Attracting Generation Y - Don’t over Promise: 6 Quick Ideas
‘Work-life balance’, ‘brand values’, ‘wanting more out of life’ are just some of the buzz phrases today that Senior Management teams have to grapple with when pondering how to attract and keep intelligent and talented people. The “talent crunch” is upon us and employers need to plan now how to combat its effect
The work ethics of the late 90’s, to slog your way to the top, to be too exhausted to enjoy life after work, put up with a heavy workload and demands for delivering against targets, is no longer acceptable to this demanding and powerful (because of their scarcity) group.
These young people, dubbed ‘Generation Y’ are the product of our “have it now” society. They are the off-spring of parents of the 70s and 80s who, through their guilt at being out at work, have given their ‘angels’ anything and everything they ever wanted – for a quiet life.
Their expectations are probably wholly unrealistic, but the media, school, friends, programmes such as the X Faxctor, have egged them on to believe that the world is their oyster and they can succeed at anything they decide to do. This sounds so good, that these wannabes want it …. and now! Their impatience is palpable. Not failing has been their watchword; exams, sports, have all been made so anodyne that everyone gets a point just for turning up, let alone taking part and even being competent. Why should paid fun (i.e. work) be any different?
Generation Y star performers have been ‘advertised to’ for years, are cynical and wary about glitzy promises. The recessions appears to have little or no effect on how these people view what is an acceptable job. In America, they have between 10 - 12 million people working illegally: without whom the US economy would not be able to function. In Western Europe, there is an influx of Eastern European people, eager to do the jobs other UK employees don’t want to do.
Traditional advertising for vacancies in the newspapers or specialist magazines, is now almost wholly shifted to online with many thousands of active job sites. Estimates vary as to the cost to employers of losing and replacing individuals but the total runs into tens of billions of pounds a year globally. Investing in recruitment communications and selection processes can produce better recruits and reduce attrition.
So how can you use your recruitment advertising campaign effectively to get the Talent from Generation Y? Here are some ideas: -
• Check your firm’s profile on the internet – make sure everything points to you being an excellent employer;
• Liaise with your marketing, PR and branding teams to ensure you reflect core values linked to the job in your advertisement text and interview processes;
• Advertise vacancies on your own website and other websites that are congruent to the role, provides a transaction that reflects your organisation; making sure that experience is accurate, fast and responsive;
• Identify the core competences, knowledge and experience an individual needs to deliver, illustrating career successes and progression opportunities too, be careful of writing in ageist statements / requirements;
• Develop relationships with a few select head hunters and recruitment agencies; don’t keep them at arms’ length, work as business partners and share some of your resourcing objectives with them
After all, you want candidates to come to an interview having seen your brand name in a number of media, visited your website … and now they will be keen and eager to work in your organisation.
Inevitably, you are selling as much as you are buying so be prepared to know what it is you offer and what will be attractive to the candidates you want to focus on. This is about shifting from being a buyer to a seller in a very competitive marketplace. Do remember though, “don’t over-promise and under-deliver”.
Patricia Wheatley Burt (FCIPD)
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