Invent new ways to interact with Generation Y to get their interest
Stress for Success
April 25, 2006



The fourth and final generation in today's workplace that I’m writing about is the large (68 million strong) Generation Y (aka Nexters and Millennials). The birth years I use for this group are 1981 to 2000, making them 6 to 25 years old this year. It’s too early to know if the predictions about them will pan out but this is what researchers foresee.

Gen Yers are more like their Veteran grandparents --- more stable and moral than recent generations. They’ve had fewer teen pregnancies, abortions, drunk driving incidents along with a dramatic decrease in adolescent violent crime. The US Bureau of Juvenile Statistics reports that the violent crime rate among 12 - 17-year-olds has fallen to pre-1988 levels. They even like and respect their parents! 9/11 galvanized Yers’ patriotism and recent corporate fraud their concern for ethical business practices.

Unlike the unsupervised Generation X, this generation is over-managed by their Boomer and Xer soccer parents. These “helicopter parents” are known to swoop in to negotiate their child's grades in school or salary in a new job. The booming economy of the 1990s allowed these parents to pay for a relatively privileged lifestyle, which included every possible class in which their little Yer expressed an interest.

Yers have interacted with technology since they were old enough to reach a keyboard; it’s second nature to them. They’re the first generation to have more marketable skills than their parents. Due to technology immersion their thinking pattern is different. Historically we’ve been linear thinkers going from point A to B to C. Yers move randomly between points and eventually draw conclusions. This allows faster processing and greater absorption of information along with an even greater multi-tasking capability than Gen Xers have. They’re arguably the most intelligent generation ever.

They communicate electronically on multiple levels simultaneously, which is unprecedented. Interactivity is key to their expectations in dealing with everything from technology to classroom learning to employment. Without it you won’t hold their attention.

They’ve participated in more family decisions so it doesn’t occur to them to hold back their ideas in the workplace. An older supervisor may be shocked and even insulted when a new Gen Y employee tells him how to improve a project.

Not all has been a bed of roses for this generation, however. They’re the first to be less healthy than their parents due to greater inactivity, consumption of more processed foods, and greater pollution and stress. They have rising rates of diabetes and other obesity and sedentary lifestyle related diseases. Generation Y has been medicated from an early age so hasn’t developed the coping skills possessed by older generations.
They also grew up when terrorism and violence took on lives of their own. The Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, and school shootings influenced them deeply. Workplace safety is their #1 concern.

In spite of these events, they remain optimistic. This is the most cause-oriented generation since the Boomers. Record numbers of them work for social causes. Perhaps curbing violence will be theirs.

To motivate them to work for you offer:

• Challenging and meaningful work that makes a positive impact
• Collaborative work with teams
• Cutting edge technology
• Supportive supervision without dictatorial overtones
• Mentoring and coaching
• Programs to encourage better nutrition, lifestyle habits and disease-specific counseling or you’ll feel the pinch in future years when insurance and disability rates go through the roof
• Freedom from gender-role expectations
• Involvement in decision-making where possible
• Respect; treat them like adults

Now that we’ve taken a brief look at the four generations and the historic events that helped shape each, next week I’ll recap and emphasize what employers need to consider regarding recruitment and retention of all four generations.

Jacquelyn Ferguson, M. S., of InterAction Associates, is a trainer and a Stress Coach in Lee County. E-mail her at www.jackieferguson.com or call 239-693-8111 for information about her workshops on this and other topics. Register for her open enrollment seminar on June 9 at FGCU, Bridging the Generation Gap (590-7815).