Attracting Generation Y Employees And Keeping Them Motivated From a Gen Yer
Being that Generation Y makes up about 25% of the US population your business will eventually need to attract and keep generation Y employees. Generation Y are people born from about 1981-2002(dates vary depending on the source) and are also called the millennial generation, millennials, or echo boomers.
All the research shows what the value:
-Work life balance is must
-What higher levels of autonomy
-Flexible
-Socially responsible
-High work ethics; especially entrepreneurial
-Open work environment with lots of feedback
I look at these traits and there are many overlaps with a Lean culture. In a Lean culture there is real respect for people. This means giving people the autonomy to work in their work area but give them guidance and training when needed. Respect for people is also respecting the fact that we all have families and a life outside of work; reducing or eliminating overtime is a win-win for the company and the employees.
Having a traditional management system that is managed from top down, mistakes are viewed as a people issue instead of a system issue, subordinates do what they are told, etc is a sure fire way to alienate a huge talent pool. Your business has to change with changes in customer demand as well as a shift in the talent pool. Make sure to implement a management system that works. Here is a quick summary of a Lean management system:
5 Points:
-Respect for people
-Add value/remove waste
-Make your product or service “flow” – Your processes should be a well oiled machine
-Start it now – Experiment early and often
-Continuously Improve
All these principles put the customer at the center of focus. What management system are you using? Is it attracting or scaring away potential employees? If you got a great employee how would you make sure you kept them with your company?