Y employees, managers need to revise the way they relate to their people. The managers need to foster a more inclusive attitude, one that lets these workers know they are appreciated and valued.
Generation Y also does not react well to workplaces with too many rules and regulations. They see these regulations as something set up by and for older generations, with little relevance to their lives. An example of this is use of the Internet. Many companies have policies set up for employees on Internet use. But for this most technologically savvy of generations, these policies are often too confining and don’t take into account the reality of their lives. Generation Y uses the Internet much more than older generations, for social use, research and networking.
Another practice that will attract and retain Gen Y workers is giving them more flexibility with their work schedules. Gen Y workers are also eager for challenges, so giving them more responsibility will help keep them happy. In addition, they’re anxious to learn new things and grow professionally, so establishing a mentoring program at your company will help provide your Gen Y workers with the learning opportunities and professional development that they want.
When you’re looking for qualified, reliable IT professionals for your San Francisco-area firm, contact Bayside Solutions. We “know the good guys,” and we’ll source and place skilled workers for your temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire assignments. We look forward to hearing from you.
