Why Gen Y Matters
Pat Esser, Cox Communications -- Multichannel News, 12/16/2007 7:00:00 PM
Pat Esser was a keynote speaker at the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association’s Achieving Excellence Symposium in Atlanta on Oct. 23. Titled “Echo Boomers: Changing the Pace and Face of Business,” the speech focused on ways to recruit, integrate and retain the 30-and-under demographic which, according to Esser, is “poised to become the most powerful generation thus far.” Here is an edited transcript:
I always like to have a sense of my audience, so I’ll ask for a show of hands: How many of you are under the age of 30? Okay, now how many of you have children between 13 and 30 living with you? Ah yes, I’m not surprised. Echo boomers like to stick close to home.
Ironically, that’s one of the reasons that the echo boomers — our current tweens, teens and young adults — are poised to become the most powerful generation thus far, surpassing all generations before them (including my generation, the baby boomers).
As a group, this generation has attained the best attributes from preceding generations, with the added advantage of being born during the 'digital age.’ Their vast number — nearly 80 million — merged with modern-day communication technology and enormous influence over their parents and their growing disposable income, equals unprecedented marketplace power.
Already, echo boomers account for more than $170 billion a year in spendable dollars directly or through their influence. This generation’s consumer dollars and choice of employer will dramatically impact the business sector in ways we can’t precisely predict, but for which we definitely must prepare. It will be a seismic shift.
Now, today I’m talking to a roomful of human resources experts, so I’m going to share with you some observations and insights, and challenge you to help process what this means to the people side of our business. Think about how we will recruit this bright, young talent. How will we keep them motivated? Well, first, we need to get to know them.
What’s fascinating about the Echo Boomers is that they have retained many of the most positive attributes of their parents, usually baby boomers, with the added advantages of today’s technology. Millennials (another word for echo boomers, you might also hear them referred to as Gen Y) grew up with the Internet and 200 TV channels. They were impacted by Title IX, Gymboree, their soccer moms, reality TV, the Clinton era and, quite significantly, 9/11. They were raised by doting parents with day planners and computers. Oprah Winfrey has humorously referred to these kids as 'over-programmed.’ The result is a group that is introspective, highly regimented, optimistic — and sometimes impatient.
Listen to these attributes:
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They’re confident in their ability to succeed, and they’re optimistic about their place in the world.
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They are collaborative team players, who are able to think, work and achieve in groups.
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They’re practically immune to gender gaps and racial divides.
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They actually like their parents — one of my personal favorites as a dad.
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They aren’t as rebellious, and they tend to follow authority. Among this group, reports show that violent crime, teen pregnancy and abortion rates are all down. Tobacco and alcohol usage are the lowest ever measured among high school students today.
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They’re smarter than previous generations. Their aptitude test scores are up.
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They’re activists. They want to live and work where it’s clean, safe and green.
And by 2014, they will dominate our population. That’s only seven years away.
Now I have three echo boomer daughters. My home, my daily life is a living, breathing focus group. And here’s what strikes me as their most defining attribute: They are very, very, very social. What might appear to some people as insular and introverted — sitting in front of screens all day, whether it’s a cell phone, computer or television screen — in many cases, it’s a social activity.
When my generation began using computers every day, it was more as a utility: to balance our checkbooks, develop Excel spreadsheets, or type letters in Word Perfect. That’s not what these kids are doing. As PCs became connected to the Internet, they began IM-ing, chatting, Googling, downloading, uploading and interacting. They’re not gathering around the water cooler on Friday mornings to talk about what happened on Seinfeld the night before; instead, they’re IM-ing while watching Gossip Girl via their high-speed Internet service, usually while listening to their iPods, sending text messages over their cell phones, and — so they tell me — doing their homework.
So now that you’ve had a crash course in 'millennial-ese,’ I want to share with you a few thoughts on what businesses will have to do to meet the unique needs of this generation. Echo boomers are social, savvy — and very fickle. They have zero tolerance for delays in customer service. So, think about it.
They love self-scanners, pay passes, and seamless, online shopping. But, for that social aspect, they also seek a life-affirming experience when picking out shoes, which might include a department store with a DJ, disco lights and an espresso bar. To them, attitude is as important as the content. And the attitude needs to be authentic, humorous, relevant and social.
It’s mind-boggling to think of transforming industries to meet these expectations … many of which we don’t fully understand. But the echo boomers will challenge us to provide it for them. Remember, they’re smart, resourceful and they have the ultimate leverage: the money. So if we don’t, someone else will.
