The Dos and Donts of Working with Generation Y
Let me make this clear right from the beginning: non-profits cannot afford to ignore Generation Y. Period. Our numbers and our skills are so large and so necessary that to pretend as though our existence is a fad will only be detrimental.
With that said, I also realize that given the diversity and size of the sector some organizations may be better poised for gen y integration than others. Some may have a budget large enough to offer perks such as loan forgiveness while others are operating with a “all-hands-on-deck!” mentality simply taking any labor that they can and not really rewarding it. This is not about dismissing people or being self important–it’s about integration and sustainability.
This list is inspired by the numerous discussions I have had with my peers and the research I continue to do as one of the founding partners for OnlyUp.org, a start-up non-profit dedicated to supporting non-profit employees under 30.
Do:
- Discuss differences: The different expectations of employees is sometimes laughed off: those silly Millennials wanting the world to stop for them and…those silly Boomers wanting the world to stop for them. However, those jokes easily translate into tension as employees resent each other for what they may view as unearned or undeserved praise. So why not sit down and ask “What should we know about your generation?” Rosetta Thurman did this kind of activity and uncovered some powerful feelings that really shape how an organization operates.
- Let them start a project: I’ve started two projects that have required no money and have gotten us lots of publicity. It helps to have fresh eyes at the organization who see issues differently. Set some guidelines and just let them be creative! If they succeed more publicity and praise for the organization. If they fail, pick up and try again. The sector wouldnt exist without taking risks.
- Provide time for professional development: If you cant pay for it at least allow them time to participate in seminars, workshops, and conferences.
- Give flexible hours: Work/life balance is a major issue for our generation and consequently a major deterrent for entering the non-profit sector. So if we have to work a Saturday, how about leaving early Friday or a day off the following week? Or coming in early at the beginning of the week (when everyone is busiest) and later towards the end of the week (when work dies down)?
- Hire more than one person under 30: The one thing I love about my job last year is that I was able to connect with other young non-profit employees. No, I didnt become friends with every person under 30 but it did make the working environment better to not be the only young person in the office. Little differences like kids, health, and work life can make conversations difficult. A friend eases the tension.
Don’t
- Treat them like cheap labor: Treat us as valuable employees who are giving an important service.
- Talk down to them: Every time I hear the phrase “Well you’re young so…” I shut down. I completely stop listening. Already my presence has been devalued and I have been dismissed. This only creates tension.
- Segregate them: To address the issue of youth involvement, separate groups are formed for them. We are put in charge of small side projects, very rarely meeting with anyone outside of our gen y circle. While this can be valuable for its networking and community purposes, as a solution it is not enough–you cannot bring change by operating in a bubble, nor will you be sufficiently challenged. Full generational integration in every aspect of the organization should be the goal. How many young employees do you have? How many young employees on your board? How many sitting at the decision making table?
- Ignore their concerns: Firstly, try asking for their concerns! When we sign on to work for an organization we have a sense of what the culture is like so more often than not our concerns are small that could have a huge impact.
- Forget that we all want the same things: Not just in terms of social change but also in terms of work. Sometimes I am astonished at the attitudes some people have toward the requests of younger employees. You mean YOU dont want more flexible hours? YOU dont want a nice work environment where everyone feels respected? YOU dont want professional development or mentoring to improve your performance? Of course you do! How does fulfilling the desires of younger employees hurt?
Updates: I’m glad to see the conversation on this topic is growing. Bea Field, co-author of Millennial Leaders has added some excellent tips to this list. My favorites:
Do provide mentoring and coaching and reverse mentoring/coaching is better than one way mentoring. Get your Gen Ys involved in an interactive form of mentoring (let them coach you as well!)
Don’t focus on money or increase in salary as a perk. While this is important, Gen Y is much more inclined to stick with your company if you are giving them meaningful work, flexible work hours and free time to do what they love.
What else would you add?
