Keeping bright young things engaged
The business world is in the midst of a war for talent, along with a new generation of talented young people entering the workplace who are super-powered employees. These factors have created one of the biggest issues facing companies today: the task of attracting 'bright young things', retaining them, motivating them and getting the best out of them.
Juliet Newton of Avocado Vision says these young people know their value, don't want to pay their dues, and won't wait around for you to sort your systems out: "You need to be thinking of new job functions related to them - HR is out, talent management is in. Ops management is out, and concierge is in.
"These bright young things are asking questions about work-life balance and although the questions may seem trivial, they're important. They are asking 'If I can take my work home, why can't I bring my family to work?', and 'If I answer emails on a Saturday, why can't I go and watch movies on a Tuesday?
Newton says that in a generation X world, life and work does overlap to some extent so employers need to accommodate this and allow more flexibility in the work place: "This flexibility should lean towards measuring employee's outcome and not how many hours they spend at their desks."
Bright young things are part of a generation accustomed to living by new rules, including the assumption that risk and change are good for business and that organisations should take a more open, flexible approach to management, communication and planning: "They are at home with technology and mostly they want the freedom to be themselves. In addition, their hearts also need to be engaged, and they need to feel they are making a difference to others."
Newton believes that they need to be challenged on a regular basis: "They grow fast and learn fast meaning that change is a constant requirement. This means that bright young things usually only stay within one company for no more than two to three years.
"For organisations to maximise on their investment in these employees they need to start re-courting them and re-invest them in a different part of the business where they can grow and develop further."
Avocado Vision, in association with Dr Graeme Codrington, provides understanding about the new generation of employees and gives specific guidelines and creative ideas on getting the edge in your industry. The focus is on the interaction between the current generations of management and staff and is aimed at both leaders and employees.
