As the fact is generation X is equally important for the companies. More significantly it is essential that steps be taken to capture the intellectual capital and cultural heritage from older generation before they retire

I know my colleague who is finding very difficult in retaining Gen Y candidate.

Vasu– (to his manager) I’m planning to take job near Stellar gymnasium.

Jason (Vasu’s manager) you are getting good salary here.

Vasu – No, it’s not salary. We don’t have hard rock café here. And also I don’t want to work late hours.

Jason– (observing Vasu’s fingers that were continuously tapping on screen of smart phone)   Ok we can work on work hours as productivity is very high.

(Mean while during this conversation Vasu updated his FB status, passed 3-4 jokes on whats App, and followed someone on twitter and was talking to his manager.) (He did all this in five minutes)

The meeting gets over. Vasu moves out but Jason is in dilemma.
Jason as one can get is not Gen Y but Vasu is!

They are outspoken irreverent and completely unapologetic. They believe in absolute value. They need flexible working hours. They want freedom to manage their work hours, while still being productive. Employers and HR departments will need to adjust their strategy for recruiting and retaining members of Gen Y They love social networking. They follow Twitter, update the status at Facebook, are member of Linkedin and are very professional. Can you think of gen y person without Facebook or twitter account?

It is challenge to retain Gen Y. It is very tough to impose processes and policies on Gen Y hence all these needs to be in a way that is appealing to them. More importantly we should try to get to their hearts rather managing with our expectations.

Employers and HR departments will need to adjust their strategy for recruiting and retaining members of this demographic. Gen Y should be dealt with very differently at all aspects, including:

  • Try to reach their heart instead imposing it on forcefully,
  • Creating entertainment Avenues
  • Flexibility at work
  • Freedom to manage their work hours
  • Nurturing their passion
  • Set up avenues in the organization to harness their passion
  • Social networking

Gen Y are leveraging the benefits to maximum.

  • Gen y looks for vibrant atmosphere
  • Work from home would be another approach to manage Gen Y
  • They are more independent, very fast in approach
  • They are well aware and are very alert.

. They don’t believe in working for other’s company. Today they want to invent the future they want. They are risk taking generation. Gen Y is taking over the workplace and it’s sooner than you think. As a millennial generation, gen y will be 75% of workforce by 2025. Mostly the decision making will lie within this group. As it’s an era of innovation and think beyond.

Mostly the decision powers lie in the hands of Gen X and create conflict between one generation  to other generation

One approach to avoid such type of conflicts is to institutionalized “reverse mentoring”

This means to have someone from the Gen Y so to mentor the Gen X group. It is important to make Gen Y comfortable and also to reduce conflict between Gen Y and Gen X. The idea is to retain Y people.

They are brilliant, confident and demanding. But this does not mean they too trap in dilemma. They are open and great at social networking but this does not mean that they would compromise on business confidentiality.

Gen X needs to definitely unlearn and get up to the pace of gen Y and generations to come for better future.