No Gen Y Employees?!: Lessons in Reaching Out
Over coffee last Saturday morning, my father and I engaged in a very interesting discussion about the differences between how Gen Y and other generations communicate. As a late part of the Baby Boomer age group, he brought an incredibly interesting perspective to the table.
Here’s a little background to illuminate his point of view: He has a MBA and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering, and worked up the ladder in the chemical industry. After extensive experience in manufacturing and a brief stint in marketing, he changed companies and now “just makes salt.” He has been on both side of the employer/employee table, and is now vice president of operations and in charge of a major part of hiring for their organization.
When I asked him about his opinion of his Gen Y employees, his answer was simple: There are no employees under the age of 30 in his company. No interns, no entry-level positions. Just technicians with at least 10 years of experience. Because of this fact, he felt that he was entirely out of the loop and unknowledgeable of how Gen Y communicated. His company relies on experienced professionals – it is just the nature of his business. However, he did ask for options of how to go about meeting qualified Gen Y candidates.
Gina’s Gen Y post last Wednesday provided some very helpful suggestions for job hunters to expand their network. I would take her tips and modify them slightly for employers.
- Think of who your children or younger generations know, and reach out to them for great candidates.
- Consider using mutual friends or connections to make an introduction for you.
- Start or join a Meetup group or Tweetup. (These are incredibly helpful — I went to a Meetup group this week and met at least 20 new people!)
- Utilize social networking sites in a way that fits your lifestyle and seems to be the most natural fit for your personality.
- Seriously consider using temp agencies for contract work.
- Consider researching university counselors or alumni groups to see if they know of any great candidates.
- Attend a conference or community event and introduce yourself to new people.
The goal is to simply reach out in small ways. Your company can recruit young talent and you have a wider resource base to pull from when trying to navigate the ever-changing workforce. With these tips, I feel like I armed my father to affect change in his company. Please let us know which suggestions you try over the next week!
About the Author
Amy Liz Martin is a PR professional whose work centers on social media, media relations, corporate relations, publicity and cause-related PR campaigns. Amy was a fundraiser and event communications chair for the American Cancer Society, ran small development and communications campaigns for the International Center for Journalists, and led social media publicity efforts for artists at EMI CMG Label Group. She earned her master's degree in mass communications/public relations at Louisiana State University and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America.
