With an upsurge of technological advancements changing the
way we communicate and behave, it is undeniable that businesses must change and
adapt to meet these trends. Similarly to this, it is also clear that changes in
the labour market will equate to businesses having to alter their practices to adapt.
Gen-Y is growing into the job market, and will soon grow into decision making
roles. So how can a business adapt to the needs of Gen-Y in order to benefit
their bottom line?
Debunking the myths:
1. Respect: Contrary to popular belief, this generation highly values respect. However, this generation only acts respectfully towards those who give a reason to be respected. Having grown up in a society that promotes equality – this group of individuals crave fairness in many aspects of their lives. Not dissimilar to this – in the workplace, this age group acts impartially towards those who are over-domineering, and those who excessively exert dominance and authority over other workers. Prolonged periods of time within these types of workplaces may see resentment and lower employee morale.
The key: Establish relationships and treat
them as equals. Be sure to communicate who their supervisors and managers are
and make the lines of delegation clear. They will often not assume that they
should take orders from anyone and everyone.
2. Impatience: Partially attributable to their attachment to social media sites, needing instant gratification, and technology – this generation craves speed. Having near-immediate information at the tip of their hands means that this group dislikes not knowing things fast.
The key: Get to the point. Quickly. Don’t
let their strong imaginations get stuck; have set tasks with known value ready
for them to jump on. Let them know they need to learn to effectively manage
their time and priorities as it translates to objectives.
3. Laziness: Some of the assumptions of their laziness are predominantly due to baby boomers treating their lack of work-life balance as a badge of honour. However, it is undeniable that this generation tends to get bored quickly. This isn’t due to their disinterest in the work – rather, their attitude towards work when it isn’t stimulating or made to be meaningful for them. They need to see the benefits of the work, and how they have individually contributed to the organisation.
The key: Show them the benefits. Make the work stimulating and interesting.
4. Flexibility: Perhaps one of the most important points of all, an organisation must be flexible to the needs of this younger generation. Although it may agitate some businesses beyond comprehension in needing to change ‘our way’ to ‘their way’ – efficiency and productivity can only be facilitated through these means. This generation has grown up with greater flexibility of choice. They have grown up with the freedom of being able to take their time in choosing their career paths, and they have been given a lot of freedom in self-development. Therefore, they may be unresponsive to static business structures, and having to alter their lifestyle to fit a job.
The key: Understand the needs of the
generation, and try to adapt ways in which staff can improve and grow so that
they are inspired to increase their productivity.
As businesses must change and adapt to global, political,
and technological changes among many other things – perhaps one of the most
important adaptations will be accommodating to the younger generation. By
understanding and adapting to these groups of individuals and their needs,
businesses will be sure to see enhanced productivity and morale.
To find out more information about tools that aid in the
change and development of company cultures, please visit http://www.psychpress.com.au/psychometric/talent-retain.asp?culture-survey
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