Multigenerational Workforce
Info Exchange – Are You Prepared to Manage Generation Y?
April 25, 2012 | Author dmdurkin
Welcome to the Loyalty Factor Information Exchange, a bi-weekly service providing summaries of major publications and books on various management and customer relationship topics.
Loyalty Factor has been instrumental in helping companies:
- Increase Customer Satisfaction by 20 – 33%
- Increase Revenues by 50% in 18 months
- Increase Manufacturing Production by 200% in 18 months
- Simplifying mergers and acquisitions
Our information exchange this week highlights the article, “Understanding Y: Learn how to recruit Generation Y workers and how to make them stay“ by Christine Luporter from WomenConnect.
Just as you’re getting used to dealing with Generation X, along comes the next demographic group. Generation Y, as some call it, is composed of those born after 1977. What are they looking for from their employers?
Here’s how Generation Y college students answered one survey when asked what they wanted in their first jobs:
- A fun work environment
- Growth opportunities
- Competitive salary
- A wide range of projects to work on
- Good benefits, including healthcare, profit sharing, and 401(k)
- Opportunities to learn and develop new skills, paid for by the company
- Travel opportunities
- Flexible work schedules
Whether born in 1950 or 1980,
when people are happy at work,
they are more productive and engaged
about the well being of the company.
For keynote addresses, seminars, and/or worships on managing and integrating Generation Y into your workforce, contact Dianne Durkin at Loyalty Factor. She has researched and presented on this topic for over 7 years and her dynamic presentation style clearly articulates the message .
Incredible Feedback from the NAPBS Annual Conference Keynote Address
Special thanks to the National Association Background Screeners (NAPBS) Annual Conference attendees last week in Nashville, Tennessee! Dianne Durkin’s keynote on Managing Change in Environments that are Redefining Themselves received the following feedback:
“Dianne’s presentation was extremely insightful. It really helped me to reevaluate my business and outline very clearly how I can grow my business in the future.”
“Thank you for the excellent presentation at the NAPBS Conference. Your energy and knowledge are second to none!”
“It was great to meet you, and I was inspired by what you said! I’m ready to go out and build my business. Thank you for teaching us.”
“Dianne you were absolutely wonderful to hear and probably one of the most powerful woman speakers I have heard in a long time. Thank you!”
Are you Ready to Lead Gen Y?
August 10, 2011 | Author dmdurkin
This is by far one of my most favorite topics and a timely one as thousands of college graduates are entering our workforce.
First, as a manager or a business leader you must understand your Gen-Ys.
They are 72 million strong!! Their life value was shaped in a high-tech world with hyper-involved parents and overscheduled lives. They are used to being both seen and heard.
In the workplace they speak out if they don’t think something is being done correctly. Their positive, can-do attitude about getting the job done well and efficiently, means they’ll get the job done and move on to doing the things they really enjoy. Like being with friends and family!
They are confident of their skills, with a keen eye on their careers. They want active involvement in management decision-making which makes leading these very goal-oriented individuals a challenge.
Get Gen Y involved in the corporate vision and enable them to grow and stay committed to the company. Seek their opinions on what the company is doing well, what it needs to do to improve, and how it should implement these improvements.
You will have committed and loyal Gen-Y employees when they:
- Believe they can make a real difference in the world.
- Are connected to the vision and purpose of the organization.
- Clearly see how their individual efforts contribute to moving that purpose forward.
Lead your Gen Y employees by:
- Building a culture of recognition to foster dedication and loyalty – recognize and value their efforts immediately and consistently. These computer literate and internet savvy folks are accustomed to instant results.
- Give small, frequent rewards (i.e., Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts gift card) and personal recognition like “Great job on that project” and the utilization of the two most underutilized words in the English language, “Thank you.”
- Creating balance – Provide Gen Ys with opportunities to balanced life, staying healthy and fit and philanthropy — new recycling techniques, stopping world hunger and supporting relief efforts. They’re committed to getting the job done on time and right, and will remain accountable provided you provide them flexibility.
Foster your Gen Y’s long-term relationships with your organizations by:
- Providing constant learning, growing, and recognition for their efforts.
- Since they thrive on teamwork combine talents and individuals to achieve a common solution to any goal.
- Offer mentoring programs and involve a variety of people with different talents, styles and expertise to further Gen Y’s loyalty.
- Pair Veterans and Baby Boomers with Nexters to pass on their knowledge and expertise before they leave the company. This will allow communication and the building of rapport, respect and trust.
Finally, no matter when your employees were born — in 1950 or 1980 — happy employees are productive employees committed and dedicated to the growth and success of your organization.
Dianne Durkin is president and founder of Loyalty Factor, a specialized consulting and training company that enhances employee, customer and brand loyalty for some of the nation’s most prominent corporations and many smaller businesses. Dianne’s proven expertise lies in helping companies quickly get to the core issues and outlining their impact on the organization’s profits, productivity and people. www.loyaltyfactor.com
Posted in Employee Retention, Multigenerational Workforce | 
Tags: Engagement, Generations | 
2 Comments »
Creating a Culture of Commitment – within a Multigenerational Workplace
July 27, 2011 | Author dmdurkin
In my previous Blog I discussed the specific attributes of each generation in a multi-generational workplace.
In this Blog I want to talk about how to attract, retain, motivate and lead a multi-generational workplace to reap benefits and increase corporate profitability.
With this broad field of individuals populating the corporate world, it becomes challenging to describe the “typical” workforce, let alone manage and maximize its talent assets toward higher productivity and profits.
Recruiting is the first hurdle. Over the long haul, retention is the highest hurdle by far. Learning and development can provide the competitive boost that allows organizations to clear these hurdles in the race for talent and, ultimately, win employee loyalty and commitment.
Recent studies show 85 percent of the workforce want to continually improve and grow. The difference today is that if employees don’t learn and grow, they seek other opportunities.
The current workforce—particularly the younger members just beginning to chart their careers—will move on quickly if they are not being challenged, valued, and developed. In this context, organizational leaders must focus on applying the lessons of employee engagement to the design and delivery of every learning and development initiative across the enterprise.
Here are some tips for leaders
- Boomers have been recognized for their extended work hours and can not separate work and home lives. They have an insatiable drive.
- Nexters are reminiscent of the Veterans who built the American economic landscape after World War II. As the product of more affluent times, Nexters are motivated by learning and want to see immediate results. They are known to assess each situation by asking themselves, “Why is that important today?”
- Veterans love to share their knowledge and tell stories. Coupling Veterans and Nexters creates enormous payoffs.
- In the work environment, Nexters want structure, guidance and direction from their bosses without micromanagement. Explain the task and provide them the flexibility to make it happen.
- Unlike their elders, Nexters will not be lured by promises of climbing ladders, paying dues or cashing out at retirement. Customized training, mentoring, incentives, responsibility and flexibility will be a necessity for this generation.
- Whether born in 1950 or 1980, when people are happy at work, they are more productive, creative, innovative and bring forth new ideas for the well being and future success of the organization they work for.
Dianne Durkin is president and founder of Loyalty Factor, a specialized consulting and training company that enhances employee, customer and brand loyalty for some of the nation’s most prominent corporations and many smaller businesses. Dianne’s proven expertise lies in helping companies quickly get to the core issues and outlining their impact on the organization’s profits, productivity and people. www.loyaltyfactor.com
Posted in Employee Loyalty, Employee Retention, Engagement, Leadership Management, Multigenerational Workforce | Tags: Efficiency, Engagement, Generations | Comments Closed
Juggling the Generations – Managing Multi-Generational Workplace
July 13, 2011 | Author dmdurkin
Have you looked around your office lately?
Do you share cubicles and offices with Boomers and Gen Y’s and everyone in between? Is your supervisor half your age?
Never before has there been such a diversity of generations in the workforce. Four distinct age-based cohorts, each with different values, needs and motivators create many challenges for today’s workplace.
Gen Xers and Nexters combined — the 18 to 41 year olds — make up about 45 percent of the workforce. Baby Boomers represent another 45 percent. Veterans make up the final 10 percent.
Although there is danger in generalizing, here’s a quick review of each group’s typical traits. More importantly, I want to reveal a glimpse of what individuals in each cohort might be looking for from their workplace.
Veterans (1922–1944): Born before World War II, their values were shaped by the Great Depression, the New Deal, WWII and the Korean War and emphasize civic pride, loyalty, respect for authority, dedication, sacrifice, conformity, honor, and discipline.
In the workforce, this group is the stable, loyal and hard-working — seeking clearly defined goals, directions and measurements designated by the leader.
Baby Boomers (1945–1963): Raised in an era of extreme optimism, opportunity and progress, their values were shaped by landing on the moon, the Peace Corps, the Vietnam War, Woodstock and the Civil Rights movement.
As a group, they’ve always been determined to do better than their parents and provide their children with everything their hearts desire. They will go the extra mile on the job. They proved this by being the inventors of the 60-hour workweek. In many cases, they achieve their identity through their work.
Xers (1964–1979): The Xers came of age during the economic wars of the 1970s and 1980s. Often left to fend for themselves by working parents, they were plugged in for much of their childhood — surfing the Web, playing video games, watching MTV. In the process, they developed a chronic need for stimulation and instant gratification.
In the work environment, Xers have a huge distaste for micromanagement. They want to be told what is expected of them, provided with appropriate feedback and empowered to get the job done. They want to work on their own terms and balance their lives: the upshot for them is flexibility.
Nexters (1980–2000): Nexters were raised in a high-tech world that shaped their entire value system. Unlike the latchkey kids of the ‘70s, many of these recent graduates have grown up in households with hyper-involved parents and overscheduled lives. They are used to being both seen and heard.
In the workforce, if they don’t like something, or they don’t think something is being done correctly, they have no hesitation in making their views known, whether it is their boss, boss’s boss or the CEO. Although viewed by many in the workforce as lacking a strong work ethic and having an unjustified sense of entitlement, they have a very positive, can-do attitude about getting the job done well and efficiently.
Also available:
My newly released White Paper
that explores this topic further:
Age of Change:
Managing, Motivating and Integrating Your Multigenerational Workforce
In my next Blog, I will discuss how to attract, retain and motivate a multi-gen workforce – turning them into loyal, productive employees that will help increase profitability.
Dianne Durkin is president and founder of Loyalty Factor, a specialized consulting and training company that enhances employee, customer and brand loyalty for some of the nation’s most prominent corporations and many smaller businesses. Dianne’s proven expertise lies in helping companies quickly get to the core issues and outlining their impact on the organization’s profits, productivity and people. www.loyaltyfactor.com
Posted in Employee Loyalty, Leadership Management, Multigenerational Workforce | Tags: Efficiency, Generations | 3 Comments »