Tag Archive for ‘Generation Y’ at DrivenLeaders.com

Tag Archive for 'Generation Y'

Preparing Your Organization for Gen-Y

Published

on October 7, 2009

. 0 Comments

Generation Y is of the age to enter the workplace and the workplace is in need of them. But are you ready for them?

Thanks to Richard Bottner of Intern Bridge, Inc, another development opportunity is in the works that attempts to close this learning gap. Set for October 26th - 30th 2009, Intern Bridge is sponsoring the Millennial Thought Leaders Online Conference, geared at preparing organizations with the tools and practices necessary to engage today’s rising talent. We know that as Gen-Y’s presence in the workplace increases, the need for growth in this area becomes ever more important. Yet sadly, for many companies, it continues to be an area that is frequently overlooked. Per the conference website,

“The Millennial Thought Leaders Online Conference provides an opportunity for college recruiting professionals, human resources specialists, line managers and supervisors, and career services practitioners to engage in a nationwide program of best practices and proven methods for engaging today’s entry level talent. From social networking to dealing with parents to learning what higher education is doing to help this unique generation, the online conference compliments professional development goals without impacting travel budgets.

Registration for the conference will be made on a per-location basis, meaning every employee of a registered organization or career office will have access to the entire content of the conference. All you need is an internet connection and a conference room where professionals can gather for presentations.”

Each daily session last about 1-1 ½ hours, with presentations from established authorities on Gen-Y. The schedule includes:

Monday, October 26, 2009 - SESSION 1 - 12:30pm to 2:00pm EST
The New Work Ethic: Why Even the Most Talented Young Employees Are Overcomplaining and Underperforming, and What to Do About It! - Presented By: Eric Chester: Author, Employing Generation Why: Understanding, Managing, and Motivating Your New Workforce -President and Founder, Generation Why, Inc.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - SESSION 2 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm EST
The Trophy Kids Go to Work: How The Millennial Generation’s Attitudes And Expectations Are Shaking Up The Corporate Workplace - Presented By: Ron Alsop: Author, The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplace - Retired Staff Writer/Editor, Wall Street Journal

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - SESSION 3 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm EST
Using Social Media to Recruit and Retain Millennials - Presented By: Dan Schawbel: Author, ME 2.0: Build A Powerful Brand To Achieve Career Success - Publisher, Personal Branding Magazine

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - SESSION 4 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm EST
The Millennial Generation: How Does Higher Education Fit in The Picture? - Presented By: Rachel Reiser: Author, Millennials On Board: The Impact of The Rising Generation on the Workplace -Associate Dean, Babson College

Thursday, October 29, 2009 - SESSION 5 - 1:30pm to 2:30pm EST
Millennials Seeking Meaningful Work: How to Lend a Helping Hand. - Presented By: Alexandra Levit: Author, Success For Hire and Millennial Tweet Columnist, Wall Street Journal

If you have yet to establish a program for engaging tomorrow’s future leaders, this may be an excellent place to start. Download the official conference brochure for more details and registration information.

Creating Your Personal Career Vision

Published

Anthony

on May 20, 2009

in Advancement, Personal Development and Vision

. 1 Comment

career vision4 Creating Your Personal Career Vision

I know this sounds easier said than done, trust me. I was that kid who never had a straight answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I had new idea every few weeks, feeling that it was too hard to pick just one thing to do for the rest of my life. As time passed and experience came to my aid, I quickly learned that without a defined goal, vision, or endpoint for where I wanted to be later in life, the road to getting there was going to be that much tougher to travel.

Since those early days, I have become strong advocate of setting goals and creating a vision for one’s future; career ambitions included.

Even in a tough job market there are opportunities, perhaps reserved for the most talented, best networked, or best prepared, but they do exist. For many, the difference between being in that group verses being on the outside, is having an unyielding personal vision. Defining your career goals and developing a plan to reach them is the first step to achieving them. Expectedly this is only part of the equation; the execution is what will ultimately determine its level of success.

