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MRSC has joined with Janice Corbin and Janet May, Partners, Sound Employment Solutions, Rhonda Hilyer, President, Agreement Dynamics, Bruce Schroeder, Employment/Litigation Attorney, Summit Law Group, and Mark Busto, Attorney, Sebris Busto James, to bring you the "HR Advisor" article series on employment and labor law issues affecting Washington local governments. The "HR Advisor" will feature a new article each month with timely HR management information and advice you can use.*
Attracting and Retaining Generation Ys in Public Service – Part 1
April 2008
Janice Corbin and Janet May
Sound
Employment Solutions, LLC
As Cities and Counties struggle to fill vacancies, more and more public employers are recognizing that they will need to start attracting and retaining the next generation of workers, commonly know as Generation Y, Nexers, or Millennials. Yet, many public employers report that they can’t seem to generate interest among this generation for jobs in public employment. They further report that when they hire workers from this generation, the Nexers sometimes seem like they are from a different planet. Faced with this dilemma, many public employers feel like there are no good solutions. In reality, there are many ways to attract members of Generation Y to public service, and to help them be successful once they enter your work force. To do so, however, it is important to: 1) learn more about the characteristics of this generation and what they are looking for from the workplace; 2) set aside false assumptions and judgments regarding their work ethic; 3) learn to be more flexible in some areas where the lack of flexibility does not impact the work place; and 4) be clear about choices and consequences for those areas where flexibility is not an option. This article will tackle the first two issues – namely, learning more about Generation Y and learning about common misperceptions and assumptions that employers have about members of this generation. In a follow-up article, we will tackle the second two issues, and help provide strategies for attracting and retaining the members of this generation.
General Characteristics
Generation Y includes people who were born after 1980 and before 2000. Nexers represent only 10% of the current workforce, although this generation is three times larger than any of the other generations. These young people are highly technical, and are reportedly the most intelligent of all of the generations. They are self taught in many topics and are not drawn to formal and structured education systems. Because they have always had technology available to them, they often cannot understand why others are intimidated by technology or don’t look to technology to solve all their workplace issues.
Nexers are concerned about issues like the environment and human rights around the world, and are interested in finding ways to take action with respect to those issues. They are very global-minded due in part to their ability to manipulate and use the Internet. They tend to be somewhat conservative in their political views and appear to be fairly patriotic. They have grown up in very diverse situations, so they expect and value diversity in the workplace, and have a strong sense of inclusiveness. They were often lavished with attention growing up, were told they were special and unique, and were encouraged to engage in self-expression. Because of this, they have a strong need for positive feedback. They are heavily reliant on text messaging, as opposed to using the phone, and have created their own language to support that reliance. Nexers have been exposed to dangerous circumstances like school shootings, child abductions and 9/11, which often causes them to be very concerned about workplace safety issues. Finally, they “work to live”, i.e., work is a means to support their outside interests.
What Nexers Want from the Job and How They View the Workplace
It is important that employers understand what Nexers want and need from the job if employers want to attract and retain employees from that generation. Nexers are very task oriented, as opposed to process oriented and like to set goals and be recognized for achieving those goals. They want to be told exactly what the employer expects, have the opportunity to provide input regarding those expectations, and then be given the freedom to meet those expectations. They want to feel like they are making a difference with the work that they do. They are much less interested in career development than members of previous generations, and instead, want a lot of stimulation, want an opportunity to use technology, and want to be able to multi-task. They also want the flexibility to be involved in lots of outside interests, including family. They want to work in a diverse workplace, prefer to work with others provided they can be recognized individually, and want an opportunity to self-express, often in terms of language, dress, piercings, and/or tattoos.
Mistaken Perceptions and Assumptions Regarding Nexers
There are many perceptions and assumptions that some employers have about Nexers that cause them to be hesitant about hiring them. Although there may be some level of truth to some of the perceptions and assumptions, employers take them too far. First, there is an assumption that due to their casual language, casual manner of dress, and other forms of self-expression, members of this generation are unreliable, unprofessional and irresponsible. Although it is true that some Nexers do not come to the workplace with a clear understanding of what is appropriate conduct, that lack of understanding can be remedied. This is a generation that responds well to choices and consequences. Oftentimes members of this generation were coddled growing up, and were not forced to take accountability for their actions. When employers set clear expectations, however, and set out the consequences of not meeting those expectations, this group makes a concerted effort to comply, particularly when employers explain how the expectations support the mission, vision and goals of the organization or team.
Second, there is a perception that Nexers are lazy and nonproductive. This perception likely stems from the fact that many Nexers are not interested in working overtime, are sometimes late or want to leave early, and are not concerned with “face time.” It is important to note, however, that during the time they are at work, they are often some of the most productive employees as they are energetic and technology savvy. Thus, they tend to be fairly efficient and are always looking for ways to work smarter, not longer.
Finally, there is an assumption that Nexers are not particularly smart because they watch too much television or are too involved in activities. In reality, members of this generation tend to be very intelligent and well read, and tend to watch very little television, although they do spend a lot of time on their computers, on their cell phones texting friends, and playing video games. What Nexers sometimes lack, however, are practical skills and some of the basic life skills, because oftentimes their parents or other adult influences have taken care of everything for them. It is not unusual these days to have a parent of a Nexer contact an employer if the Nexer has an issue, or if the Nexer is facing potential discipline. Nexers don’t tend to think in logical sequences because they are used to jumping around to different tasks all at the same time. Finally, because so much has been done for them, many Nexers just expect certain things to be done for them, and they often have to be told that it is their responsibility to do the task instead. For instance, a Nexer will sometimes make an assumption that if he/she leaves the City vehicle with an empty gas tank, someone will just fill it for him/her prior to the next time he/she needs to use it as that is what always happened with the family car.
What Nexers Bring to the Workplace
As public employers face the reality of the baby boomers retiring, and as the number of public jobs continue to increase with the increased demand for services at the local level, hiring of Nexers is inevitable. So, rather than continuing to focus on the challenges of working with the Nexers, let’s focus on all the exciting things they bring to the workplace. Nexers bring new ideas and a fresh perspective about how public sector employers can make better use of technology. In addition, they are not interested in just having a job, but instead are interested in making a contribution to their community, which makes them excellent candidates for public service. They bring a high level of energy to their jobs, and come with a confident, can-do attitude. Their understanding of diversity and their desire to be inclusive often means they are good team players. Their desire to balance work and family will likely transfer into less job related stress and thus healthier employees. Properly managed, Nexers have great potential to make our workplaces stronger overall.
| Bruce Schroeder is an employment / litigation attorney with Summit Law Group, Seattle. Bruce's practice is concentrated on representing management in the entire range of employment law matters. More. |  |
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Janice Corbin is a partner with
Sound Employment Solutions, LLC, Seattle. Janice has over 15 years of
human resources experience with the Seattle Police Department and the
International Harvester Truck Company and has worked in the law enforcement
field for over 22 years.
More.
Janet May is a partner and attorney with Sound Employment Solutions, LLC, Seattle. Janet has over ten years of experience in the labor and employment law field, and has represented both management and labor. More. |
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| Rhonda Hilyer, President and Founder of Agreement Dynamics, is an international consultant with a reputation for helping convert traditional, conflict-based environments into productive, collaborative ones. More. |  |
| Mark Busto, Attorney with Sebris Busto James, Bellevue, is a seasoned employment law counselor and litigator with a strong professional background in labor-management relations. He has represented employers in discrimination cases before judges and juries in both state and federal court and has arbitrated many labor and employment matters. More. |  |
*The Articles appearing in the "HR Advisor" column represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Municipal Research & Services Center.