Spring 2008 issue of Horizons

Guest Article Dr. Ginny Barnes, G.B. Communications, Inc.

Guess Who Is Coming to Work? Generation Y Are You Ready for Them? Yes, they are here! Generation Y, otherwise known as the millennial generation, has grown up and is now job hunting. Companies are responding to this potential employee market with mixed reactions. On the one hand, the generation Y market exhibits competitive and attractive applicants. On the other hand, this generation comes with a set of expectations and behaviors unlike those of generation X, boomers or the matures. Companies are competing for the best applicant, yet often are unprepared for the recruitment, interview, hiring and coaching process that creates a successful hire. What are the characteristics of this generation, and how can you position your company processes to be successful?

time of economic growth and personal wealth for parents and the country, creating a menu-driven society and options for busy schedules, activities and lots of things given to them. They were the first generation to grow up having the global world view at their fingertips. Sociologists and psychologists disagree about the future of generation Y. They have been described as being the next great “hero generation,” indicating their traits as being extraordinarily well rounded, having high self- esteem, being civic-minded, and raised to believe they could do anything. Others describe them as the next “me generation,” indicating their self-focus, expectation of entitlement, and desire for fame and fortune. While the jury is still out on the future of generation Y, what is most important are the core traits they exhibit as a generation and what can be done in the workplace to support, challenge and prepare this generation for the years to come.

Generation Y – Who Are They?

Members of generation Y, born between 1980 and 1994, are the children of 78 million baby boomers. Reaching numbers of more than 60 million, they are an enormously powerful, savvy and diverse market. They have grown up in a time in which the world was no longer safe and reliable, recalling events such as school shootings, the Oklahoma City bombing, Sept. 11, terrorists’ activities and the Iraq War. They have been exposed to AIDS, drugs, rapidly improving technology, reality TV, talk shows and MTV. They also benefited from growing up in a

13 u spring 2008 issue