Allison: I’m glad you commented on my post on this topic http://tinyurl.com/a7aj8q because it led me here. Wow.
This is a fantastic blog.
You represent the very best of your generation. Recent college grad, living in NYC, commited to the non-profit world and using her skills to help others. I so admire that.
I’m a professor in Minnesota and every semester my public relations seniors write a strategic communications campaign for a local non-profit. The groups are grateful to receive this talent, of course. But I also always find the students are grateful that they’ve been given the opportunity to produce something of quality for the non-profits. It’s true: in giving they receive the most.
I look forward to reading this blog more and wish you great success. And I’ll recommend it to my students to check out.
Ellen Mrja
http://www.thesamerowdycrowd.com
A good read. Thanks for sharing it with us (I write with Ellen over at the Same Rowdy Crowd).
Under “Don’t talk down,” you say, “Every time I hear the phrase ‘Well, you’re young so…’ I shut down. I completely stop listening. Already my presence has been devalued and I have been dismissed. This only creates tension.”
Indeed, your presence has been devalued, and this is inappropriate on the part of the person doing it, but isn’t “shutting down” an inappropriate reaction? One that might serve to simply reinforce the perception this down-talker holds?
Wouldn’t the more appropriate response be to work even harder to disprove this perception and show how valuable you are? Maybe I’m just taking your statement a too literally.
@Mike: Ah…good question. On the one hand I am tempted to prove them wrong by working harder than usual. On the other hand, part of me resents the fact that I even have to do that. After all, I was hired because I obviously am qualified, so why am I being questioned over a trait that I have absolutely no control over (my age)? The problem is not with me.
Perhaps politely engaging them by asking “Well, what makes you say that?” Ending communication is my gut reaction, but you are right in that is not a productive one.
Really good info.. As a Gen Xer I can see how our influence has had an impact on web 2.0 concepts and social networking etc. I can already tell that being this much more familiar with technology the Gen Yer’s are going to make huge waves…especially in an Obama administration! Its really the Boomers, the Gen Xer’s and Y’ers who have got to band together and turn this planet around. I think it’s a well rounded group:)
Our contribution: http://www.nonprofitshoppingmall.com
@Ellen thanks for the support! Shame you are all the way in Minnesota. My friends and I are starting a non-profit and need all the marketing help we can get!
It would be nice if we could just avoid dealing with overly judgmental folks, eh?
Hi Alison,
I’m completely blown away by this post.
I am the father of 2 Generation Y kids.
YOU are the generation who WILL bring an end to many of the worlds problems.
Generation Y = Humanity 2.0
Steve Jennings, age 48, Naperville, USA
zyOzy (zee-Oh-zee) noun: a brighter way of, being, doing and having.
Hi Alison!
I am pretty new to your blog, but love all the things that I see!
This post is very well articulated. Indeed, there is nothing like a company, organization, program, etc. that runs like a well-oiled and tuned machine. However, I think fresh and creative ideas help the entity grow. And who better to bring this than the younger generation. Hey, the young can be wise too!
Sometimes all it takes a little action to make others believe, but it seems you’ve been doing this already.
Keep doin’ what ya doin’ girl!
Anita
Hey Allison! Good work here. Discussing differences is key for me – we young folk are a keen resource for the digital age. Of course, the nonprofit where I work is staffed ENTIRELY with active Gen Y peeps, so our differences are generally more ideological or process-driven. Still, it’s reassuring to see people working hard toward greater acceptance of what we have to say.
@mike that would be a dream come true lol
@steve thank you for the support! I totally agree that we have the capacity to bring about the change we wish to see. And I’m really interested in the work your org is doing. We should def connect
@Anita it is certainly an uphill battle for young people. To have to constantly prove yourself. It is annoying but sometimes necessary to show how different and powerful we are to get people to believe.
@Tim Wow! Your organization sounds great. What is like to have an org so Gen Y heavy? I would love to hear your experiences!
