Why Gen Y Job Hops

Steve Rothberg over at collegerecruiter.com provides one of the clearest posts I have read regarding Gen Y and their job-hopping ways.  This is Steve’s area of expertise and this post lays it out in simple terms.  An excerpt (emphasis mine): Gen X’ers like me who attended college two decades ago received our education for far less money than Gen Y’ers are paying. I paid $3,500 for tuition my last year in school. If the cost of that tuition were to double every seven years, that means that today’s student in that same program would pay $28,000. That’s disgusting. I graduated with about $20,000 in student loan debt. A Gen Y’er… Read More

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Show Me The Time Compensation

In the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise made the phrase “Show me the money” famous. In fact, the phrase has become an American icon in several ways. Eleven years later, it appears candidates are saying “Show me the time.” Time off for family, friends and fun. According to a recent survey by the Association of Executive Search Consultants, 85% of recruiters have seen candidates reject a job offer because it wouldn’t include enough work-life balance. And 90% of recruiters say work-life balance considerations are more important now than they were five years ago. Information from other levels of employment – not just the executive levels – suggest exactly the… Read More

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Coffee Snobbery

From CareerJournal.com comes an important article revealing a new trend – Gourmet Coffee Becomes An Unwelcome Office Perk: Of people who drink coffee at work, the percentage that drink the in-house brew dropped to 52% last year from 64% in 2003, according to the National Coffee Association, an industry group. I love that they have surveys for coffee consumption at the office. Is there any topic that isn’t subject to a survey? Nonetheless, I take my coffee seriously and am heartened by this new trend: Many employers are also investing in single-serve machines that make everything from coffee and specialty espresso drinks to hot chocolate and allow employees to brew… Read More

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Me Time Is Vital

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. … Read More

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Work Commute Or Telecommute

This is a timely topic considering we are in the midst of a blizzard up here in the Twin Cities. I personally have a short commute, but this topic is a big deal for the thousands on the road this morning stuck in stop and go traffic. The 2006 Commuter Impact Survey from the TransitCenter, Inc. looks at commuting issues from both an employer and employee viewpoint. We have touched on this topic in previous posts (Energy Prices And Recruitment, Telecommuting Town?). There were some interesting findings in this survey that I wanted to pass along form this 18 page white paper. First, 76% of the employers who responded think… Read More

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What Candidates Look For By Generation

Last week I put up a second post, What Candidates Look For In A Job on a webinar conducted by Monster and DDI. In that post I highlighted the disconnect between what the candidate is looking for and what the employer believes they are looking for. Age is a factor in the responses and I promised to share that information with you. So here you go, the top 4 reasons by age group in order of importance: Less than 20 Years Old A creative/fun workplace culture. A compatible work group/team. A good manager/boss. Opportunities to learn and grow. 21 to 30 Years Old Opportunities to learn and grow. Opportunity to… Read More

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2007 Salary Trends

Salary.com put this article out earlier this month. It is a lengthy article written to employees in regards to 2007 areas of compensation, but there are some points to keep in mind not only as you are hiring staff this year but in retaining your current team. These points are complementary to one of our earlier posts on the top reasons why candidates take a job. If you haven’t read this post, let me highlight the top 4 things candidates are looking for in jobs: A good manager/boss, opportunity to advance, opportunities to learn/grow and balance between work and personal life. Salary.com’s article aligns with 3 of the 4 points… Read More

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What Candidates Look For In A Job

A few months ago I posted on Why Salespeople Leave which discussed the disconnect between how a company compensates their salespeople and what the salespeople view as a reward. Last week I attended a webinar jointly presented by Monster and DDI and was amazed at the disconnect they found in their research between what employers think candidates desire in a position and reality. Employers, or more specifically hiring managers, listed these items as the top 4 reasons why a candidate takes a position: A good manager/boss. Opportunity to advance. Opportunities to learn and grow. Balance between work and personal life. However, here is how the candidates responded in the survey:… Read More

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Managing Gen Y Workers

Manage Smarter offers Understanding the 20-Something Workforce. I have to confess, in our business we do not have frequent interaction with 20 some year olds. Here are excerpts of the author’s suggestions: 1. Make their first day unforgettable. Twenty-somethings thrive on instant gratification. “They’re used to taking a lot of data in at one time and making a choice,” Dorsey says. While this is a great asset in business, it unfortunately means a company has little time to make an positive impression. 2. Don’t rely on a competitive salary to keep talent. “It’s a big realization, but money does not always build loyalty,” Dorsey says. Twenty-somethings’ parents, often Baby Boomers… Read More

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Productivity From Presenteeism

A timely article from CNNMoney.com – ‘Presenteeism’ infects businesses. Timely in that some super bug has made it’s way through Select Metrix which has knocked yours truly down this week. For some background on this phenomenon: “presenteeism,” or going to work when sick, is a persistent problem at more than half of U.S. workplaces and costs U.S. business a whopping $180 billion a year, research shows. Think of it as the opposite of absenteeism. Let’s cut to the chase on the whole issue: As often as two-thirds of the time, sick people go to work because they feel they have too much work to do, according to the CCH study.… Read More

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