For Gen-Y, achieving our career ambitions will take much longer than we had once hoped; a blatant fact that may be discouraging, but is nevertheless true. This creates a perfect time to revisit (or create) your own Personal Career Vision and figure out where you truly want to be later in life. i believe we each need to define this vision before we can take the correct action on it.

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” - George Washington Carver

Creating your vision - Where to Start

Like most things, getting started is often the hardest part. Steve Bohler, Director for the Oxford Program of Career Change, offers some suggestions on how to approach creating your personal vision. If done correctly, this exercise may be a little eye opening. Get started today by asking yourself the following:

What is my CORE? Your core defines how you are hard-wired - your natural abilities and personal traits. Using these traits is required for a fulfilling work life. If your work makes it impossible for you to express these essential aspects of yourself, self-actualization will be just about impossible. The best way to understand your core is through a “triangulation” of objective testing, reflection, and external validation.

Objective Testing: Results from a sound interests/personality assessment can help you identify your role in life. For example, at work are you supposed to be a “creator” or a “doer?”
Reflection: Look over your employment history and identify themes that run through the jobs you’ve loved and those you’ve hated. Does the objective testing help to explain why those themes exist?
External Validation: What do others who know you well suggest are your greatest, natural talents?

What is my AMBITION? No Personal Career Vision can exist without getting intimately in touch with what you really want, now and in the future. Your ambition builds off of your core and paints a picture of your ideal destination. If you know where you want to go, you’ll have a much easier time getting there. Make a list on paper:

What time do you want to start work? What do you want to wear to work?
What organizational style do you find most compatible? What setting? Profit vs. non-profit? Summers off?
What are your lifetime goals? Retiring early? Becoming a homeowner?
Imagine being on your death bed. What are the things you must do or achieve in your life to feel satisfied? Becoming prominent in your field? Writing a book? Somehow making a difference in the world?

Then ask yourself, which of these are important enough to wait, create or fight for? Which of these will be a part of my Personal Career Vision?

What are my TRADEMARK ASSETS? Your assets make up your competitive advantage. They are your source of success and meaning as well as your greatest value to the world. Think about:

What are you really interested in? Do you look forward to reading the trade magazines for your job, or do you dread it? If you were stranded on a desert island and could get one magazine subscription, what would that magazine be about?
What gift (or gifts) do you have that you haven’t fully acknowledged?
What makes you more naturally suited to a profession than 95 percent of the population because you bring a unique passion, experience, or talent to the table?
What do you know a lot about, or know a little about and want to know more about?
What do you really love doing? Think about those tasks where time flies by and you don’t even notice because you’re truly in the moment.

The answers to theses main questions should tell you a great deal about yourself and your personal ambitions. Once you’ve created your vision, start exploring avenues that will help you turn these desires into reality. It’s unrealistic to expect all of these “wants” to happen quickly, but now that your vision is taking shape, you can figure out what it will take to make it reality. Share your vision with a trusted mentor and begin to formulate what steps you need to take to fulfill these goals. It may involve a career change, switching industries, or perhaps accepting an interim position as a stepping stone to a future career. Though it may not be your favorite position, it could play a crucial role in reaching your ultimate goal.

Remember, “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” So take a moment, look inside yourself, and outline your Personal Career Vision, you’ll thank yourself in the future.