Allison: To be honest, sometimes our enthusiasm is exhausting! We’re mostly Type As, which is a part of that, and we all have a habit of seeing really, really big picture. I’ve found that people our age (whatever that means) tend to have an easier time viewing things on a system-wide basis. We think very big because we have lots and lots of options, and because we’ve grown up in a place where we can do many different and wonderful things very easily.
It’s energizing working with people like me, too. At The 1010 Project, we work on poverty alleviation and income generation in Kenya. Times are tough, both for the US and our partners in Africa. But having an office full of ecstatically-committed, hard-working and tech-savvy Millennials is keeping up on track.
I would add another DO- DO give praise when praise is due. Gen Ys, myself included, like to know when we are doing a good job, and when we can improve. I live for positive reinforcement. If I am patted on the back every once and a while, I get motivated to work even harder and better towards the next pat. Seriously, it might sound a little lame, but it’s a real motivator for me and other Gen Ys.
@Tim: look out for an email from me! I would love to discuss your experiences of having a predominately millenial staff. OnlyUp.org wants to help non-profits get more millenials on boards and in fulfilling positions so your experiences and ideas will be interesting to explore!
@Brie: Great addition! It’s not lame at all–people like to be acknowledged for their work–it makes them feel like part of a team and that they are valued.
Hi Allison — I totally stumbled onto your blog today, I think your project is great. It sounds like you want to be a “bridge” person, bridging Gen Y (age 16-30) to the older establishment — is that correct? Because there *are* many people in the age bracket you mention (say 25-30) who are operating in power.
But I get that older people might not understand what’s going on with young people. I’m reasonably plugged in, but I might be one of those people! 52 years young, still single, an traveler and free thinker, I’m still perplexed at what this generation is about. I was a bit sad last night (Fri), at my local pizza parlor, hearing youngsters about high school senior age trying to find a way to get f*ed up. As if wasting themselves in a challenging environment was going to “help.”
And there’s guys’ trousers, baggy, dragging on ground and almost ready to fall off, so much so that they have to distort their whole walk just to keep them from sliding… it can’t be good for their long term posture. I don’t get it at all.
I dunno, I don’t say anything, I was young once also. But I seriously don’t understand how to assist in the necessary transition. No one ever gets their way always, and many if not most of the best learning experiences, unfortunately, involve pain, loss and struggle. Did you learn more from the things that were easy in your life — or the things that were hard?
I guess that makes me want to say remember that bridges go both ways. It would be great if your organization (or some organization) could help kids *also* become *interested* in connecting with elders, holding up their side of the bridge as well. But for sure I don’t understand about the baggy droopy pants thing.
p.s. Brie, everybody needs and desires praise. I still also don’t get enough. But what are *you*, inside Gen-Y, going to do to CREATE more of what you don’t have in the world for others? You can’t control what you get, but you *can* control what you give. I think by giving you get a lot more of anything. But there are also things nobody ever gets enough of. We have to make peace with what we do get, and find ways to simply put more in the system, so there’s more for everyone.
p.s. to Mike and Allison re experience of (and feelings about) being talked down to. There’s no age limit on this. I get talked down to all the time, by people of all ages. But here’s a lesson I learned recently, and remember I’m 52! No one can put you “down” unless you also believe they can also put you “up”! If you believe others have The Power then you will always be up or down depending on them.
You’re both smart. You both know that “power” isn’t supposed to be hierarchal, but that most people in the world still operate from an up/down, win/lose mentality. Don’t bite the hook! Recognize that people who put you down are talking nonsense. Don’t buy the belief that *they* grant or control your power. THAT BELIEF is what drains people more than anything. *They* may control resources, access, or other things you want — but not your power.
We get obstacles (like arrogant people) so we can learn to pick our battles, focus our power, and succeed. So you can also think of people who put you down as decoys or sacred testers on the obstacle course to making you more effective. The hint is that THEY don’t grant success — and failure isn’t a result of what they withhold…
All power to ya!
