That time had to come. The so-called generation Y is moving onto the job market with more and more impact. According to research, employers and representatives of generation Y are two groups that have no common points. What is the truth?
Generation Y, which is currently moving onto the job market, is, as HR experts admit, quite a challenge for the recruiters. A study by Deloitte shows that these new employees are focused on self-development, optimistic, and self-confident. On the other hand, they often have excessive financial expectations, which manifests itself in stating the expected first salary as above the average salary in Poland.
According to the same study, only 17% of Polish students see the economic situation in Poland as good. All the rest have classified it as average or bad. However, for employers, the factor that’s more important than statistics is the division of generation Y into 6 major categories:
- The work-oriented: those who put their jobs first
- The demanding: those who value a job and a properly high income, but also free time
- The meaning-seekers: those who want self-development and care about their job and family
- The avoiders: those who attach no value to work
- The carefree: those for which spending time in a pleasant way and having a group of friends matters most
- The distanced: those who appreciate health, family, and peace.
Contrary to common belief, work is a very important element in the life of young people: 62% of the respondents said so. This is less than the number of those that pointed to family and self-development, but considering the passage of time and factors starting to play a role later on, this percentage increases with age. There is one more myth that is prevalent in society. It’s the belief that young people do not gather any professional experience due to idleness and a light-hearted approach to life. Approximately 80% of the representatives of generation Y study and complete internships (not only those required in the curriculum) at the same time. This is a huge number of people who, apart from theoretical education, spend their time gaining the necessary experience, often for no remuneration.
That’s all very well, but what does that mean for employers? Can any solid conclusions be drawn? Obviously, during an interview, none of the employers and HR specialists will think about the category the candidate falls into. What counts is the CV, the professional experience, and the skills. However, you should not believe the stereotypes and the popular opinions about generation Y employees. The key thing is to understand the expectations and the motivation of future employees and the new motivation methods that are more effective with respect to generation Y than the older employees. A gamification system, soft skills seminars, work mobility and flexibility, and a possibility to show the creative side of achieving goals at work are the major factors that can lead to mutual understanding between employers/managers and ‘Y workers.’ Only then will the company become more effective, selling more products and services and generating more income. Additionally, the personnel will be enriched with fresh, young, and creative people that may contribute a lot of good things to the way the company operates.
The article was written on the basis of the ‘First steps on the job market’ report by Deloitte.