The Power of a Gen Y Woman

Posted on 06/30/10 in Blog, 6 Comments

Last Saturday, I was included in a group interview of incredibly savvy ladies to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of how marketers target women. Our total age range was around 15 years and spanned Gen X, a hybrid of Gen X and Y, and late Baby Boomers.  One topic that resonated with all of us is that sometimes marketers tend to approach women with a one-size-fits-all approach. This made me really stop and think…

Do we approach Gen Y in the same way? Or are there characteristics between Gen Y women and men that we need to consider?

Nicole Crimaldi began this conversation in her April 27th post by saying that research explains that Gen Y women want it all — the job, workplace flexibility, motherhood, impact on society, a strong marriage or partnership, and the top role at her company. Gen Y women are redefining what “success” means to them as they learn lessons from previous generations.

To conclude her post, she asked a series of questions that I would like to ask, as well as add a few of my own:

  • How will companies (yes, you) adjust policies to keep top performing family women at the top of their firm rather than starting their own business? Crimaldi cited the 2006 Lifetime Women’s Pulse Poll stating that one of Gen Y’s most stated career goal was to start their own business (30%)
  • What trends will we see in workplace flexibility? (i.e. time-sharing, telecommuting, adjustment of the normal 9-5 work timeframe).
  • What does these statistics mean for Gen Y men?
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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.

Visit Amy Martin's Website
  • nicolecrimaldi

    Hi Amy!

    Thanks so much for linking back to my post. I've become fascinated by this “breed” of women that us Gen Y women are and how marketers are reaching us. I agree that too many marketers (and employers!) apply a “one size fits all” approach. Overall, I think the one thing most Gen Y women can agree on is that we value flexibility above most other things.

    Looking forward to reading more of your blog!

    Nicole

  • Shannon Otto

    I think many companies are becoming more savvy to telecommuting and the allure that it holds. Depending on your job duties, it's relatively easy to work from home (or another city, for that matter) in 2010 and moving forward. Starting next week, I'll be working remotely (based in New York working for my current employer, which is in Atlanta). Gen Y wants more flexibility and work/life balance, and I think employers are realizing they can give them that, otherwise they'll lose talent.

  • Amy Liz

    First of all, congrats on the flexible telecommuting lifestyle and thank you for sharing your thoughts! I totally agree with you that employers are beginning to realize it's importance more and more. We now live in the age of virtual assistants that can be 5 states away, if necessary. I hope employers continue to use this as a perk to working with their company, because I feel that many Gen Y women would appreciate it!

  • Amy

    Hi Nicole, thanks for checking out GenYNetworking! I look forward to reading more from you as well! I think the power of a Gen Y woman is unstoppable, and employers need to understand her in a way that is so different from previous generations.

    I hope to see more comments from you on the blog!

  • Amy Liz

    First of all, congrats on the flexible telecommuting lifestyle and thank you for sharing your thoughts! I totally agree with you that employers are beginning to realize it's importance more and more. We now live in the age of virtual assistants that can be 5 states away, if necessary. I hope employers continue to use this as a perk to working with their company, because I feel that many Gen Y women would appreciate it!

  • Amy

    Hi Nicole, thanks for checking out GenYNetworking! I look forward to reading more from you as well! I think the power of a Gen Y woman is unstoppable, and employers need to understand her in a way that is so different from previous generations.

    I hope to see more comments from you on the blog!