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Engaging Generation Y: Six Building Blocks to a

Motivated and Happy Workforce

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Every year, the Canadian workforce shifts as young Generation Y-ers take on

new positions, and more Baby Boomers retire. The change is gradual, but not insignificant, and it can leave managers wondering how to motivate and connect with this new generation of employees, who seem unlike even the Generation X-ers before them.

It’s no secret that engaged employees willingly contribute to creating a healthy morale and a productive work environment. Engaged employees feel a sense of ownership and loyalty to their place of work, and are more likely to remain long-term employees – a critical point when studies show that Generation Y-ers typically average only two years with any one employer.

Despite widespread understanding of the benefits related to employee engagement, only 29 % of employees feel actively engaged at work,1 demonstrating that management techniques are not largely in synch with employee expectations.

With three very different generations making up the majority of today’s workforce, it is no surprise to see a variety of expectations from managers and those they manage. Individual priorities fluctuate from one person to the next; however, expectations are greatly shaped by the events – both historical and social – one has experienced in life, which is why we find shared characteristics across generations. What motivates an employee to give their utmost and what drives their interest is forged by their life experience.

Anticipating Generation Y Expectations

A powerful factor that sets Generation Y employees apart from the slightly older Generation X is greater use of the internet during their formative years. Many Generation X-ers, born sometime between the mid 1960’s to the late 1970’s, became regular web users as adults. Many of them attended school with library books rather than laptops in their bags. They waited for movies to come out on video and music to be released at local record stores. They didn’t experience the immediacy of information and culture at their fingertips from a young age.

Generation Y – the social generation, the tech-savvy generation, the instant gratification generation – have developed a set of distinct characteristics from Generation X and Baby Boomers, which plays a part in their continual quest for

1 Source: Gallup Management Journal, Employee Engagement Index

Only 29% of employees report that they feel actively engaged at work.

Source: Gallup Management Journal, Employee Engagement Index

Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers did not grow up experiencing the immediacy of information and culture that the internet provided to Generation Y.

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newer and better opportunities. The key to hanging on to these young workers and drawing on their talents is to create exciting opportunities for them within the organization. Doing so requires an understanding of their on-the-job expectations.

Research shows that young workers often have a different understanding of feedback, having grown up using social media sites where honesty and transparency are valued and encouraged. The top-down feedback structure that is easily accepted among Baby Boomers may have your Generation Y employees scratching their heads. Many young professionals prefer more informal and more regular feedback, not only from their managers, but also from their coworkers.

Generation Y experienced a culture that encouraged them to have a say. With social media sites, online feedback forms, surveys, and blogs, they’re constantly urged to be “part of the conversation.” These collaborative communicators appreciate goal setting that includes input from both manager and employee, and performance expectations that are delivered in an honest and straightforward manner.

With the ability to use multiple channels at once, many Generation Y-ers are quite comfortable with technology. Outdated and inflexible solutions can frustrate these young professionals. Some organizations are opting to allow employees to use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to perform work tasks and complete online training. Boundaries around appropriate use and security should be given to employees, but must first be understood by managers, so that policies can be knowledgably explained when questions arise.

Three Foundational Blocks to Creating a Satisfying Work Environment

It’s true that there are nuances of motivational drivers, and no two employees will respond exactly the same way. But knowing what makes each individual tick is not necessary to creating an engaging workplace. The focus should be on the cornerstones to creating a satisfying work environment, and then building upon them to draw out employee potential and maximize talent.

If we liken employee engagement to a basic building structure, the crucial foundation would be:

With social media sites, online feedback forms and blogs, Generation Y has constantly been encouraged to be “part of the conversation.”

Help me understand what’s expected of me, but value my

input

Give me regular, informal feedback and recognition for

a job well done

Give me the right tools and training to

perform my job

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Three Building Blocks for Maximizing Talent

Once that foundation is firmly established, these proven building blocks will drive a sense of ownership and accountability:

The structure recommended here isn’t radical, but finding an easy way to manage it across all departments can be challenging.

JUMPRewards helps organizations design custom reward and recognition programs that include social tools, enabling employees to receive on-the-spot recognition, and communicate ideas using discussion boards. Managers can set small, short-term goals for employees to achieve, and easily reward them once they reach their goal. It provides employees and their managers with a great communication tool, using technology similar to many popular social media websites.

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www.jumprewards.com info@jumprewards.com Toll Free: 1-866-387-8073 Brought to you by Preferred One 60 St. Clair Avenue East, 5th floor Toronto, ON M4T 1NS

Satisfying Work Environment

Autonomy to do my best work

Personal short- and long-term

goal setting

Continuous opportunity to

share ideas