Workplace writers are admittedly a bit obsessed with Generation Y.
These young workers, born in 1980 and after, are making their way into offices at the same time that some Boomers are preparing to exit. I say some because studies show that many Boomers plan to keep working away. Which means they'll have to deal with these young whipper-snappers.
In terms of my fixation on Gen Y, I previously noted an eye-rolling piece produced by 60 Minutes, looked at their tech skills, and examined how these newbies are being integrated into the workplace, to name a few. Other Globe writers have also written about Gen Y, including this piece about their sense of company loyalty.
I'm sure some people are sick of hearing about this tech savvy, ambitious generation. But like it or not, you will be working with them now or in the near future. (For the record, I was born a few years before the 1980 cutoff. I'm kind of Generation In Between: neither X nor Y.)
So here's the latest bit of useful Gen Y advice I came across. G.L. Hoffman, an entrepreneur who says that 75 percent of his employees are under 30, offered US News & World Report ten tips for managing Generation Y workers. I think the first nine are right on point. Number 10 is going to require some research on you part.
Hoffman's Top 10:
- Be authentic. Be yourself—don't try to be one of them, or someone you are not. They can smell insincerity.
- Transparency is key. They want to know what is happening, what you are doing, and how what they do fits in.
- Add value. As long as you are adding value to them and their skills, you are OK. Choose to ignore this and they will leave you for someone who will.
- Let them use their media. Let them use Facebook, MySpace, and IM at work. From time to time, we have server issues and ask them to restrict their use and we get no complaints.
- They want trust. They want you to trust them and more than that, they want to trust you and their workplace.
- They want standards. They want to know the rules and the standards that they and others must adhere to. They want fairness.
- They like a cause. They want to belong to something bigger, with a clear and simple idea.
- Set up groups and committees and stand back. This is a great way to keep them involved while you learn new ideas.
- Expect varied, non-chain-of-command type communications. If they need something to do the job better, expect them to search and find it. Or tell you.
- Everything you learned from Peter Drucker still applies. But—roughly—times 10.
