Attracting and Retaining The New Generations
Beyond the Basics Leader Tips!
As the Baby Boomer generation approaches retirement, it is particularly important to institute hiring practices and workplace policies that attract and integrate the younger generations. By the same token, I would also caution you to shy away from language that may perpetuate employment stereotypes. For example, in Hiring in the Age of Ageism, Kate Rockwood asserts that we are noticing “a shift in hiring managers’ vocabulary away from ‘experienced’ and ‘seasoned’ and toward ‘high potential’ and ‘energetic.’ That is where [employers] need to be careful, since such terms can be viewed as a code for ‘young.’” Many have talked about how Generation Xers and Millennials always seem ready to leave one company and move onto something better, as soon as there is a new opportunity. While it is true that people in the younger generations will usually not stay with a job if they are unhappy (unlike stability-focused Baby Boomers), this does not mean they are not serious or disloyal. It simply means that if you want to keep the best and brightest leaders in your organization, you need to offer them an environment that is geared to their values.
While Baby Boomers and Traditionalists have historically appreciated more structure, the younger generations tend to come equipped with a more entrepreneurial, self-motivated skillset. Additionally, while older generations may have experienced a predominantly formal work environment, contemporary work environments tend to be more relaxed and less hierarchical. Interactive workspaces, open floor plans, communal environments, and remote working opportunities are all characteristics of this new shift in the work environment.
The younger generations are less likely to accept rigid hierarchical structures and more vocal in their desire for an environment that makes them feel valued, even though they may not be there forever. Quite a few Fortune 500 companies have changed the way they work to meet the needs and values of these new generations
Here are some examples:
A major United States chemical company has eliminated its corporate ladder approach to management. There are no bosses, and there’s no top and bottom in the chain of command. Instead, authority is passed around through team leaders, so everyone in the company has a sense of equality and involvement.
A large United States accounting firm gives 4 weeks of vacation to every new hire (most U.S. companies offer only 2 weeks). This firm also offers new parents classes on how to reduce their working hours to spend more time with their families.
A software company in Silicon Valley has no set office hours. Staff come in and work when they choose. Everyone gets paid time off every month to do volunteer work, and they receive a 6-week sabbatical every 4 years.
These are all profitable, highly productive companies with low staff turnover. They have simply made new rules in accordance with the lifestyles and values of their employees, and have reaped a great deal of success as a result.
New Generational Leadership
Generation X and Millennials are unlikely to lead in the same way Boomers did. They encourage collaboration and want to understand their peers and other people’s perspectives. They greatly value teamwork and open communication. They will spend more time building relationships with their teams than their predecessors did. Because they value their family time, they will also give their staff enough time for their personal lives outside of work. As a result, corporate culture might become less rigid than it is currently, offering more flexibility and a sense of fun.
The incoming generations, including Millennials and Generation Z (or iGens) value action; they also work more efficiently and productively to earn time off. They expect their team to work hard as well, but they also know when it is time to leave the office and go play. One of the ways in which they gain this efficiency is by using technology. To the coming iGeneration, the Internet is not limited to home or work computers; it is something you can access in your pocket. For example, Apple’s suite of popular products, like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iWatch, are a clear sign of the ease and access of smart technology that is always readily accessible. This generation prefers to FaceTime, use touch screens, watch short video clips online (e.g., YouTube, TikTok), wear wireless earbuds, and work in small groups of high performers. You may need to remind new generation employees that other members of their team need more training and support around technology than they themselves might. You may also need to remind leaders from older generations to be apprised of changes in technology and workplace practices so that they can stay abreast of innovations.
As a Beyond the Basics leader, you can be integral in helping to leverage generational differences in the workplace. By encouraging intergenerational mentorship (for example, Baby Boomers can pass on institutional knowledge and well-earned wisdom to their millennial colleagues, while the latter can infuse the workplace with a sensibility that is focused on the efficient use of technology and transparent, non-hierarchical communication), you can better identify gaps in knowledge and ensure that processes and resources will enable employees to share their expertise. Understanding how education, work, and the marketplace should prepare for each generational group is a powerful reminder that Diversity efforts must go beyond political correctness and token inclusion towards planning for the next generation.
Dr. Valerie D. W. James is Chief Leadership, Learning and Efficiency Officer at VisionSpot Consulting Group, LLC. She specializes in creating and implementing people, processes, and productivity solutions that help leaders create more inclusive and appealing places to work, maximize operational efficiency, and lead brilliantly.