The Working Culture of Generation Y? - Floyd Nangreave

With a rapidly aging population; more people are expected to leave Australia’s workforce than enter it in 2008.

Many business analysts suggest that over the next few years generation Y employees will utilise this knowledge to assertively move from employer to employer in the search for increased job security, respect and a suitable work life balance. Unless of course an employer is willing to pull out all the stops. As a result the relationship between employers and Gen-Y employees has been put under the microscope.

This has lead to many companies reviewing and improving their corporate culture, while adopting buzz words such as ‘employer branding’ or ‘employer of choice’ to promote the benefits of their organisation to current and prospective employees.

So are Gen-Y workers worth fighting for?

Floyd Nangreave, Managing Director of recruitment company Cherry Solutions believes, “As the next generation of workers begin to come thorough, Generation Y will ultimately produce some of the best CEOs and business leaders in the country – and it will have everything to do with the broad range of experiences the Gen- Y worker was willing to undertake to achieve their desired working environment throughout the early stages of their careers.”

“Members of Generation Y are highly intelligent and highly demanding, however they thrive under strong management, solid communication, a sociable working environment, job flexibility and a positive work life balance.” “As such organisations should be constantly improving their corporate culture to build relationships and foster a sense of loyalty among employees of all generations.

“If employers are clear about their corporate culture and portray an accurate impression of their company throughout the recruitment process then the likelihood of hiring a candidate who shares a similar culture and values will be improved. This will in turn help with staff retention and maintain the quality of employees who are inducted into the organisation,” Says Floyd

So the question employers need to be asking themselves is once they have them, what should they do to retain them?

1. Training & Professional Development: PLAN THEIR NEXT CAREER MOVE.

An important retention strategy for many businesses should be the continual training and professional development of their employees. A career-oriented, valued Gen –Y employee must experience growth opportunities within their ideal organisation in order to stay focused and interested. A valued employee who is worth retaining will seek numerous opportunities to learn and expand their careers through advanced knowledge and skill. Without the option to try new opportunities and develop their skill set, Gen-Y employees will feel stagnate within the organisation and begin to re-evaluate their position. However, if an employer invests the time and energy into developing and up-skilling their staff, they are on the way to increasing employee motivation and boosting their commitment to the organisation, while will strengthen the operation of their businesses.

2. Reward Success: Gen-Y Employees must feel rewarded, recognized and appreciated for their efforts.

Often monetary rewards, bonuses or gifts which recognise accomplishments and achievement help to raise staff morale.If an organisation is able to identify a range of rewards to suit their working environment, people will be motivated to stay because they are being highly rewarded and feel highly regarded by their peers, colleges and managers. Further more the formation of mutually beneficial relationships between an employer and their employees, can help an organisation to build a strong employer brand as a company people will want to work for in the future.

3. Flexibility: Work Life balance

Gen-Y workers will always be on the look out for a better work/lifestyle equilibrium. As such employers must enable employees to balance their workload with their lifestyle requirements.Employers who utilise this strategy often introduce flexible starting times, core business hours and flexible ending times to enable their employees more choice within their work/lifestyle choices. This approach to the working environment provides employees with a sense of value and respect and will help an employee to commit more of their energy to the organisation.

4. Social interaction: MAKE WORK FUN!!!

Employers must look at how they can make their work environment an exciting place for their employees to work in. People want to enjoy their working life and are always more willing to get out of bed in the morning when they have something pleasant to look forward to. The amount of social interaction, an employer can create within their workplace will encourage employees to engage one another, form friendships and build a solid, secure corporate culture, in which they can grow and develop their skills. Alternatively it will give Gen-Y employees a sense of belonging and motivate them to commit to the organisation long after their trial period has finished.

5. Communication: TWO WAY COMMUNICATION

Gen-Y employees need to have ongoing communication with their managers and peers to outline their goals, roles, responsibilities and ideas for the organisation. Employees of this generation want to be involved in decisions that affect their jobs and the overall direction of the company whenever possible.

Gen-Y employees need a channel of two way communication in which they can voice their opinions and suggestion and receive feedback from other parts of the company. This will validate their involvement in the operations of the business and their position within the organisation.

About Floyd Nangreave and Cherry Solutions

Cherry Solutions is a Melbourne based National Recruitment Specialist. For nearly a decade it has been providing highly skilled and motivated people to the Mortgage Broking, Origination, Aggregator and Lending sectors. At Cherry our goal is to form lasting relationships based on service, quality, timeliness and commitment. In short, we provide our clients with the competitive edge they need, and that clearly is their people.

Our commitment is to provide innovative and cost effective recruitment services to our clients. Also to successfully grow their businesses whilst listening to candidates’ aspirations and ambitions to provide them with quality opportunities.

As the official Human Resource partner to the MFAA, we are well regarded speakers on Australasian recruitment issues. Managing Director, Floyd Nangreave, enjoys an excellent reputation and extensive network within the industry, which he happily shares with myriad clients.

For more information on Cherry Solutions, visit: www.cherrysolutions.com.au or go the Value Hub on the WIMBN website to access the complimentary resources provided by Cherry Solutions.