Debunking Myths of Gen Y in the Workforce

Unsurprisingly, there have been an alarming number of misconceptions about Generation Y in the workforce. From ‘terrible work ethics’ to ‘commitment issues’, these harmful assumptions may be the very thing that is blinding employers from identifying promising candidates and key contributors to the organisation.

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

---

Managing workplace ambiguity

At times, having to work through ambiguity in the workplace is inevitable. From handling tasks with incomplete or poor directions to structural changes at the workplace, at one point or another you will face ambiguity and uncertainty at work with no option to pass things onto someone else. Although experiencing ambiguity can be anxiety-provoking, effectively dealing with ambiguity is an important skill to have. Here are some useful strategies to manage workplace ambiguity:  

 

1. Learn to let go of your desire to control

Most of us like to think that we can make a powerful change in the challenges presented to us. However anxiety and stress can often result when you are dealing with ambiguous situations that you feel the need to be in control of, or that you feel should be done an exact way. In order to deal with ambiguity effectively, you need to be comfortable with uncertainty and suppress your need to control the situation. To do this, it is important to identify what you can and cannot control or influence, and accept and be comfortable with what is beyond your control. Ask yourself "can I change the way this process is right now?" If not, then stress has no value for you.

2. Learn to make decisions without having all the facts

 Unfortunately, in ambiguous situations, you will often receive insufficient information required to make assured decisions. Don’t wait around until you receive every bit of information to take action; it may never arrive. This is where people who are 'risk averse' often struggle to try things out or take a chance when time is an issue, try to limit yourself to definite pieces of information you absolutely need.

3. Be flexible

 Ambiguous situations can go hand in hand with constant and unforeseen changes, so a willingness to adapt to these changes and incorporating them into your decisions can ease the anxiety and stress. If you are in the planning phase of a project or update, make sure that there is a contingency to follow and each step only contains general objectives, not direct pathways that may be altered easily.

4. Be confident in your abilities 

A great way to reduce ambiguity and handle uncertainty is by having confidence in your abilities and how you respond to things you cannot control. Those who are confident ask for assistance, are not afraid to be wrong and hold themselves accountable for their mistakes. Having these characteristics will assist you in adapting and responding to ambiguity and uncertainty.

5. Communicate and clarify 

When facing ambiguity, communicating with those involved in the situation can be very useful in clarifying the situation. Ask for clarification or feedback. Make sure that updates are frequent and everyone is on the same page.

6. Develop and expand your network

 Having a large network of professional contacts can prove useful for support and information sharing, which can be helpful in facing ambiguous work situations. To make the most of networking opportunities, attend conferences and seminars to connect with people from different businesses, or join professional organisations outside of the workplace.

7. Effectively manage stress

 Stress may be experienced when faced with ambiguous tasks. It is worthwhile to find coping techniques to manage this stress, especially since there is greater chance for you to deal with problems and challenges efficiently when stress is under control.

Hopefully these techniques will help you overcome unnecessary stress or anxiety and even get through certain tasks or changes more effectively! 

Predictors of job performance: How important is Personality?

It is considered that experience and skill are important predictors of job performance, and traditionally the hiring process has been based on these qualities. In recent years, however, personality has increasingly been recognised as an equally important predictor of job performance. 

Business mogul and entrepreneur Richard Branson is known to place more value on personality than skill set when hiring. Branson maintains that most jobs can be taught relatively quickly, and suggests “if you can find people who are fun, friendly, caring and love helping others, you are on to a winner”. Indeed, more and more businesses are incorporating personality testing into their hiring processes.

Attributes that make up Personality

Motivation, resilience, flexibility, and the ability to take initiative are examples of personality characteristics that strongly affect individual job performance. When planning your next workforce addition/s, it is important to underline which mix of these attributes equals ‘getting the job done effectively’ for the short and long term in your unique setting.

For example, the way individuals approach and complete tasks, adapt to change, and deal with stress are strongly influenced by personality and can have various connotations to performance depending on the environment and culture, not just the role at hand. A receptionist at a health clinic may have to be far more open to sudden adaptation and change than a law firm receptionist.

Predicting environment match 

Personality may also determine the workplace environment in which an individual is most likely to be successful. For example, introverted individuals are more likely to perform well in a job involving independent work, whereas extroverted or outgoing individuals are generally better suited to jobs involving more human interaction. 

Matching personality types together

Employers should also keep in mind how the workplace dynamic is influenced by the personalities of employees, who are more likely to stick around if they are happy in their workplace and get along with their co-workers. Matching younger up and coming employees to more experienced mentors can have great benefits for both parties, but be sure that there isn’t a large clash in flexibility or openness.

Recruiting based on personality therefore has a noticeable effect on your organisational goals. Being sure that your chance of turnover is significantly reduced is ultimately going to save costs, knowing that your staff members are adaptive to change will allow larger changes to become successful more quickly, and knowing that your staff are resilient during times of stress will reduce complaints and increase openness to job rotation and potential promotion.

Whilst experience certainly counts for something, the role personality plays in predicting job performance should not be discounted. Businesses can benefit from including an aspect of personality testing early in the recruitment process.

Want to learn more about testing personality directly related to your role and company?

Talent assessment and development Psychologists, Psych Press have a large selection of in-house and customisable assessment tools that link personality to performance prediction for a variety of companies. One such tool, Business Personality Reflections (BPR) has been used for a multitude of roles to ascertain a strong fit for recruiting decisions. Based on a wide field of research and multiple industry norms, this assessment provides a full report for your informed decision. To find out more visit the Psych Press Business Personality Reflections page.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/richard-branson-hires-for-personality-2013-9