Transcript Graduate Employability

Generation Y: Maximising the value
of generations in the 21st century
workplace.
Dr Paul Redmond, Government Legal Service, Feb. 09.
How does a drum-playing gorilla
sell chocolate bars?
‘Generation Y speaks: it’s all me, me,
me.
Sunday Times, 4/02/07
‘The Google Generation’: web-savvy
young people for whom the world is just
a click away.’
The Guardian, 30/09/06
‘Generation Y says car boot sales are
more fun than going to Church.’
London Evening Standard, 8/5/06
‘51% of Gen Y women would have
surgery to improve their looks.’
BBC On-line News, 20/02/07
‘Generation Y – the generation that
dares to ask for more.’
Sunday Times, 23 April 2003
‘Generation Y goes for flexible
hours.’
London Evening Standard, 20/04/06
‘Generation Y – different attitudes to
work and authority, claim employers.’
Sunday Times, 19/03/06
‘Generation Y, the employees with
more front.’
Times, 19/02/06
‘Generation Y – today’s graduates
who fail to make the grade.’
Sunday Times, 25/02/07
‘Workers with attitude: Why
Generation Y is turning out to be
every employer’s nightmare.’
Financial Times, 01/02/02
‘Government must change to appeal
to Generation Y.’
Daily Telegraph, 15 July 2008
‘… the generation that has never
encountered an economic recession.’
Guardian, 4 November 2008
“Each generation is a new
people.”
Alexis de Tocqueville
“The key question to ask is not how
old people are, but when they were
young.”
Putman, 2000
‘Idealist’
‘Civic’
‘Boomers’
Gen. X
1943 – 63
1964 – 81
Gen. Y
‘Millennials’
1982 – 2001
2001 – 2222?
‘Reactive’
‘Adaptive’
Why generations matter.
– arguably
the single most concerning impediment
to long-term sustainable growth ... The
contributing forces are: an ageing talent
pool combined with a diminished
pipeline [plus] a changing market
landscape that requires new perspectives
and skill’.
‘CORPORATE BRAIN DRAIN
Deloitte, Generational Talent Management
Boomers.
Boomers
• Largest gen. in history 35% of workforce
• Defined by post-war
optimism and values
• Ethos: hard work;
loyalty; rewards
• Family-orientated.
Boomers
• Idealistic and altruistic.
• Socially liberal;
politically conservative.
• Organisational and
careerist.
• Defined by modernist
achievements.
Generation X.
Generation X – the Reactives
• Blurring of traditional
boundaries.
• End of Cold-War
certainties.
• Lack of clarity – at
home, work and in the
world.
• Loyal to profession, not
necessarily to employer.
X - The Lost Generation
• Grew up during a time
of strong political
leadership.
• Largest group now in the
workforce.
• Confident and
independent, but
concerned about worklife balance.
• ‘Digital Immigrants’.
Generation Y.
Generation Y – characteristics
• Connected …24/7
• Self-confident
• Optimistic
• Independent
• Bored by routine
• Entrepreneurial
• Goal oriented
• ‘Digital Natives’
Y’s formative years
• Grew up during the
‘Decade of the Child.’
• Enjoyed unprecedented
levels of parental
supervision, support and
involvement.
• Rise of the ‘Helicopter
Parents’ …
HELICOPTER PARENTS
5 Types
The White Knight
The Agent
The Banker
The Bodyguard
The Black Hawk
Gen. Y – career aspirations
• Lots of Change,
Challenge and Choice
• Sense of purpose and
meaning
• Access to mentors and
other company
champions
• Open social networks
that embrace open /
honest communication.
Generation Y attributes.
#1. Attendance is
always optional.
“Contrary to assertions that Gen Y
are flighty and don’t want to stick at a
job, research shows that if they are
getting what they want they will stay,
and they will be loyal.”
Talent Smoothie, 2008
#2. Passionate about new challenges,
responsibilities and success.
What is important to Gen Y when working on projects?
%
SOURCE: Bibb, S., Walker, S., James, J. (2008).
%
%
%
%
#3. ‘Career’ means a cause
to believe in.
