Gen Y or Millennial candidates take a different approach to their job search. If you weren’t sure of this or have yet to experience it, I give you the Pioneer Press’ The choosy generation:
They want to work for companies that offer nice salaries and clear career paths for advancement. But many are pushing for more. Work isn’t their life, they’re saying before they even begin working, and they’re searching for employers who offer flexible work schedules that allow them to maintain their personal pursuits. “Me time” is vital. So is volunteering in the community €” on company time.
We can attest to this trend as we have seen it first-hand. This generation does take a bit of an entitlement mentality to their job search as the article explains. However, this generation does offer some amazing talent that was simply not available in our generations. Their wired ability leaps to mind. This generation is the first to grow up with computers and the Internet and it shows in their abilities. Yet, to land many of the talented ones, companies do need to take a new approach. For instance:
“That comes in the form of significant vacation entitlements, in the form of imaginative alternative work programs which allow people to take leaves of absence, to work part-time, to job-share,” said Kernan.
The firm that is willing to consider these things will be ahead of the companies that require their employees to work a lock-step eight-hour workday, he said. “We are constantly looking at and tweaking all of our work-life related programs.”
That quote is from the 56 year-old managing partner of the Twin Cities’ branch of Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Oh how times have changed. One last point from the excellent article is the younger generation’s expectation to work with the management team. Gen Y sees the company hierarchy in a relatively horizontal manner and expect the culture to reflect that view.
Today more than ever before, Slavitt is likely to field questions from job candidates about their potential level of exposure to company executives. “At a company with 5,500 people they would not be at all surprised to meet with me and others on the executive team and get that level of exposure,” Slavitt said.