Okay, things are slow but we can mine today for tomorrow’s gold. Socially, psychologically, and economically, we need each other. We need to challenge ourselves by continually pressing on seeking assistance and insight at every opportunity to retain business because retention is the new success. If you are experiencing an increase in sales you are much ahead of this recession game!

If you look at your Gen Y staff you find those successful at academic challenge, they question management direction and want to sincerely not the “why’s? and “why not’s”. They are a generation dedicated to friends, family and their drive. What Generation Y is not is experience with economic challenges, sure they may have heard stories about recessions past but this experience is a bit of a shock.

Let’s face it, this economic storm is not what most students were hoping for in high school and on graduation day from college. How easy it might be to become frustrated with some employees that are not motivated to keep working.  We may think these employees are passive and uninvolved. The fact is — many have had to learn the hard way — our departments don’t have to be lack luster, and employees who seem unmotivated don’t have to remain in the unmotivated stage for very long. Making a change requires great deal of soul-searching and rethinking about the entire department and your own motivations. And, in some cases we accept some of the blame of the dull unmotivating atmosphere ourselves. Would we want to work at their desks in our own departments today? 

Employees need to feel that they have the real ability to share and ask for solutions. For the most part, they are the products of years of experience in schools where they were essentially told to sit down, shut up, listen, and learn – an experience that taught them that their boss is the source of knowledge and direction.  

Students are in college spending their time and money because they want to learn and because they want a better life for themselves. They are a valuable resource of new ideas and concepts. They should be your first source of inspiration. Their passion is still burning underneath just waiting for the opportunity to make things happen in their world.   

These employees want to have their individual needs met. They want to feel like they are more than part of a company, that their individual talents and abilities are respected and deemed worthy.  They look for incentives and rewards for their hard work.

 
• They want bosses who are real  and inspiring people, who recognize them as potential leaders – bosses who geniunely care about them — not just their daily performance. 
• They want to be challenged, not decimated. 
• They want caring leaders who check in regularly, who support their individual learning and development, who inform them individually of their progress, and who assign a variety of tasks that give them the opportunity to learn in modes that fit their individual styles and that are designed to meet their level of learning. 
• They like bosses who walk the talk.

• Bosses who can be themselves and can smile and joke around once in a while. ,

• They like clear, complete explanations and examples with cross training opportunities.

• Remember to talk to your employees about their motivations because what motivates you does not always motivate them.

When we think  I think about the type of employee we are looking for, we look for those with a spark in their eyes and a fast step. We hire those people to begin with it is our responsibility as leaders to keep the fire burning. We need to create and recreate environments that will be enjoyable and motivating. We need to keep things fresh by providing opportunity of change, cross training and shadowing for our future leaders.

Gen Y employees are willing to learn; they simply need an ocassional stimulation, an incentive to take it up a gear.