WHAT IS IT?: Generation Y has very different needs in the work place.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MY BUSINESS?: Depending upon your business staffing needs, recognize that the work environment you want can be different from the one you have today. If your business needs Gen Y (and even Gen X) employees then you’re going to have to change some things.
PROS: Gen Y workers can be a tremendous asset to move and keep your company in the leading entreprenuerial edge of our business times when those businesses that can be agile and evolve constantly are the ones that win. This is simply based upon the fact that Gen Y understands, uses, and lives the medium by which business is being changed today - the web.
CONS: There is a cultural challenge based upon what Gen Y would consider standard and what others may consider priveledges in the work place. There may be cultural clashes with existing employees and generally accepted business practices.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Your business needs will determine if you will need to adjust to the wants of Gen Y or if Gen Y will have to adjust to your company. In the end, as in all cultural changes in a business, it’s imperative that company leadership understands the implications of the choice they make in making a Gen Y friendly environment or not. Companies can also separate the differing generational work groups by teams or divisions based upon distinct differences in goals for the company to mitigate cultural clashes.
Notable workplace standards that Gen Y will expect as described by Ryan Healy:
- The ability to work wherever they like
- An identity that isn’t defined by a particular profession or role
- Flexible ways of experimenting with entrepreneurship even while benefiting from traditional employment
Link to blog post that inspired this discussion:
