Work-life balance. Flexible work hours. Corporate mission. What is the point of focusing on these non-traditional hiring topics? Two letters - X and Y. Generation X (born between 1963 and 1980) and Generation Y (born after 1980) are establishing a more prominent position within the employment landscape as the Baby Boomers prepare to exit the workforce. The shift to these younger generations is prompting a new focus in hiring tactics.
The Baby Boomer generation was cut from the cloth of work first and foremost, climb the corporate ladder and retire with a healthy pension plan. Those days are all but gone. Today, younger workers are creating a paradigm shift in employee hiring based on their priorities. We have observed this accelerating transition firsthand over the past 2 years.
We work with companies in many market spaces, industries and geographic locations. The hiring landscape has already changed and companies that do not frequently hire may be unaware of the new focus. Certain patterns exist today that are universally consistent when hiring Gen X and Gen Y employees.
--WORK-LIFE BALANCE--
Perhaps there is no more profound shift in values than this topic. Gen X, and even more so Gen Y, is focused on a position's time requirements. This isn't to say the younger generations are not hard workers. On the contrary, they put tremendous effort into their work, but they also place a high value on their personal time away from the office. This balanced approach has been mistakenly interpreted by the Baby Boomers as a "slacker mentality."
The younger generations search for opportunities where they can grow their skill set without having to sacrifice every other area of their life. As an employer, it is imperative to understand this desired balance. Positions that lack the needed support, tools or technology often will be a red flag to the Gen X or Y candidate. The reward for accepting such a position clearly has to outweigh the perceived imbalance it may cause in their life.
--SKILLS PATH--
Most people are familiar with the term "career path." The Baby Boomer generation experienced a marketplace where preordained opportunities existed to climb the corporate ladder within the same company. Today's younger generations generally do not have such consistent opportunities before them. More importantly, many of the younger generation do not subscribe to the same loyalty as the Baby Boomers.
Gen X and Y candidates are looking for a "skills path." They desire to understand what skills are needed to be successful in the position today. The long-term incentive is to understand what skills they will personally develop or acquire within the company. They prefer a horizontal management structure and respond to personal skill development. Titles are out. Responsibilities are in. It is imperative to share with the candidates the responsibilities they will inherit as their skills become more advanced over their tenure with the company.
--SHERPA MANAGERS--
As mentioned, the younger generations have a fairly horizontal view of the org chart - whether accurate or not. We have seen this approach wreak havoc in an office dominated by Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers expect an almost military-style chain of command while the younger generations have a more fluid approach to positions of authority.
Gen X and Y highly value the manager-employee relationship. They view their manager as a guide - an experienced Sherpa to make sure they are on the right path. In debriefing Gen X and Y employees after they are hired, the vast majority consistently mention the impression of their manager as having the most influence on their decision to join the company. The hiring manager needs to connect with the Gen X and Y candidate on a personal level during the interview process. Clearly the manager-employee relationship is a two-way street so this approach affords the hiring manager a beneficial insight into the candidate also.
--WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER--
These generations are plugged-in to technology from Bluetooth to Blackberries. They have spent much of their working careers, even entire lives for some, having Internet information available to them at a moment's notice. This fact can work against employers in that these younger candidates are savvy about Internet job boards and have a tendency to always have an eye out for new opportunities.
However, the upside of this technological ability is far greater. A subtle item we have observed among Gen X and Y candidates is their strategic thinking. Their youthful age belies the fact that they have sharp minds for understanding macro markets. We have seen these younger candidates ask amazingly insightful questions that make the hiring managers pause during the interview. We have also seen strong candidates pass on opportunities because they were skeptical of the hiring company's shallow business plans.
The Gen X workforce will be ascending into prominent management positions at a brisk pace over the next 5 years. The next wave of change will occur in the management ranks as they shift the hiring process away from the Baby Boomer approach. The aforementioned topics will move to the forefront of the hiring process as the newly crowned Gen X managers hire the Gen Y employees. Until that happens, progressive companies will perceive these current shifts and adjust their hiring tactics in advance.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Bartenders job
By: fpc416 | 16-07-2008
I'AM A RETIRED GENTLEMAN WITH BARTENDING EXP. NOW DOING BANQUET BARS, LOOKING FOR SAME KIND OF WORK IN OCEAN CITY ,MD. I LIVE OHIO ,BUT WILL TAKE BAR JOB HERE IF THE OPPER,OFFERS ITSELF I DID WORK AT A 2 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE TYPE RESORT HOTEL WITH 90 ROOMS I WORKED THE GRILL ROOM(where the golfers came in and drank &ate)also set up banquet bars ,&took inv.of the food & bev.thank you for your time in reading this.my e-mail is fpc416 @aol.com
I'm quite new at this. I understand curriculum as ...