72% of finalists said they would have
to feel happy with an employer's
ethical record.
GRADFACTS
#4. Think: ‘IPOD’
Insecure, Pressurised, Over-taxed, Debt-ridden
(Ipsos Mori, 2008)
#5. WLB is more than a buzz word:
flexi-working, part-time, gap years,
home working.
#6. Focused on long-term skills
development.
‘… today's younger managers in the health
sector believe their future success depends on
skills development. Asked what attracts them
to job opportunities, just 21 per cent said pay is
very important. Most (78 per cent) said
they are attracted to employers offering training
and development and 87 per cent said the
"challenge of work" is a key factor influencing
their choice of job.’
Health Service Journal, 17/06/08
#7. Image or ‘brand’ matters.
Brand Tattoos
What are the brands that
Generation Y are most
likely to tattoo on their
bodies?
Top 10 “Tattoo Brands”*
Harley .… 18.9%
Disney .... 14.8%
Coke …. 7.7%
Google .... 6.6%
Pepsi .... 6.1%
Rolex …. 5.6%
Nike …. 4.6%
Adidas …. 3.1%
Absolut …. 2.6%
Nintendo …. 1.5%
BRANDsense, Martin Lindstrom
Girls…
Boys…
• Chardonnay
• Chanel
• Porsche
• Armani
• Camry
• Lexus
• Alexus
• Timberland
• Jamieson
• Denim
• Del Monte
• Canon
• Xerox
• ESPN
BBC News, 13/11/03
“I am a weapon of
massive
consumption,
and its not my fault
it’s how I’m
programmed to
function.”
Lily Allen, The Fear
#8. Equality, transparency and
fairness are paramount
(Ability & performance are the only acceptable
Gen. Y measures).
#9. Motivated not by bosses or
supervisors, but by coaches!
SOURCE: Bibb, S., Walker, S., James, J. (2008).
#10. “You cannot be
SERIOUS!”
Generation Y will challenge. If unhappy,
they will quit.
Talent Management for Generation Y
Develop
Capability
Commitment
Performance
Deploy
Connect
Alignment
Conclusion.
Generation Y wants …
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Motivational leadership (i.e. McGregor’s ‘Y’ not ‘X’)
Career brands which offer creative/visionary narrative
Coaching and mentoring
Opportunities for learning and developing
Flexibility
On-going development and support
Facilitated and experiential learning
Face-face rather than e-Learning!
Talent Management for Generation Y
Develop
Capability
Commitment
Performance
Deploy
Connect
Alignment
Bill’s Rules!
- In which a Boomer offers career
advice to an audience of
Generation Y students …
Rule 1:
Life is not fair - get
used to it.
Rule 2:
The world will not care about
your self-esteem. The world will
expect you to accomplish
something before you feel
good about yourself.
Rule 3:
You will not make $40,000
a year right out of high
school. You won’t be a
CEO with a car phone
until you earn both.
Rule 4:
If you think your teacher
is tough, wait until you
get a boss.
Rule 5:
Flipping burgers is NOT
beneath your dignity. Your
grandparents had a different
word for burger-flipping - they
called it OPP-OR-TUN-
ITY.
Rule 6:
If you mess up, it is not
your parents' fault, so don't
whine about your
mistakes, learn from
them.
Rule 7:
Before you were born, your parents
weren't as boring as they are now. They
got that way paying your bills, cleaning
your clothes and listening to you talk
about how cool you are. So, before you
save the rain forest, try delousing the
closet in your own room.
Rule 8:
Your school may have done away with
winners and losers, but life has not. In
some schools they have abolished fail
grades and they give you as many times
as you want to get the right answer. This
doesn't bear the slightest resemblance
to anything in real life.
Rule 9:
Life is not divided into semesters.
You don't get summers off and very
few employers are interested
in helping you find yourself.
Do that in your own time.
Rule 10:
Television is not real life. In
real life people actually have
to leave the coffee shop and
go to jobs.
Rule 11:
“Be nice to nerds.
Chances are you'll end
up working for one.”
[email protected]
Dr Paul Redmond