Will the Sun Shine For You?
They are the hot ticket item in the workforce right now, and they know it. In Canada we call them the Sunshine generation but around the world they are known as Generation Y or The Digital Generation, and according to an ABC news poll in the United States they prefer to be called Millenials. I am referring of course to anyone born between 1980 and 2000. This is a generation that is entering the workforce in the largest numbers since the Baby Boomers, and their impact is just beginning to be felt by employers now. The Sunshine Generation are the first truly collaborative demographic to enter the job market. They have been raised in a world that has embraced online community and sociability, and they have developed into a group that is optimistic, goal and self oriented, and most of all influential. Never before have a generation of workers had the opportunity to discuss and assess the pros and con’s, of working for any given employer to the degree that is possible today. Salaries, policies, and work environment are discussed in blog form every day online. The effect of this increased online presence has just begun to be felt by mainstream employers. The fact is that the success of any companies marketing toward potential candidates has to be gauged by its effectiveness representing the brand online.
So who are this generation? What is it that’s unique about their experience and culture? How can employers position themselves to capitalize on their talents? The answers are really best supplied by the employees themselves. I have found that in many cases, the managers that are truly effective in recruiting top talent are the managers that have made their workforce a recruiting partner. Building workplace recruiting teams, and utilizing their suggestions effectively, is one of the resources that can be utilized to ensure that you are reaching your target candidates. Remember, this is a generation that has been validated in every aspect of their upbringing, and they expect to have their input welcomed. As the dynamic of the modern workplace changes, and the Baby boomer generation leaves the workforce, managers and companies in general are going to have to tailor their recruiting efforts to respond to these demands. The fact that the Sunshine Generation has such high expectations, only increases the risk that, if those expectations are not met, the word will be out with the click of a mouse, and then Generation Y will be asking the question, why should I work for you?
If you are interested in looking at ways to brand your business for potential employees, please feel free to contact Dave Hick at Talent Edge Solutions. dhick@talentedgesolutions.com.
