Lexington, KY - A new generation is joining America's workforce in rapidly growing numbers, reaching 80 million last year. This group, referred to as Generation Y or Millennials, bring competitive advantage and potential, if employers know how to use it effectively.
Y-Size Your Business: How Gen Y Employees Can Save You Money and Grow Your Business is an informative and insightful guide for doing so. Author Jason Ryan Dorsey provides an insider's perspective as a member of this new generational shift and as a shrewd observer forecasting the changes to come.
If you're among those who wonder "why a 22-year-old with three tattoos who still lives with his mom could make a fantastic employee," this book should move to the top of your must-read list. If you are a card-carrying member of the Gen Y revolution, this book can build awareness of the realities of the current workplace and how to be successful while being yourself.
Dorsey deliberately attacks the most difficult question first. "Why should I hire your generation?" is the most asked question the young author receives from corporate clients. He has been regaled with stories about Millennials who act outside the corporate culture. There's the young man who talks on the phone even while in the restroom stall. There's the woman who cries when her performance review is good but not perfect and calls her mother. Her mother then calls the daughter's boss.
The reality is that the disconnect between generations in the workplace is not new to Gen Y, defined as being born between 1977 and 1995. Each new generation entering the workforce has brought its own set of changes and frustrations, the author says. But talk to a Gen Y employee for about five minutes and it's clear they bring different personalities and priorities to the workplace.
Dorsey argues that many of these characteristics add immediate value to a company, such as Gen Y's fluency with technology. Others, such as why they can't pull up their pants, can be "downright confusing or annoying." Gen Y may have difficulty reading their boss' notes ("I can't read cursive") or matching the corporate standard of professionalism ("A tie? Where do I get a tie?").
The advantages, however, heavily tip the scale to favor Gen Y. In the current economic climate, Gen Y may be the least expensive employees to hire. They also bring valuable skill sets. While this group may have little real-life work experience, they tend to be intensely loyal, even while doing things differently, the author says. Finally, the workplace is experiencing for the first time four distinctly different generations simultaneously. If a company can successfully incorporate the potential of all participants, it can grow exponentially.
Gen Y can help to provide the competitive advantage needed by many firms. The key is not to cater to them but to lead them, Dorsey says.
Among the positives are no expectation of lifetime employment, a desire for tangible outcomes, their usually tech-savvy as well as tech-dependent nature, and a high tolerance for diversity of all kinds. For the employer who anticipates these characteristics, capitalizing on them can create an alignment with the company's bottom-line strategies.
To maximize the "Y-Size" process in the workplace, Dorsey examines strategies and tactics collected from a broad group of businesses. McKinsey, Outback Steakhouse, Zappos and the Wyndham hotel group are among the companies that have seen success with such a process. Many of the steps are low or no cost and easy to customize.
Among Dorsey's suggestions are to recognize the importance of the first day of employment and the orientation process. Gen Y needs to be engaged at work and needs help changing latent talent into action. They need to be kept excited about the company and to develop loyalty. Developing a talent pipeline (think American Idol) will ensure your organization benefits from this new generation.
Cold Stone Creamery, with 1,400 ice cream stores in 12 countries, changed the way they attracted Gen Y. Instead of an initial job interview, they hold auditions. This competition brings a larger pool of applicants and quickly determines whether an employee is suitable for the job. The individuals who are successful in the first audition receive a callback - a more traditional interview.
Effectively reaching out to Gen Y is an incredible opportunity, Dorsey says. Bringing a fresh outlook and new set of skills, this new generation is determined to make a difference. Given the opportunity, they certainly will.