Generation Y - In the workplace

A recruiter told me the other day about a young girl (degree qualified) who had been at her job for three weeks, was asked to make tea for the boss, got the cranks, and quit! Sounds ridiculous, and just a little extreme, but would this occur at your work? If the answer is yes, then pay attention:

Its reasonable to say that Generation Y in the workplace can be just a little cocky, impatient and often have short attention spans. Anyone who manages or leads these young people may find themselves struggling to keep up with their pace (ie having to constantly find work for them to do) and may also become frustrated at having someone constantly questioning your decisions.

Yet at the same time, Generation Y can be very passionate about a cause, adapt easily to change and are willing to embrace new technologies. Gen Y are prepared to go out on a limb and take risks and more importantly, they believe in themselves to achieve results.

So what do you do to make the most of your talent?

• Encourage participation in decision-making (give them ownership over their responsibilities)
• Coach, rather than dictate, in your management style
• Motivate with flexible conditions (its not always about money, consider other benefits like a late start, a day off, social BBQs)
• Reward with motivation and encouragement (they do like their ego’s to be stroked everyone now and then) – but it doesn’t have to be expensive, it can be as simple as a thank you
• Be clear, fair and reasonable in your expectations (you have to earn their respect too)

However, most importantly, you still need to set specific and realistic boundaries – don’t forget, you are still the boss!