Career Transition Tips for Success (halliecrawford.typepad.com)
A Gap Year Can Get Gen Ys’ Groove Back (blogs.harvardbusiness.org)
How to recognize bad advice about work (penelopetrunk.com)

What Employers Can Do To Attract Gen-Y Talent

Published

Anthony

on April 2, 2009

in Gen-Y and Recruiting

. 0 Comments

Ethan Lyon, Senior Writer at Sparxoo, asked me to author an article for a series they are launching around Gen-Y. The following is our collaboration focusing on the Gen-Y in the workplace. Though the economy has certainly changed the game for employers, the following is a synopsis of the traditional drivers of Gen-Y. Please visit Sparxoo.com for more information on their Gen-Y series.

maunel lino What Employers Can Do To Attract Gen Y Talent

Gen-Y in the Workplace

76 million. That’s the estimated size of Gen-Y, according to Fast Company, with many yet to reach the workforce. The subject of how Gen-Y is changing the future of business continues to be a growing discussion around the country. Gen X employers are already beginning to feel this shift in the workforce, many understanding that to stay competitive in this new environment they must adapt their philosophies or risk being left behind in the change.

Staying competitive in today’s marketplace means attracting Gen-Y’s top candidates, something that can be challenging to many organizations. The first step requires an employer to gain a greater understanding of Gen-Y’s expectations and a willingness to stray from the norms that have become commonplace in their organization. Though there are many areas to consider when looking to attract Gen-Y’s best and brightest, below are 3 suggestions that are worth some time and consideration.

Flexibility

Gone are the days where the steady 9 to 5 job with two weeks vacation will entice the prospective employees. Gen-Y demands flexibility in their careers. Work / life balance is more than just a pipe dream, and for most it’s a reality worth fighting tooth and nail to obtain. The separation between work and life is blurred as Gen Y seeks flexibility and variation in the workplace. In the past two years, the number of U.S. employees working remotely at least one day per month increased 39 percent, from 12.4 million in 2006 to 17.2 million in 2008, according to WorldatWork. “They want the freedom and flexibility of a virtual office, but they want rules and responsibilities to be spelled out explicitly,” says Ron Alsop, author of The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation Is Shaking Up the Workplace.

If an employer leaves no room for compromise, Gen-Y has no problem packing up and searching for a position that will fill this desire. Regardless, don’t be fooled. They are obsessed with productivity and have no problem working longer hours as long as it fits into their schedule.

Recommendation: When looking to hire strong candidates, consider flexible hours or provide choice in the role. Though the end goal will be the same, how, when, and where they go about completing a task, it is more important and more motivating to the Gen-Y employee. In most cases they will look to shape their jobs to fit their lives rather than adapt their lives to fit the workplace.

More Feedback

This generation also demands additional attention and guidance from employers. Growing up and an environment of constant feedback and praise, Gen-Y thrives when working in an environment where there is an open flow of communication. “Millennials have been given very high doses of feedback since age 4, and they need that feedback to know they’re on the right track,” says Bea Fields of Fast Company. As technology has integrated itself into nearly every facet of their lives, it has created a need for immediacy that is absent in Gen X and even moreso in Boomers. When it comes to an evaluation, an annual or even semiannual evaluation isn’t enough. They want to know how they’re doing weekly, even daily if it’s possible.

Recommendation: Consider creating a mentoring program if you don’t have one, or at the very least, introduce them to people early on that they can turn to when they feel the need for advice or someone to bounce ideas off of. When it comes to feedback and recognition stick to the rule that each employee should be individually recognized or told how they are doing at least once every seven days. Even a simple, “You’re doing a great job.” will improve moral and encourage increased productivity.

Creating Value

To truly get the most out their Gen-Y employees, employers need to look beyond just the traditional paycheck. Though salary and benefits continue to be number 1 and 2 respectively on the list of importance, the opportunity for growth and advancement rank a close 3rd. Gen-Y needs to be shown how their work makes a difference and why it’s of value to the company. They have much to offer in the workplace combining strengths such as teamwork, technology skills, social networking and multitasking skills.

Recommendation: If you can provide and communicate a strong plan for development AND advancement, you will be well on your way to retaining your top Gen-Y employees. Competitive wages are important and retention will be influenced by the level of “opportunity” your company provides. If you make any promises in this area, be sure you’re willing and able to live up to them. It’s a key driver of the Gen-Y work ethic.