Nextforce

Http://thenextforce.com

2008-10-15T20:23:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! We are so excited that we recently moved all of our content and information over to http://thenextforce.com Please come and visit us while Google tries to get us back up in the search engines! Thank you all for the support in the transition!

Expectations of Gen Y!

2008-02-25T09:09:00.000-05:00

Steve S. Age 25 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Occupation: Financial Analyst
Just because I make logic and sound decision doesn't mean that I don't look for something more. Sure, my job is nice - pays well, great benefits, good atmosphere, but I'm not looking to stay in an Office Space job forever. I like the security of having a job, but if something comes along that piques my interest, well something must have been lacking. Everyone loves a great idea, but I like being the guy who helps rationalize the issue. Idea people come and go, but it's someone like myself that keeps an idea moving in the right direction and makes it successful. Personally, I'd love to apply myself to a sports team since the college athlete thing didn't work out. The closer to the field I can be, the happier I am. A competitive streak is something I was born with, so sitting in an office doesn't always bode well for me.

Piece 7 of 100 to Solving the Gen Y Retention Puzzle

2008-02-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

Ask the question: What�??s Your Story? By understanding who your employees are, what they stand for, what gets them excited, what motives them and fully getting your arms around what it is that makes them tick, your organization can begin to plan programs that are focused on their direct wants, must and needs. Once you engage a member of Generation Y, then it is a matter of challenging them to actively search and create new experiences in their current role. Knowing their story will allow you create �??engagement programs�?? that are unique and personalized.

Expectations of Gen Y!

2008-02-20T15:37:00.000-05:00

Billy Houder Age: 25 Location: Gettysburg, PA Occupation: Admissions Counselor

No excuses�?�.play like a champion! Winners always want the ball when the game is on the line. I strive for perfection in every aspect of my life. I�??m always thinking about how I can be better at what I do. I can�??t stand settling for being average and I have large ambitious dreams. Outgoing, energetic, motivated, driven, and funny are some of the best words to describe me. I can always find something to talk about with somebody. I have a lot of hobbies and interests and I don�??t shy away from trying new things. I have a no regrets policy on life and I firmly believe that everything happens for a specific reason. I look forward to contributing in a positive way to the world I live in. I know people will remember my name.

Gen Y's Expectations!

2008-02-11T14:19:00.000-05:00

Alicia, 22 Office Manager Baltimore, Maryland

Since graduating college my view of the professional world has certainly changed! The real world is a hard place but I'm getting by and doing my best. My dream is to find a secure place in the working world in a position where I can enjoy myself and grow while being challenged. My expectations run along the same lines, yet I'm trying to give myself the time to get there. I need that satisfaction two day�??s ago. It is the waiting that is killing me. Seeing other friends of mine working at cool companies really forces me to reevaluate what it is I am doing. It caused me to jump from my first job to a company that is fun, innovative, creative and has a cool office.

Piece 8 of 100 to Solving the Gen Y Retention Puzzle

2008-02-11T11:10:00.000-05:00

Build, Brand and Live the Culture of your organization. If you find it hard for your employees or customers to experience the Culture of your company, revisit the foundations and core objectives of what it is your company stands for.

The 50 person consulting company Excella from McLean, Virginia developed a culture that their employees can�??t descript but claim they live in every waking hour of their lives. Excella�??s Philosophy is summed up as: Take care of your people and take care of your clients and the rest takes care of itself. Excella has 80% of their workforce deployed on client sites and still manages to make their employees feel part of their corporate bond. Co-Founder Jeff Gillamore said, �??Imagine how hard it is to deliver a corporate culture when all your employees have never been in the office at the same time. We have something special going on here.�?? Excella has employees who are relocating for personal reasons and still want to stay connected with such a great company. Kudos to you Excella!

Piece 9 of 100 to Solving the Gen Y Retention Puzzle

2008-02-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

Implement a �??Lunch Fund�?? for company veterans to take new employees to lunch. Limit the fund to $18-$20 per lunch for two and have a $1,000 fund set up to be used over the course of a year.

A medical staffing company in Baltimore, Maryland with 56 employees implemented the �??Lunch Fund�?? a year ago and found that the communication across departments has improved, the learning curve is shorter for new employees to become better acquainted with the policies and procedures of day to day business and new ideas are being brought to owners at an unseen rate. The lunch is providing a safe and informal environment for conversation and dialog to take place among the various levels of the organization.

2008-02-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Attracting Generation Y

2008-02-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

Throughout our research, the team at Nextforce has come across creative tactics that companies are implementing to attract, engage and retain the next generation of the workplace. We have put together a list of five companies and their ideas that might help you and your organization recruit the future of your organization.

Xerox is implementing recruitment campaigns with the slogan �??Express Yourself�?? specifically targeted at the desire Generation Y has to develop new ideas and implement change.

Deloitte held its first ever online film festival as a way to recruit Gen Y talent, and employees and interns were asked to participate. The theme of the festival was "What�??s Your Deloitte?" and about 370 short candid videos were submitted, with the winning entries posted on YouTube.