By: swingcapri | 15-07-2008
I'm quite new at this. I understand curriculum as a school leader but I never got around to doing and evaluability assessment, nor a logic model as the process design as a result of the assessment.
Question: Could Yedda provide me with a simple evaluability school base study. Any subj. and a logic model that support that assessment? (Please)
Medication injections training
By: mgump | 15-07-2008
what pharmaceutical companines hire rns to teach patients on injections of medication
Would you hire...?
By: BellaX | 09-07-2008
Would you hire a person you liked the most out of any applicant even if they had a resume that shows they change jobs every two years. No gaps just change.
What companys in calif will hire felonys
By: tajaitajai | 04-07-2008
what companys in calif will hire felons
Tracking corporate new hires
By: msanders | 25-04-2008
I'm looking for an RSS feed or email updates from a service that tracks executives promotions and new hires. Primarily in the corporate space, fortune 5000. For example who's the new CEO of IBM, who got promoted to CMO for Sun, who joined the board of directors of Cisco. It would be great if this source could be filtered by region.
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Affiliate Programs Articles
How to Accelerate Your Audio Product Creation
By: Gen Wright | 07/08/2008
Creating information base products cannot get easier these days. You don't need to have great writing skills and you don't need to type faster as you can simply record your thoughts and ideas to create audio products like MP3s and CD series.
Are You Still Using Merchant Provided Landing Pages
By: Matt | 07/08/2008
However, by using the exact same tools as every other affiliate on the Internet you really have no way to set yourself apart from them and create a unique presence for your campaigns.
How to Promote Your Blog for Free Using Blog Search Engines
By: Gen Wright | 07/08/2008
If you're a true blogger who likes to start blogs, you understand how hard it is for a blog to get off the ground. Here are some tips on how to promote your blog for free.
Plr Articles and How Rules are Being Bent While Using Them
By: Manita PD | 07/08/2008
Article marketing was all the rage a couple of years ago, and it still is up till this day, because of one simple reason: content is king on the Internet.
So how do you create your own articles?
There are a number of ways to do it. You can visit the various Internet marketing forums and collect ideas from there.
Top 7 Internet Marketing Techniques for Affiliates
By: Jinger Jarrett | 07/08/2008
To create effective promotional campaigns for affiliate programs, you can use many of the same techniques product owners use. These tips will show you different ways to market affiliate products and tips for getting more from affiliate promotions.
Marketing Affiliate Programs On A Shoestring Budget
By: David Barker | 07/08/2008
Affiliate marketing programs sometimes give the impression that you can set up a successful business with little or no outlay. You may see lessons recommending that you pay to advertise. It could be ezines or any of a number of paid promotional activities. Some of these methods may start off free but the temptation is to upgrade in these programs because you are promised better results.
Benefits of Affiliate Network
By: M Wali | 07/08/2008
Most online companies have achieved remarkable success by drawing benefits from affiliate network. However, to have the right use of affiliate network the new online companies should have good affiliates programs.
Why Customer Follow Up is Essential in Affiliate Program Marketing
By: M Wali | 07/08/2008
Customer follow up is vital in increasing sales and generating commissions in affiliate program marketing.
More from Derrick Moe
How To Lose Strong Sales Candidates
By: Derrick Moe | 27/05/2007 | Management
Hiring salespeople is a daunting task in that they are good actors with the ability to project more skills than they actually possess. Bad salespeople can masquerade long enough to get through the hiring process and onto your payroll. Selecting strong salespeople requires certain disciplines.
Most sales managers were...
Finding Sales Candidates With The Right Talent
By: Derrick Moe | 11/01/2007 | Management
How many times has this scenario played out in a company? The candidate's resume indicated that he had extensive success in our market and had progressed in each of his positions. When we brought him in for an interview, he was a good communicator, likeable, well-groomed and focused...
Sales Hire Misfires
By: Derrick Moe | 11/10/2006 | Affiliate Programs
There is no tougher position for a company to hire than sales. The majority of sales candidates are affable, engaging and interesting in an interview format.
Selecting Salespeople From Outside Your Industry
By: Derrick Moe | 26/06/2006 | Affiliate Programs
There is an old saying in the computer world that dates back to the days of mainframes and terminals. These early computers cost tens of thousands of dollars and there were a handful of competitors in that market space.
Retooling The Hiring Process For Today's Market
By: Derrick Moe | 30/04/2006 | Affiliate Programs
As the Baby Boomer generation exits the workforce steadily over the next 10 years, sourcing new candidates will become a tenuous task.
Slow Cars To Superstars
By: Derrick Moe | 08/04/2006 | Management
Successful hiring, in any company, is one of the most difficult tasks in which to achieve repeatable success.
Internet 
