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Yesterday, I read
one of those “10 Tips for…”
type of articles on how to manage
the Millennial or Gen Y employee.
They included recommendations such
as:
- Provide leadership and guidance.
- Listen to the Millennial employee.
- Provide challenge and change.
- Provide structure (i.e. clear
expectations, goals, assessment
of progress, etc).
One of the website’s readers
posted a point-by-point criticism
of the article, concluding with: “The
advice given is good for employees
of all ages. Contending that it is
uniquely applicable to a new generation
is nonsense.”
While I agree with the rather prickly
poster’s perspective that the
author’s advice applies to all
employees, I do think he missed the
nuances the author was trying to convey.
More specifically, practices that
are helpful for workers of any generation
are even more critical with Gen Y
employees because of the cultural
milieu this generation grew up in:
extremely involved parents, the self-esteem
movement, unrelenting emphasis on
fame and making your mark on the world,
etc.
So for instance, while providing
leadership and guidance is just good
management practice, regardless of
the direct report’s age, it
takes on greater significance with
the Millennial employee. Given that
Millennials have been described as
the most coached and micro-managed
generation (think “helicopter
parents”), they, on average,
want more attention and interest from
their manager than would the “typical”
Gen X employee.
Thus, simply writing off recommended
practices for bringing out the best
in Millennials as no different than
with other generations, ignores the
deal-breaker importance of these practices
if you want to attract, retain, and
engage the Millennial generation.
The Source of “The Gift”
Gen Y Employees Are Handing You
So, when you look at what the research
on what the Millennial generation
wants in a work experience along with
their unique attitude towards work,
it’s hard to escape this conclusion:
“Gen Y employees want what
everyone else wants in a work experience.
However, if they don’t get
it, they are far more willing to
speak up….or leave.”
While obviously not everyone in a
generational cohort thinks or acts
the same way, on average, Gen Y employees
are known for being much more comfortable
challenging authority and speaking
their mind. Gen Y employees are also
well known for not sticking around
if they’re not happy.
While many managers and HR professionals
tear their hair out over these tendencies,
they miss out on the priceless information
their Millennial employees are giving
them because of these proclivities.
Gen Y Employees: Your “Canary
in the Coal Mine”
Your Gen Y employees are the Canary
in the Coal Mine in terms of your
managerial practices and the work
experience you deliver.
A quick synopsis of the term in case
you’re not familiar with it:
Long ago, before sophisticated technology,
coal miners would bring a canary down
into the mine shaft as their early
warning sign that CO2 levels were
getting dangerously high. If the canary
keeled over, it was a good time to
head to the surface. Because canaries
are more sensitive to CO2 levels than
humans, they showed the effects before
the men did. Thus, the canary’s
increased sensitivity saved lives.
Your Gen Y employees are your Canary
in the Coal Mine for those things
that lead ALL employees to become
disengaged. Things like:
- An impersonal boss who only sees
you as a tool to achieve his/her
goals, and shows no interest in
your well-being or professional
development.
- Outdated, nonsensical policies
that make it hard to do your work.
- Lack of respect for your right
to have a life outside of work.
- Being kept out of the loop, so
you always feel like you’re
laboring in the dark.
- A boss who only gives negative
feedback, never praise or appreciation.
- No clarity around how your work
matters and contributes to the big
picture.
- Few opportunities to make a difference;
to do something that truly matters
outside of your routine tasks.
“I Quit…
But I’ll Still Come to Work”
While ALL employees want these things,
many of those from older generations
tolerate them, rather than complain
or leave. Instead, they will join
the ranks of what the Gallup Organization
calls ROAD Warriors—Retired
on Active Duty. These employees who
no longer care comprise 55% of the
workforce, according to Gallup’s
research. These are the people who
say:
“I’m so mad, I am no
longer going to work here…I’m
not going to leave though…I’m
just not going to work.”
The fact that 55% of employees in
the average organization are just
going through the motions is only
half the problem. The other half is
that because they don’t speak
up or leave, their employer doesn’t
realize “CO2 levels are rising.”
