ShareThisThis post continues on from my earlier post about Attracting Gen-Y Talent, and is part of a series that looks at the fundamentals of attracting, motivating and retaining today’s millennials for a more hospitable workplace.
Attracting the right talent is difficult, it’s hard work and it takes a lot of time to do it effectively. That’s not where the REAL hard work begins though. Once your gen-y workers have entered the organisation, keeping them motivated is essential for productivity and to ensure the right attitudes are inculcated in future generations.
The risk of getting this part of the talent management process wrong is also greater than the attraction part. If a company mishandles their attraction strategy, perhaps by not portraying a strong employer brand or sloppy recruitment, it means they don’t attract talent. Potential candidates may walk away with a sour impression of that particular company, tell a few friends and that’s about as far as it goes. However, once job-seekers have commenced, they immediately have a vested interest in the organisation. An inability to keep this generation happy and motivated will create a deeper rooted sense of negativity and hostility in the workplace, leading to lower morale from other works. If these employees end up leaving or are asked to do so, they feel betrayed and will often seek retribution by creating anti-company blogs and propagating a negative message about the company on social media. Also, turnover costs for employees are estimated to be in the range of three times a person’s salary when you consider rehiring and training, so financial risk is also greater in the motivating process.
Organisations that possess a Gen-Y group of employees can improve their productivity by paying attention to these six rules.
1. Work like a “mentor” instead of a “boss” – Gen-Y workers can be rebellious and they don’t always like being told what to do. Come on, you all remember what it felt like being young right? If managers adopt a dictatorship mentality where they order young workers around, it will backfire in the long-term. WHAT you tell employees to do isn’t as important as HOW you tell them to do it. As a manager, adopt the approach of a mentor – someone that advises them on the best strategy, explains WHY it should be done that way and brings the mentee to the same conclusion.
2. Have newbies work with other Gen-Y workers in positions of responsibility - New recruits enter a company with 100% optimism. They want to contribute and they want to see results…quickly. Putting them to work with other young employees who now hold senior positions, illustrates that the company invests in their progression. Working alongside someone that was in your shoes not too long ago conveys a message of hope for each individual and their career aspirations.
3. Social Activities – It’s great to encourage all workers to socialise, especially gen-yers that constantly crave on excitement and fun. All work and no play makes gen-y very dull and does little to motivate them. By incorporating some social adventures into your company environment, it not only improves productivity but fosters stronger bonds between gen-y and older workers.
4. Teamwork – Gen-Y thrive on the responsibility of working independently; however that doesn’t mean in isolation! If you have a large project to manage for a young group of employees, it’s often better to break that assignment into smaller parts and have individuals work on each of them. This way, you’re still cultivating an environment where employees can take charge of a task, yet confer and work with a team to fulfill a larger goal.
5. Work-Life Balance – This is another one of those terms that gets thrown around a lot, but it’s vital for gen-y workers. The importance placed on this aspect of one’s career is disagreed on by older generations in the workforce as it didn’t play as crucial a role in their considerations. Gen-Xers and boomers also misunderstand this to be something that suddenly becomes relevant to young people as they enter the working arena, however the truth is, that’s it’s been an integral part of their lives for so long already. Students nowadays are active in sports, volunteering, clubs and many other activities. When they start employment, they don’t want these activities to cease, so they insist on achieving balance within their careers. Also, many young people have witnessed how hard their parents worked in their careers, often at the expense of leisure and family. It’s therefore a lifestyle they choose not to mimic as the sacrifice is too great.
6. Feedback, Feedback and more Feedback – today’s graduate employees require continuous assurance and reassurance that the work they are performing is satisfactory. They welcome criticism, both negative and positive as it equips them with the necessary information to improve their processes. Unlike gen-x and boomers that possess much more knowledge and can remedy their issues based on experience, gen-y need management to provide feedback that is constructive and articulated in an encouraging manner. Feedback procedures such as appraisals every quarter or half-year should also exist to formalise the process.
While there is still a conception that Generation Y are the “entitled” generation, they contribute significantly to the workforce with their unbridled optimism, enthusiasm and hard work. These traits are inherent in most young employees, however they need to be harnessed through the proper engagement and motivational tactics. Not possessing the right strategy to mobilise your gen-y workforce effectively is equivalent to owning an oil field, without the ability to extract the reserves and utilise it for energy – a wasted resource.
I hope this article helps those seeking ways to motivate their young employees. Feel free to share if you have experience with other motivational methods. Cheers,
