Considering that
all the members of a group have the same characteristics and features would
definitely represent a blunder, remarkable differences can be in fact identified
between the different generations. According to Sparrow and Cooper (2003) is
reasonable thinking that the workforce of the future will have different “work
values” compared to the current one.
Yers
“Generation Y” people
or “Nexters”, as they are also known, are supposed to perform better whether
they can be part of, and work in, a team (Penna and CIPD, 2008). Moreover, they
are very interested in social network, preferably online but also offline. They
want to have fun and make new friends. What motivate them the most is being
offered opportunities for personal and professional growth and expanding their
technical skills.
Yers are willing to
work hard, prefer performing challenging tasks but want to enjoy the advantages
provided by an appropriate work-life balance. An additional distinctive
characteristic of these individuals is that they do not to excel in terms of
loyalty to their employer. Yet, they aim at receiving benefits genuinely meeting
their wants (Penna and CIPD, 2008).
Being absolutely confident in the use of
technological devises and applications, these people are sorely engaged and interested
in technology and hence in savvy working environments (Torrington et al, 2008).
Gen X
Generation X individuals
actually share many features with Yers: enjoy to be challenged, aim at an
appropriate working-life balance (Torrington et al., 2008), perform better
working in a team, enjoy socialising in the workplace and seek personal growth
and challenging job opportunities (Penna and CIPD, 2009).
They also aim at receiving
a considerable degree of latitude and care more about outcomes than processes
(Penna and CIPD, 2009).
Baby boomers
Baby boomers, as Yers
and Xers, are more engaged when performing challenging works and are offered opportunities
for personal development. Yet, people belonging to this generation want to
enjoy the benefits offered by work-life balance practices. As Xers, they long
for autonomy when making decisions and want to be personally valued by the
people surrounding them.
Although this is the
most loyal generation, they do not suggest their organisation to others as a
good place to work at and are the less incline to go the extra mile.
In contrast to Yers and
Xers, baby boomers are less interested in teamwork, but are those who value the
most the social commitment of their employer (Penna and CIPD, 2008).
Veterans
Similarly to Yers,
Xers and baby boomers, veterans are attracted by jobs giving them the authority
to make decisions. These individuals also definitely prefer that roles, responsibilities
and hierarchies are clearly defined. As baby boomers and Xers, they want to be
valued by the people they work with.
Veterans give a
crucial importance to the psychological contract and are expected their loyalty
to be reciprocated. Traditionalists, as veterans are also called, are expected
that their ideas and suggestions are valued by their employer and are more
passionate than any other generation about their job. Their loyalty is not
influenced by their role and they would consider working beyond retirement
whether possible (Penna and CIPD, 2009).
************
Albeit it is not
completely clear whether differences amongst generations are based on age or
life stage rather than on generational related characteristics, there is a wide
agreement on the “self-evident differences” between generations (Parry and
Urwin, 2009).
What characterise Yers the most compared to the other
generations is their marked interest in cash, work-life balance, learning and
development (Berry, 2008), their “can-do attitude when it comes to technology”
and the need for constant feedback (Peacock, 2008).
Enabling
organizations to reach the individuals having the skills and capabilities they
require, recruitment clearly has a paramount importance for every organisation (Parry
and Urwin, 2009).
When recruitment
activities are carried out, there are two aspects which in particular need to
be carefully considered: the recruitment channels, in terms of identifying and having
recourse to the means which are likely to most successfully enable a business
to reach its target; and the creation of the employer branding based on the
offer of a value proposition meeting the expectations of the pre-identified
target. These factors are crucially important insofar as, whether properly managed,
habitually enabling organisations to recruit and retain the right individuals
(Parry and Urwin, 2009).
Nexters are
attracted by technology and enjoy using electronic media (Matthews 2008) so
that web 2.0 technology should definitely reveal to be useful to attract them
(Birkinshaw, 2008). These people are familiar with video company information,
online application forms, tests and brochures; social networks, online adverts
and forums, and Second life hence definitely represent the most suitable
channels to reach them (Birkinshaw, 2008). Second Life has in particular revealed
to be very effective both for the recruitment of new staff and for offering
career advancement to the existing employees. Individuals move within this
virtual world acquiring knowledge of roles, of the related required competencies
and of the new opportunities eventually arose within the organisation. By means
of this application employees also have the possibility to talk to the organisation’s
“ambassadors” who are able to provide them useful information.
The most effective
offline channel to reach Yers has instead proved to be the word of mouth; they
are very likely to recommend their employer to others, so that the employer
branding image would reveal to be extremely beneficial to reach and attract
them.
