3 Questions with a Gen Y Consultant

The topic of Generation Y in the workplace has garnered a lot of buzz in mainstream news outlets and fuels a whole cult of niche bloggers (I humorously thought this blog was a novel idea). I keep hearing about the concept of “Generation Y consultants,” which, like "social media consultants," I feel skeptical, but intrigued, about. (Or perhaps I am simply jealous that I didn't think of it myself.) I asked Bret Bernhoft, a fellow Generation Y voice and partner at Portland, Oregon-based InsYght Consulting, to tell me why companies would want to hire a Generation Y consultant.


Y-rd: Regardless of whether companies should care about Gen Y, I feel kind of skeptical that they really do. What are your thoughts? Do companies care enough about Gen Y to hire people like you to get perspective about our generation?

Bret: I would hope that they care enough about Generation Y to hire people like me to get perspective about our generation. But honestly, I would think that companies do care enough to hire someone like me for their Generation Y issues only after they have experienced an issue with the generation previously.

Are there certain companies more worried about Gen Y than others?

From my experience I understand that any service-based company, such as a law or architectural firm, would consider Generation Y a greater issue than a product-based company.

In my opinion the issue most service-based companies have with Generation Y as consumers and employees is their lack of attention and retention. These are very common perceptions, however accurate, of Generation Y.

What do you see as the largest challenge for companies trying to incorporate Gen Y in the workforce?

The greatest issue for incorporating Generation Y into their workforce would have to be the issue of wasted time.

When it comes to Generation Y and wasting time while on the clock there is no one solution; everything is subjective. However, there is something that can be said for the single most effective triumph in modern management strategy: flexibility. You were onto something when you asked whether or not both Generation Y and the employer must come to a middle ground. The answer is a resounding YES! That is the impetus to incorporate flexibility into the equation.

Up or Out: Where Do You Want to Go at Your Job?

The revelation about how the recession is disproportionately affecting young people — even those with jobs — should keep us all on our toes. It looks like it might be easy for our career path to dead end. So, we might want to get behind the steering wheel and determine where it is we want to go.

I’ve heard friends complain that they don’t feel like there's any opportunity to move up the ranks with a bigger salary and title. (Of course, patience might find that in a few years there will be; it just might feel like there isn't opportunity now.) Some company cultures expect a revolving door of young people, who stay for a couple of years and then move on to the next best thing.

On the other hand, others feel like there isn’t enough impetus to help them become better and then move on to a different job. In other words, the company culture focuses on keeping employees around for the long-term and thereby not encouraging skills to move on to the next segment of their careers (which, let's face it, is the likely route for most people in their 20s).

Both of the above situations are easier to pin down and resolve, but the worst is ambiguity. I will call it the black hole, or being in a job with no future to move up OR out. The scariest thing is to sense that your manager doesn’t even know what you want to do with your life.

How does one climb out of the black hole? The key is to support your own ambitions — whether to move up the ranks or move up and out — without shaking the bridge you are on. That requires you to know the next step you want to at (up or out) to quietly work toward it until you get there.

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Young People Lose in the Unemployment Game

Unemployment. Have you ever actually tried to wrap your head around the concept?

I'm no economist, but as an observer, it seems pretty ridiculous that there are people who want to work and can't. Meanwhile, there are unfilled jobs that the nation's unemployed ranks do not have the skills for.

Furthermore, those who do work often are in jobs ill-suited for them. The workforce is a giant puzzle that doesn't actually fit together.

A large portion of the random pieces are young people. For instance, while the nation's unemployment rate is just shy of 10%, it's more than 18% for 16- to 24-year-olds.

I just finished reading BusinessWeek's cover story about "The Lost Generation," which examined the recession's impact on young workers. (Also check out the podcast interview with Peter Coy, who wrote the piece.) On a global scale, young people are hit especially hard by the economic downturn. We often think, "Oh, they can just live with their parents," and many of them do. The problem is, young people who can't find jobs or take jobs they are overqualified for have trouble getting back on track, and it can have long-lasting effects.

This Month in Social Media

Here's a round-up of my social media news and analysis from the last few weeks (from Examiner.com). This month, there's a lot about the effect of social media on your business.

Should you change your Facebook name when you get married?: Feminist concerns aside, changing your name can be hazardous to your digital brand (as I have said on this blog). Check out some tips for women who want to keep their "brand name" strong once they get married.

More companies block social networking sites: Web security provider ScanSafe saw a 20% increase in the number of companies blocking access to social networking sites in the last six months. We know the benefits social media can have at some companies, but companies are also recognizing the need to crack down on it.

Companies choose social media over e-mail to engage employees: On the other hand, a more comprehensive survey from Buck Consultants found that companies are utilizing social media to communicate with employees. (I know, there are so many surveys about companies using social media that it's hard to keep track.)

The Web holds companies accountable: Now is an empowering time to be a consumer; the rapidity and accessibility of the Web makes product reviews travel fast. I observed firsthand how a car service tried to correct its bad buzz on the Web. (By the way, wait until you hear about my experience with airlines related to this topic.)

Artists can sell straight from Facebook: Switching to the micro-business world, the Web has opened up huge windows for local artists to sell goods cheaply. ArtFire.com recently added an application so that artists can sell straight from Facebook.

How do I add a share button?: Have you ever wondered where you can get that little "share" button (see the orange icon below this post)? Share buttons a.k.a bookmarking tools allow users to spread your content on social media outlets all over the Web.

AddThis Adds to Direcotry of Social Networking Sites: Speaking of bookmarking services, AddThis announced its service will include even more social networking sites for users to share content.