Management

Management

Introduction

Retention continues to be one of the biggest challenges for employers, particularly with the Gen-Y workforce. Employers are far more focused on incentives like workplace culture, development and mentoring, along with embracing telecommuting and work-life balance initiatives, to help improve employee retention. There are also other steps in the recruiting process that may help determine whether or not your new talent is a good long-term fit, and help ensure employees don't develop sentiments about your company à la Greg Smith.

Discussion

The recruitment and retention challenges faced by governments in attracting, The role of technology that is changing the workplace, including the creative potential of, and access to, the new social media tools of the 'Relationship. Age Branding the public sector to attract the best and the brightest.

Generation Y has deferring attitudes towards work, and it doesn't mesh with the traditional, nor the “9 to 5” schedule. Generation Y does not place “much emphasis on how and when the work gets done, just that it gets done” (Rorhorn). “Some younger workers believe they work more effectively and efficiently from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., which begs the question, 'is it really about face time or getting the work done?' said Brown from Rockwell Collins”(Rorhorn). It seems everyone is pretty clear on the idea that GenY is different, a bit of a challenge to manage. For now, it may seem tempting to put a low priority on GenY and their particular needs because presently they are a minor component of your workforce; perhaps 15% - 25% of your workforce (in China). But that would not be a good long-term strategy. Tomorrow, GenY will be the majority of your workforce. Someday, they will be your top-business leaders. Better get ready now.

We are not the first generation in history to confront the need to coordinate and harmonize the work of multiple generations in the same workplace. Over hundreds of years, our ancestors were successful in smoothly transitioning the work of one generation to the next. But today we seem to struggle with this new generation. GenY just doesn't seem to want to play by the old rules. Why? Is something different now? The answer is “yes.” Something major has changed. And I'm not just talking about the Little Emperor phenomenon (significant to China).

GenY is not just another generation marching along in the same old industrial-era parade that's been underway the last century or so. Actually, GenY finds itself marching in a parade of a very different kind altogether. GenY is the first generation to have grown up completely within the period of adjustment to an unprecedented new economic model - the global knowledge and service economy. Compared to the old industrial era, this parade comes with completely different music and costumes and marching style. For China in particular, still heavily steeped in the industrial-manufacturing economic model, the new knowledge economy seems particularly new and distinct. Previous generations of employees were tightly locked into highly rigid and machine-like work processes, because that was ...