Generation Y for managers – better than their reputation?
Copyright by Stephan Klaschka 2010-2024
From my series on how to build a successful BRG.1
Coming with a Poor Reputation
Generation Y arrived at the workplace with a commonly unfavorable preconception. This generation of Millennials (born after 1980) is said to be a lot of things: lazy, impatient, needy, entitled, taking up too much time, expecting work to be fun, seeking instant gratifications, hopping from company to company, wanting promotions right away, give their opinion all the time and so on. - But is it really that easy to characterize a generation?
Clashing Generations
Clashes between generations at the workplace are not a new phenomenon: Young people want to prove themselves, probe the boundaries, and seek opportunities. The older ones are in power, hold the wealth, make the decisions, and are typically reluctant to change and let go of their well-established and comfortable status quo.
However, something significant has changed: Where in the past three generations used to live at the same time, we now see that four generations are working together simultaneously. A conflict that used to predominate the homes is now also present in the workplace (as a result of several factors that include demographic change, geo-economical impact, longer life expectancy, and increasing retirement age).
While in our personal lives, we may be able to avoid or bypass some areas of generational friction these same ways may not be possible in the workplace. Here you have to get along and collaborate with your co-workers. This is challenging not only for the multi-generational workforce but also for the managers facing the new need to mitigate generational conflicts, integrate the staff, and provide a constructive and collaborative work environment.
Why do managers keep struggling with Generation Y?
For managers, it is important to take a close look at GenY, since GenY outnumbers the significantly smaller GenX (born 1965 to 1980) and is the largest workforce generation. As retiring Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) start to leave a gap in the regular workforce they are far from gone as many tend to still hold on to their jobs into old age. Nonetheless, given the typical career progression, higher management positions are still firmly held by Baby Boomers or even their preceding Pre-Boomer generation (born before 1946) – the generations farthest apart from GenY.
Ignoring the differences between generations or addressing them in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ manner backfires. It also fails to leverage particular traits of the younger generation that become critical for an organization to sustain in the face of change coming at an ever faster pace and with increasing complexity.
It is Generation Y that people seem to have the hardest time wrapping their heads around. Simply pigeon-holing GenY does not do them justice and doesn’t help understanding and managing them either.
‘Kids’ entered the workplace?
It is even a common misconception that GenY have not yet arrived at the workplace and that they are ‘kids’ just coming out of school or college. If you consider the demographics, however, the early GenY’ers are 40+ years old now, so they are hardly ‘kids’ anymore. They come well-educated and already gained experience at the workplace for several decades now. They are not ‘out there’ anymore but ‘in here’ now!
Instant gratification and fast promotions?
It is true that GenY seeks fun (who doesn't?) and grew up with high-end video games in which the players typically rack up points in fast progression opening up new levels or challenges to continue the game. But that’s only one side of the coin. It also forms a mindset to figure things out, address challenges with optimism in a playful way, master technology, compete in ever-changing surroundings, and hook up with a network of friends to play and succeed together – don’t be fooled, these are the critical basic skills in the world we live and do business in!
Entitled?
Look at GenY’s parents that determined the upbringing: The generation of Baby Boomer parents indulged in perks and benefits like only a few before them; the succeeding GenX only saw these goodies going away when they started entering the workforce. Fortunes were racked up or inherited by Baby Boomers.
GenY kids often grew up in a world of abundance; nothing was too good for them or out of reach – and sponsored freely by the parents with enough cash in their pockets to offer their kids any imaginable aspect of a ‘better life’.
Instead of flipping burgers during summer holidays to earn their own money, many GenY kids had spare time on their hands to learn and have fun while ‘helicopter parents’ took (and continue to) care for their well-being and even professional advancement as adults. - Who would say ‘No’ if you were young and your parents offered to pay for your car, and your shopping dreams or set you up for a prosperous and promising career?
This way many Baby Boomer parents did their part to breed a generational culture of entitlement or at least high expectations while reinforcing the message “You can do anything and succeed!” – It does not seem fair to hold this upbringing against their kids.
(Instead, it provokes the question of why Baby Boomers, in particular, seem to have such a hard time letting go to let their kids live their own lives without excessive parental hand-holding. – But that is a topic for another day…)
GenY is prepared, assertive, and speaks up. They know what they want and how to get it. Don’t underestimate them as customers either, since GenY is a serious economic power and probably even more so than any previous young generation in history!
Lazy, impatient, and needy?
Let me share with you my first-hand experience with GenY at the workplace (from a few years back). I gained my insights as the founder and chair of a generation-oriented business resource group (BRG) which gave me ample opportunities to work closely with GenY’ers across many projects. It made me probe my own biases and assumptions based on practical work experience (which, by the way, I don’t always see reflected in critical articles written about GenY).
What I learned was quite different from most preconceptions: The GenY’ers work hard and with ambition, they are not a bit lazy.
When we coin GenY ‘needy’ or ‘taking up too much of my time’ we are ignoring that they want to contribute to a meaningful cause in the most effective way. What they are asking is to understand the ‘why’ before going to work. This questions and challenges the status quo in a constructive manner - which is good! If we cannot answer their question satisfactorily or insist that we already know the best way ‘how-to’ then it is us (the non-GenY’ers) standing in the way of innovation and change. As a general truth, it is not their questions that can be compromised but rather our answers.
Some tasks require not only book-smarts but also experience (including managing people) that many GenY’ers cannot have made early in their careers. Therefore, they can be over-confident and overestimate their abilities and effectiveness; support them and offer them learning experiences as a reality-check and growth opportunity.
Empower GenY to put their specific inherent qualities to best use given that they tend to be natural networkers and solvers of complex problems, they tend to use modern technology more effectively and approach different ethnicities and cultures with a refreshing and embracing ‘color-blindness’.
– Are these not exactly the qualities that we need in the world we live and work in today and tomorrow?
Engagement and empowerment drive loyalty
A short while back I wrote here about How to retain talent under the new workplace paradigm? It comes down to approaching the workforce differently by offering flexible career paths, supporting staff to remain employable, and accommodating benefits to their needs instead of hiding behind archaic one-size-fits-all models.
As managers, we need to consider GenY’s particular needs and expectations to attract, engage and retain them. We need to leverage their unique talents and skills for the better of the company while helping them to develop and grow. Empowerment includes guidance and creating opportunities for GenY to make mistakes, learn, and get active ‘their way’ in areas that wake their interest and that are meaningful to them as well as to your organization. – Then relax, sit back, and see beautiful surprises unfold!
Leverage business resource groups (BRGs) as an opportunity
Some managers may ask how to get started, what could be a first step to engage and leverage GenY? One way of doing it is by founding an inclusive BRG to focus and organize your emerging workforce.
As an example, I founded the Next Generation at the Workplace (coined ‘NxGen’) BRG which has already changed the company's perception of employee engagement, increased BRG credibility, and raised the business value seen in BRGs among several levels of management. Our NxGen approach was to address opportunities in business-relevant projects with measurable results for the business (such as return-of-investment, ROI). Our projects often focused on relevant topics outside our immediate field of work and at intersections of departments but were always sponsored by an executive to ensure governance and strategic alignment. These projects provided an excellent and safe training ground for up-and-coming leaders. NxGen supported the organization directly through the project’s immediate deliverables as well as indirectly by establishing a free and hands-on management development program that comes with networking, coaching, and skill development already built in. Everyone wins!
No matter if you have a dedicated BRG or not, don’t discount GenY based on labels. Dig deeper to find the treasures that this next generation has to offer. Your organization’s future relies on them!
Stay tuned for my next post on: Build ERGs as an innovative business resource!
From my series on how to build a successful BRG (=Business Resource Group) group, i.e. a business-focused ERG (=Employee Resource Group) first published on OrgChanger.com.