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The Why Label Generation Y?

Lately there has been a lot of hoopla regarding the various generations in our workplace. Much has been said about the prospects of having four or five different generations in the same workplace at the same time. The latest binge of generational articles is dedicated toward Generation Y, aka Echo Boomers, Millennials, Boomlets and a few other names. Some of the descriptions of the people that make up Generation Y or those born between the years of 1979 and 1994, include they’re impatient, skeptical, blunt, disengaged and lacking customer service skills.

For those of you who are old enough to remember, the same things were said about the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) before there was a label placed on them. Another term for these individuals could be the Woodstocks. Remember the phrases, “Peace, love and happiness,” or “Don’t trust anyone over thirty,” or “Question authority”? Yes, these were the buzz phrases of the late 1960’s and continued through the 1970’s.

Here are a few other things written about how to motivate Generation Y: tell them the truth, give them a reason for their tasks, get to know them, keep them challenged. This is not a revelation. These are the topics that should be covered in a management 101 class. How many people do you know of any age who are motivated by lies from their boss? Most people of all ages become more inspired to do a better job when they are challenged, understand the reasons for their tasks and feel that their work makes an impact on the business.

Instead of looking at Generation Y as is if they were aliens from the planet Ork, look at the strengths this generation brings to your business.

1. This is the most technological savvy group of individuals in the history of the world. Get to know the skills these young people possess and use them to your business advantage. In addition, people from generation X and Y come to the workplace with a tremendous amount of knowledge and the ability to quickly find information on any and all subjects.
2. This is the most culturally aware and diverse generation ever. The Gen Yers have more knowledge of the world and world events. This generation has grown up with international internet friends; they regularly e-mail or instant message individuals from all over the world. They have become more interested in cultural differences and most of them find these differences fascinating.
3. There are more multi-racial children in this generation than ever before. When people of this generation start working, they are asked to check a box indicating what race they belong to. Many cannot answer with one check mark or even with two check marks. They reject labels of any kind and have a very high degree of independence. This is a good thing even though most Americans want to put unfounded labels on people based on their ethnic group or what state they are from. What do you think of when you hear someone is from California or New York? Enough said.
4. Generation Y is also more interested in giving back to the community than previous age bands. College students of today are twice as likely to volunteer for charitable organizations, tutoring or mentoring than Generation Xers or Baby Boomers. This says that they would be more interested in working for companies that sponsor charitable endeavors and allow the employees to take part.

Great managers do not pigeonhole people based upon their age, ethnic background, gender or even what state they are from. They look at the talent each individual brings to the table, understand what motivates them and work with people to make good things happen. They concentrate on results. This is a pretty simple philosophy regardless of the age of the workforce.