Thus, it’s easy for employers
to go along blithely unaware of the
huge price they are paying for ineffective
management practices and organizational
policies. Because these employees
are not as vocal or willing to leave
as Gen Y employees, it’s easy
to think that:
- New employees don’t notice
or don’t care about the sloppy,
boring-as-watching-paint-dry orientation
program and indifferent welcome
they received.
- Conducting an employee survey
and never reporting the results
didn’t have an effect on morale
and trust.
- When managers speak disrespectfully
to their direct reports, it’s
quickly forgotten by those employees,
and leaves no emotional wake.
- Not asking employees for input
over changes that directly affect
their jobs is just something they
need to get over.
Without Feedback,
It’s Easy to Think Things Are
Fine When They’re Not
Without dramatic feedback—either
an “in your face” confrontation
or high turnover, it’s easy
for employers to lose millions of
dollars a year in lost productivity
and lost customers due to disengaged
customers…and never even realize
it’s happening.
But with Gen Y employees, there’s
no mystery. They’re more than
happy to let you know what you’re
doing wrong. And that’s the
hidden gift of this generation:
You don’t have to wonder
about whether you are doing the
things that prevent you from attracting,
retaining, and engaging talent.
You don’t have to worry about
laboring under the illusion that
all is well when it’s not.
Your Gen Y
Employees Will Tell You… Or
Leave
So no matter how cheeky they might
seem in their delivery, or how annoying
you find their lack of loyalty, they
are giving you valuable information.
It’s sort of like being told
you have bad breath. It’s not
pleasant news, but it’s better
than not knowing.
So What to
Do?
- Help your less vocal employees
speak up – Banish
the “suck it up” message
that pollutes many organizational
cultures. This is not a call to
Whiners, but a request for frank,
adult-to-adult conversation about
what you do as an employer that
makes people want to stay and do
their best, and what makes people
polish up their resume. If you doubt
the importance of making it safe
for people to speak up, read my
article “The
Movie Scene Every Manager Should
Watch…But Might Be Afraid
To…”
- Thank employees for speaking
up – Do this both
when it happens and later in a public
forum. Share examples in your team
and organization-wide meetings of
how employee feedback is being used
to make your organization a better
place to work. This both communicates
that management values employee
input and it also energizes people,
because they hear proof that they
can make a difference, they do matter.
- Don’t devolve into
an arrogant “It’s an
employer’s market they’re
lucky to have a job” mentality
– While you may have the upper
hand in terms of people being security-conscious
right now, remember the ROAD Warrior
phenomenon. Even if people don’t
leave, poor management and organizational
practices significantly reduce the
performance of those who stay. In
this economy—or any economy
for that matter—can you afford
10,20, or 30% less productivity
than your workforce is capable of?
- Help your managers help
you. – Since an employee’s
supervisor plays the most significant
role in that employee’s performance
and level of engagement, according
to Gallup’s research as well
as other studies, make sure your
managers know how to do the things
that lead to maximum performance
and engagement. Make sure they also
have the skills to engage employees
in “crucial conversations”
and foster honest, open dialogue.
- Involve your employees
in making improvements –
Doing this helps you in three ways.
First, it taps into the human need
to matter, to make a difference.
Believing that your input matters
and that you can make a difference
are huge drivers of employee engagement.
Second, involving employees in making
improvements fosters an adult/adult
relationship with management, rather
than “kids complain to mom
and dad” dynamic created when
employees are encouraged to speak
up about what’s bothering
them, and management’s job
is to come up with solutions. Third,
engaging employees in finding solutions
is a powerful antidote to the feeling
of helplessness and lack of control
many people feel during these difficult
times. Solving problems and generating
creative solutions triggers the
biochemistry and emotions of confidence
and success, which puts employees
in a more productive frame of mind
to face the big challenges ahead.
Related Programs by David Lee
“How to Attract, Retain, and
Engage the New Generation of Young
Workers”
“Constructive Feedback: How
to Give It So They Want to Hear It…
and Use It”
Contact
David Lee for booking information. |