Over the past year, I have mentioned to colleagues the critical need to have echo boomers on staff and as a sounding board. That’s why we created 'Project Echo’ at Cox, our own 30-and-under think tank.
Just like their consumer needs are unique, so too are their workplace expectations. As employees, millennials, like their baby boomer parents, are goal-oriented. At the same time, flexibility and life balance are important values. Their personal and professional lives intermingle 24/7, and they have a strong desire to make the world a better place for the next generation.
That means many employers will have to let go of old-fashioned, rigid policies. Going forward, flexibility, mentoring, and social opportunities at work are table stakes. Millennials want to be challenged, and are comfortable learning from their own mistakes. Remember, this is the Nintendo generation, and they’re used to just starting over again every time they fail.
I recently spent an entire day at the University of Florida interviewing and interacting with students. I wrote down a quote from a student that sums it up: 'I can’t see myself being in a place where I have to do something over and over. I need a challenge … the ability to move up in the company and not have to do the exact same boring task everyday or be stuck in a cubicle.’ And I tell you, I heard this consistently, whether at UF or across the country at my alma mater, University of Northern Iowa. It’s a common thread among the echo boomers.
Also possibly gleaned from their Xboxes, echo boomers value immediate feedback and validation, which can be difficult for more traditional workers to deliver. They want to be mentored, coached and developed — often in unexpected areas. One generational expert remarked: 'They have climbed Everest and excavated Machu Picchu, but they have never had the experience of showing up for work at 9 a.m.’ And maybe they don’t want to. For millennials, flexibility may mean 'my job — my way.’ One size does not fit all.
As their parents, mentors or colleagues, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and annoyed by seemingly scattered echo boomer work habits. But be careful! Don’t dismiss their multitasking as lack of focus or inability to pay attention. They’ll tell you, it’s not better or worse than your work habits, it’s just 'a different way of doing things.’ In a New York Times article early this year, an echo boomer was asked to address her need to constantly engage in 'interactive multitasking.’ She said: 'It’s no different than eating and watching TV at the same time.’
What was most telling, however, is when asked if she might ever try to disconnect from all her electronic devices, she responded: 'It’s like, if you don’t check your e-mail and you turn off your phone, it’s almost like you don’t exist.’ I’ve seen this feeling of agony in my daughter when the power went out. They’re lost. Again, this isn’t exactly a generation-wide case of ADD, as it might appear.
For example, in my research, I’ve found that echo boomers’ propensity to 'hop around’ is not necessarily because they don’t want to stick with a company long-term, it’s just that they get impatient when their needs are not being met quickly enough. As employers, we must recognize that many echo boomers don’t mind being on Blackberry all weekend as long as they have flexibility during the week.
In a nutshell, an echo boomer’s dream job likely includes: social networks; work/life balance; personal growth; work that matters; opportunities to do good; quality of life; and creativity. We too have to think creatively. For example, one international pharmaceutical company hired 20 graduates from the same college, with the intention to provide new hires with ready-made friendship groups to ease transition and amp up retention.
At the same time, if we bend over backwards to accommodate their ways, we risk alienating the rest of our workforce. I anticipate that the transition will include some generational conflicts, for which we also must prepare.
Overall, it’s important to consider these ideas and adjustments now, because we’re going to need millennial workers desperately over the next decade. Masses of Baby Boomers are starting to retire … and the workforce is changing. Over the next 10 years, we’ll face a talent shortage and increased job creation. We also need to start planning for Echo Boomers as managers. What will that look like?
In our industry, we’ve never seen a more complex, competitive, fast-paced business. Products are converging. Media usage patterns are shifting. And content must be portable and mobile. Echo Boomers want to consume media on their own terms, anywhere, anytime. And you know what, I want that too.
I love being able to text message my college-age daughter at any time of day and get a response from her in seconds. Echo Boomers will not only 'bring change’ through their own behavior, but they are bringing change to their parents’ technology adoption rates and media consumption patterns as well.
So, the marketplace is evolving, but the way I see it, my role as a telecommunications provider continues: connect people — of all generations — with information, entertainment and communication in a simple, seamless, trusted experience. Your role, as HR professionals, is to do the same for our employee base.
It’s an exciting time to be in your profession. Today’s technology and the intersection of four generations in the workplace really shake things up. I know change can be scary, so I’d like to share this anonymous quote with you with a note of caution and sarcasm: 'There’s nothing wrong with today’s teenagers that 20 years won’t cure.’
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