Jun 17, 2013 | Blog

2013 Strategic Talent Acquisition Conference Part 6: Attract, Engage, and Retain the Best Gen Y Talent

Generation Y 

 

Millennials 

 

Whichever name you know them by, they will comprise 75% of the workforce by 2025 and with the coming mass exodus of baby boomers into retirement, firms will need to be able to attract, engage, retain, and develop Gen Y workers to remain successful.   With the generational shift of workers, there needs to be shift in the methods used to appeal to these future leaders.  Dan Schawbel, Founder of Millennial Branding and author of Promote Yourself shared some effective tactics to connect with this generation today at 2013 Strategic Talent Acquisition Conference.

 

“Millennials want to make a difference” proclaimed Schawbel.   84% of Gen Y says that helping make a positive difference in the world is more important than professional recognition to them.  Managers need to be able to identify how to connect with millennials.  There is a current disconnect with managers seeing millennials as having unrealistic salary expectations, possessing a poor work ethic, and being too easily distracted.  Schawbel explains how that disconnect, is the manager’s fault.”  Millennials see their managers in a positive light enjoying both the manager’s impressive experience and wisdom and their willingness to act as mentors. 

 

Managers see millennials as easily distracted.  Schawbel counters that the traditional 9 to 5 work day is dead.  Millennials are checking email first thing in the morning and after the work day as well.  ““Everything is converged the personal and professional” Millennials are as comfortable doing personal business during the day as they are with doing company business after 5pm.

  • 40% check their cell phone every 10 min
  • “56% of Gen Y won’t work at your company if you ban it!”
  • 46% of Gen Y wants to start a business in the next 5 years

 

Schawbel was a wealth of informative statistics for the coming generation of leaders and left the audience with several big issues to reflect on.   Have an opinion on millennials you’d like to share? Feel free to follow us on twitter (@Human_Capital) and tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #hcievents.