The highly competitive Generation Y presents great opportunity to the HR manager with its need for constant learning and the ability to multitask. Is today’s manager ready to harness their potential?
At the cost of sounding repetitious, it is important to emphasise the point that every generation is a product of its times, the dynamics of which have a formative role in defining its values. The generation before ours, for instance, was familiar with hardship. Hardship that could only be overcome with steadfast discipline and industry. Hardship, which would eventually result in a secure public sector job (in most cases, for life), a comfortable home, and a pensioned retirement with children and grandchildren. The new generation, they thought, would continue the tradition.
We did not. So, when I meet people of the brave new generation, brimming with confidence and a sense of entitlement, I stop myself from issuing a truism of my own. After all, the generation before mine, perhaps, felt the same way about me in the 1970s. Only, my contemporaries didn’t have the options or the information that have the millennials spoilt for choice today.
As an observer of the human psyche, both by profession and by choice, I recognise that every generation brings its own unique counterpoint to the world in general, and the workplace in particular. But no single generation, so far, has demonstrated the desire or the potential to transform the paradigm of work like the “Millennial”, “Y”, “Peter Pan” or “No Collar Worker” generation. See, this generation won’t even agree on a name!
To know these people is to recognise that they are born into the most child-centric generation yet. Little wonder then that 60 per cent of the millennials polled in a recent survey said their parents were their best friend. This is a generation that does not want to leave home and if it does, it returns soon enough. Raised as winners, these youth evolve into high-performers, albeit high-maintenance. That means they will perform, but only in the right conditions, on their own terms. So, work cannot consume personal life and fun is non-negotiable. This is sure to put employers in a bit of a bind. Thousands from this generation join our organisation every year and make it their own, compelling us to change —at times subtly, and several times radically.
I am inclined to believe that the starting point is a rethink of the workspace — as a place that mustn’t sequester talent behind cubicles and meeting rooms, but enable it to collaborate, exchange, and even socialise in a liberating environment. That done, organisations are ready for the next phase of transformation. This generation believes that only results are a barometer of ability. That’s why smarter organisations have already established a “results only work environment” (ROWE) system, where performance is measured by the business impact achieved. While organisations take their time restructuring the workplace and performance paradigm, HR practitioners are already considering the following realities when they harvest the crop of 2013:
Script their success: The new generation expects to make an impact from day one. If the job doesn’t pack enough punch and doesn’t devolve responsibility, its injured self-worth begins to assert itself. If the job doesn’t visibly serve a larger business purpose, instant gratification withdrawal symptoms start to appear. Striking that right balance between autonomy and support, commensurate with the individual’s skill and capability is key.
Staying hands-on while allowing talent in the room to succeed on its own strength, connecting its individual goals to the larger ones at the business level and making sure these goals, though challenging, are all attainable and then tracking progress through this plan are some of the essentials.
Talk back: See something worthwhile, say so immediately! This generation needs instant and constant feedback, an LOL or an OMG for every effort. Of course, there will be times when failure must be dealt with too. On those occasions, hold it accountable. It’s not enough to say “You botched up”. Scrutinise the ‘what’ and ‘why’ together. Discuss what happened and what each side believes went wrong. Then outline the contribution system — how the system and the employee may have contributed to lead up to the current scenario. The point is, acknowledge the disappointment but don’t dwell on it. There are other success stories waiting to be scripted.
Let them juggle: For a generation with an intrinsic need for constant learning and an in-built ability to multitask, today’s challenge is tomorrow’s routine. From an HR perspective, this is either an impossible situation or an unmissable opportunity to channelise this energy into cross-disciplinary assignments, to simultaneously engage these employees and build their skills.
Mix and match: Despite being highly competitive, this generation works best in a collaborative environment. If you don’t put these young employees in a team, chances are they will assemble their own, irrespective of the task at hand.
Mentor: Enable mentoring; virtual, constant and diverse. The traditional face-to-face, once-in- a-while mentoring model will not work for those who want constant feedback and learning. Create a matrix mentoring structure, which allows these employees to connect with different mentors based on context and need.
Unleash: The strong individualistic streak is often a façade for an entrepreneurial spirit — a survey of 500 Generation Y’ers completed early last year revealed that 69 per cent wanted to set up shop. Rather than enforcing conformity, leverage this asset, because it could be the source of your organisation’s next killer idea.
Balance: If there’s a cliché that best describes this generation, it’s that it doesn’t live for work; it works to live. In the survey mentioned above, a sequel to one conducted in 2007, work-life balance was unseated as the number one priority by paid holidays. Organisations that respect and fulfil this generation’s expectations for a life outside of work are likely to have a more engaged workforce. It’s a great idea for enterprises to engage with the ‘whole’ person, and not just the professional side of the person.
Lend purpose: There’s an idealist hidden in every product of the millennial generation. These people want their actions to serve a greater purpose than just a bigger bank balance or faster career growth. And this desire to do something meaningful through work is quite genuine. That means its members will naturally gravitate to organisations that share their values.
I see before us a great opportunity to collaborate with this “entitlement” generation. After all, we can deliver staid sermons about the 10-mile walk, or simply help them soar unfettered on the wings of their talent…and then feast together on the fruits of joint success. I’d choose the latter.
Nandita Gurjar
Senior VP & Group Head HR, Infosys
