Managers beware: Twenty somethings do not march to the Boomer Beat.
Today?s business world offers a particularly difficult challenge since we have four generations at work all at the same time. Some matures, now around 60+, are still in key positions while baby boomers in their 40s and 50s are mostly in charge. Then come the 30 somethings: impatient and single-minded Gen-Xers focused on doing what it takes to get where they want to go. And the first of the Millennials, now about 25, are providing the critical technical skills that underlie most of today?s business successes.
According to Cam Marston, author of Motivating the “What?s in it for me?” Workforce there are five things you need to know about managing the new generations successfully.
They want something different from their jobs, their managers and their workplace environment. What was good for the boomers does not work with the X-ers and Millenials.
Loyalty has changed. The kids have watched their elders work 10 and 12 hour days for years only to be layed off in their 50s with little or no financial support. Based on this they view the organization skeptically and turn their loyalty toward individuals.
Motivation comes from their role outside their job. No longer is career success their definition of self.
Younger workers want it their way. They are not willing and don?t understand the need to “pay their dues”. Self fulfillment is their mantra.
Young people stay young longer ? they live at home after college, spend more years in the educational world, marry and have children later. With minimal responsibilities until their mid thirties, commitment to career is not on the top of their list.
So what to do about this in the workplace? There?s a lot to learn about these two mysterious generations but you can start with this basic advice from Marston and me.
Focus on your managers. Retaining and motivating X-ers and Millenials is entirely on the shoulders of their individual manager. Put the very best people you have in management roles and choose them based on their ability to build trusting relationships with their staff. Look beyond the most technically astute or highest producers when selecting those to promote. Top individual performers are often not the best managers. Make sure your managers understand that part of their reward will be based on how effectively they handle their subordinates. Implement an employee turnover measurement that hurts in the pocket book if a specific manager is losing too many employees.
Swap time for money. Gone are 10 and 12 hour days. Younger employees would rather have time off than over time. Make sure they have the tools they need to do their job efficiently when they?re there and they will over produce during their regular eight hours. According to Marston, “Technology to them is a ?freedom tool?. It enables them to complete their jobs faster and more easily so they can get back to what?s important ? their lives outside the office.” If you really need them to put in extra time, give them time and a half off rather than time and a half pay.
Create a flexible work environment. You?ll get more done if you let these workers do it on their own terms. Let them come and go as they please within reason, avoid time clocks, give them the tools to work from home. Ask them what floats their own personal boat. I recently talked to the owner of a growing construction firm who had a valuable accountant at a reasonable salary. One day, the owner learned that this employee wanted nothing more than to bring her dog to work. Subsequently the company created a whole team of dog lovers. So many dog lovers want to work there that they get to choose from the very best and have little turnover.
Provide continuing education. Remember that this generation has been exposed to change in a rapid fire manner. If they perceive they?re getting stagnant, they?ll move on. The good news about this is that they?ll soak up new information like a sponge and be the first to try out the latest, greatest technologies and procedures. They?ll implement them quickly and efficiently ? much to the benefit of your business.
Clearly define job roles. Job descriptions are a thing of the past. All they do is report on the tasks to be performed. X-ers and Millenials want to know where they fit in the organization. Make sure they understand how their job function contributes to success. Forget traditional job titles and define jobs by their responsibility. The receptionist is really the head meeter and greeter in charge of first impressions.
Ask, don?t tell. Most managers feel that if they give employees everything they ask for, they?ll be taken advantage of. That won?t be true if you negotiate rather than dictate the solution. Ask younger employees to contribute their ideas to office policy. If you need to correct bad behavior or poor performance, Marston recommends the following steps:
Talk to the individual one-on-one quickly after the incident
Highlight the employee?s value and contributions to the organization
Use neutral language in explaining what went wrong
Make sure the broader repercussions of the error are understood
Work together to negotiate a plan that will ensure the problem does not occur again.
It pays to work hard at understanding the generational divide. Your overall success will be increasingly dependent on the contributions of twenty and thirty-somethings. Start creating a youthful culture now.
Susan T. Gauff is Founder and CEO of The Growth Solutions Group, a human capital consulting firm based in Princeton, NJ. Contact Ms. Gauff at (609) 577-7370 for further information on how to select, retain and motivate star employees. You may also visit her website:
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