Generation Y people
are much more willing to participate to assessment centres, not appreciated by
baby boomers, and are sometimes over-cosseted by their parents so that
employers should be ready to deal with the “helicopter effect”, that is, the
constant presence of their parents calling them relatively often and even
attending career fairs on their kids behalf (Matthews, 2008). Some
organisations have even adapted their recruitment process accordingly inviting at
recruitment fairs an additional member of the candidate’s family and including,
in the information package sent to the appointed people, a letter specifically
addressed to their parents (Matthews, 2008b).
In order to attract
and retain Nexters a techno-savvy working environment, the access to online
social networks, intranet applications and the like are hence necessary. To attain
these objectives, organisations should also offer flexible working
opportunities; these individuals in fact like to work anytime, anywhere and do
prefer works based on tasks rather than on time constraints.
Specialist skills
and personal development opportunities are also very attractive to them.
Nexters are interested in career, coaching and training opportunities; they
don’t live to work, but work to live so that work-life balance is definitely
and firmly at the top of their priorities and interests.
Since many Nexters
have experienced hardships during their studies and to indeed finance these,
they are very sensitive to the financial component of their reward package (Asthana,
2008). They are essentially willing to work longer hours, but just to receive in
exchange the appropriate compensation, be
it in money or time off.
A total reward
approach is thus necessary to retain them and since individuals are different
one another, a “cafeteria style” benefit programme would be the most
appropriate to ensure that each of them will have the opportunity to choose the
reward s/he values the most.
Can Nexters
contribute to their organisation achievement of completive advantage?
Generation Y, as the
other generations, enabling the employer to count on a diverse workforce can
actually contribute to the workplace fresh thinking and new perspectives. Businesses
achieving a good level of harmonisation between generations can benefit of high
performance, creativity, innovation and, thus, competitive edge (Ozbilgin et
al., 2008).
As pointed out by
Ulrich and Smallwood (2002), what can really contribute competitive advantage
to organisations is their human capital or “intangible assets.” Nexters with
their distinctive ability and confidence in the use of new technologies, coupled
with their interest in training and in personal and professional growth, can
effectively contribute to their organisation achievement of competitive edge.
“Plorking” is an
example of their new way to approach the work, that is, spending hours during
the day on the computer working and playing as well; indeed this is not the way
they avoid working, but just the way they approach working (Redmond, 2009).
On the other hand,
the fact that these individuals are particularly demanding in term of reward
and compensation and that they are willing to go the extra mile only in
exchange for a money supplement can be negatively perceived by employers.
Figures provided by
the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and a Work Audit carried out by CIPD
(2009), revealed that the recession has had a bigger impact on employment for
the under 25s (CIPD, 2010). Findings of an additional research (CIPD, 2010) gave
evidence that work satisfaction, at its all-time low, recorded the most dramatic
levels amongst Nexters, who expressed a far higher level of work dissatisfaction
than the other generations.
How to adapt HRM
practices
Organisations
wanting to recruit and retain Yers clearly need to adapt their policies and
practices to the wants of these demanding and techno-savvy individuals.
Training, for
instance, need to be carried out using cutting edge technologies and
considering that Yers need to receive constant feedback (Parry, E. and Urwin,
P., 2009). A massive use of technology is also required in communications:
blog, webcasts, podcasts, SharePoint and live forums will all fit and meet
their preferences.
Line managers will
be of paramount importance to the implementation of new strategies: they should
strive for redesigning their day-to-day job in order this to provide to these
individuals a stronger sense of purpose and fulfilment and greater
accountability.
To meet Yers
expectations retention and engagement strategies will need to balance the
business needs with their increasing demand for work-life balance, flexibility
and freedom. Effectually managing the emerged blurred line between socialising
and work for the younger generations will also be a key driver of engagement.
Create reward
policies meeting the older generations’ view of reward, considered as linked to
the length of service, and the Yers aggressive attitude to performance- and
merit-related pay will be particular challenging, but this definitely
represents an important feet to achieve for employers.
To accommodate Yers
needs, the most appropriate HRM strategy approach to pursue is the
resource-based. This approach assumes that competitive edge can only be
achieved by means of an inimitable bundle of “distinctive resources” (Barney,
1991) and establishing a link between “internal resources, strategy and firm
performance” (Boxal, 1996). These resources must be:
·
Valuable,
that is, have the required competencies;
·
Rare,
in terms of flexibility and adaptability;
·
Inimitable,
in order to avert competitors to understand the reasons for success;
·
Non-substitutable,
that is, transferable to different organizational functions in the long-run
(Wright et al., 1994).
The People and
Performance Model developed by the Bath University can be deemed as the most
suitable model enabling employers to redress organisations’ strategies in
order to meet Yers needs and expectations and retain this generation’s
employees. This model is in fact based on the most appropriate bundle and
supported by the AMO (abilities, motivation and opportunity) approach
(Torrington et al., 2008). This HRM model also properly emphasizes the
importance of line mangers during the implementation phase of new strategies.