Hi Allison…I also thought you had a great post; however, if you wouldn’t mind I wanted to respond to one of the people who wrote a comment a few weeks back because I think it speaks to the root of the problem when Gen Yers interact with older workers.
Mike Keliher said in his comment that while he agreed our work has been devalued, he did not think that our response was appropriate. I do not think that Mike or many other people have any negative feelings towards Millennials, but I believe his statement illustrates many older worker’s lack of understanding of this younger generation.
I believe that when our work is devalued, it creates a negative feedback mechanism that constantly reinforces itself. As a result the natural inclination of any person is simply to shut down because there is no point in trying.
A few months ago I had the opportunity to speak on a ‘generational’ panel that focused on how to manage young workers. On that panel with me was a Baby Boomer who was a senior partner at a firm, and who started the panel saying he hated how Gen Yers always asked him questions all the time. He of course got a few chuckles from the much older audience, but like Mike, I don’t think he understood our generation. When young workers are asking questions it is there way of showing that they are engaged; however, when we have managers with the same attitudes as the panelist, it encourages us to disengage and cruise at our jobs.
Sorry for the long post, but had to put it out there…
@Brett: Thank you for sharing. I particularly love this comment: “I believe that when our work is devalued, it creates a negative feedback mechanism that constantly reinforces itself. ”
Dismissal of someone’s ideas is rarely one time thing. It is usually a symptom of the attitude/culture of the person or org in question. But how do we address this problem at an organization? What can we do about the baby boomer on the panel who somehow thought is was funny to ignore people who want to be engaged?
I notice many millenials (myself included) tend to find other millenials to talk to, work with, or start our own orgs. Is this always the answer?
Allison,
As you know I’m a Boomer and the father of 2 Millennials
The zyOzy Foundation is influenced / guided by Millennials, and will be staffed with and run by Millennials.
WHY? Because I truly believe that Millennials are the ‘HOPE generation’ with the vision, skill sets, passion and capacity to change the world.
zyOzy is about blowing wind into the sails of YOUTH, and working towards the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
Millennials are the generation that will; “change the way WE think, the way WE make decisions, change OUR habits of the heart, and change how WE do business.”
And I say “it can’t come fast enough”
You are absolutely right about treating young people as equals and expecting a lot out of them.
After working construction with junior high students through a non-profit, I learned that I really needed to raise my expectations about their generation. Ten-year-old have so much to offer!
Kids live up to the expectations we give them… so if we expect a lot, they will be happy to fill the position and contribute a lot!
I googled “working with Gen Y” after hearing a speaker on the subject. I have two in my dept., plus a GenX-er, to whom the GenY’s report. I am a peer of the GenX, but I am a ‘remote’ manager with no direct reports. At first glance, the GenX’er and I viewed the GenY’s as “clock punchers.” Literally out the door at 5 pm sharp. But then, I pulled one of the GenY’ers aside and handed him a speaking engagement that I was originally going to do myself. I told him that I “knew” that he could handle it. (7 Habits of Highly Effective People–learn it teach it do it) And you know what? He SOARED. All he needed was a challenge and he ROSE to it. The guy was just plain bored. He has since tackled two challenging topics and once again, SCORE. I’m SO proud. As for the reverse mentoring, how about getting me to the gym more often?? OH, and I’m a baby boomer. We don’t all believe that the world should stop for us. I’d rather rise to the world and get even better. We can all make each other better! Especially when we don’t assume. But Gen Y? Speak up. Make it clear that you want the bar raised outside your comfort level because we know, REALLY, that you may ‘go for it.’ Just don’t BS us if you can’t do the work because in the eyes of other boomers, we’ve put our asses on the line gettin’ you the gig. And stay late once–just to show us you can…even if it is just picking up your email on a Sunday, even if it’s on your IPhone.