Lockheed Martin Corp started three years ago to boost its appeal to undergrads, particularly the shrinking pool of U.S. engineering students. It stepped up recruiting, increased vacation time, and improved its mentoring program. Applications tripled.

Earnst &Young's had the first sponsored page on Facebook that is used exclusively for recruitment purposes. Facebook page has been only about their efforts to hire college students who are searching for internships and recent graduates who are hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities. The response so far? About 5,100 Facebook users have linked to the E&Y page as "members."

Google is raising the bar offering: On site dental and medical facilities, Free breakfast, lunch and dinner on a daily basis at 11 gourmet restaurants, Unlimited sick leave, 27 days of paid time off after one year of employment, A global education leave program which enables employees to take a leave of absence to pursue further education for up to 5 years and $150,000 in reimbursement, Free shuttles equipped with Wi-Fi from locations around the San Francisco Bay area headquarters, Classes on a variety of subjects including estate planning, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin.

Use these ideas to help you and your teams develop new and innovative ways to engage generation Y. Learn from this generation, try to understand what makes them tick and listen to their needs.

What's Your Story?

2008-01-29T15:36:00.001-05:00

| View | Upload your own

The Future of the Workplace

2008-01-23T16:56:00.000-05:00

A group of College students were sponsored by Nextgen to come up with what the future of the workplace will look like in ten years. They predict five changes to the workplace as we know it

1. Connectivity will be truly ubiquitous. People will be able to work virtually anyplace, at any time. Firms will support this flexibility, while employees will increasingly supply their own connected systems, blurring the line between work life and personal life.

2. Interfaces will be more natural. The user interface will become more natural, contextually intelligent and adaptive �?? just better.

3. Technology at home will be integrated and include all forms of entertainment. Technology�??s reach will extend to clothing and housewares, and personal finance will tie to the shopping experience. Consumer technology (and content) will pour into the workplace.

4. Learning will be driven by the individual. Increasing job movement will lead to greater self-initiated learning through on-demand, continually available forms of education, both formal and informal. The highly dynamic workplace will drive the need for lifelong learning.

5. Access to information will be smarter. Improved tools for discovering and using information will make possible a �??collective intelligence,�?? and managers will benefit by making better-informed decisions more easily

HERE THEY COME

2008-01-15T08:58:00.000-05:00

Here they come: the fourteenth generation of Americans. Self-confident and optimistic. Independent and goal-oriented. Masters of the Internet and PC. Young adults who believe education is cool, integrity is admirable, and parents are role models. They're blunt. They're savvy. They're contradictory. They're the children of Baby Boomers and the upbeat younger siblings of Gen X. They are the 29 million young adults born between 1978 and 1984 streaming into the workplace whose presence will continue to grow each year for the next ten years. They are Generation Y.

Managing Genertion Y is for those who want to become the employer of choice for the next cohort of young adults. Are you prepared? Are systems in place to maximize the potential of this great generation? Attracting, Engaging and Retaining this generation is going to be a difficult task for companies all over the world. Getting in the right mindset and understanding the wants, must and needs is going to be your competitive advantage.

A Vision of Students Today!

2008-01-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

The next generation of the workforce is unique. How can we put our arms around who they are? Does the college experience prepare students for the life after school? Are companies ready to transition these students into future employees? If you are part of this generation the world is your oyster! If your business is trying to attract, engage and retain this new generation to enter your workforce... stay informed, stay alert and listen to their needs. This generation has the ability and drive to improve the world we live in and change the way all of us work!

Gen Y Myths Debunked

2008-01-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

Are young employees really the slackers, whiners and praise-junkies they're made out to be? Here's what the experts have to say.
By Sarah Pierce June 01, 2007

Lazy. Selfish. Demanding. America, meet your new generation of employees. At least, that's what the media would have you believe. Generation Y, those born between 1978 and 1990, is being hailed as the most narcissistic generation to date, a group of "uber-stroked kids" who, as adults, are demanding from their employers the same supervision and self-esteem building their parents gave them.

Certainly, some of the horror stories about these young employees hold true. After all, stereotypes are born from realties. To make sweeping statements of an entire generation, however, isn't only unfair to young employees, but it's also dangerous to employers who blindly believe them. Generation Y, also known as millennials, is the fastest-growing segment of the workforce. Over the next four years, close to 10 million more Gen Yers will enter the workforce. Can you really afford to write this generation off?

We asked two generational experts to address some of the common misconceptions surrounding Generation Y. What we discovered is that some of the "negative" behaviors these young employees exhibit are actually intuitive responses to a changing economy. And if employers want to keep up, they better change, too.

Myth #1: They're disloyal.Bruce Tulgan, founder of Rainmaker Thinking and co-author of Managing Generation Y, argues the complete opposite. "They're very loyal. It's just not the kind of blind loyalty you get in a kingdom--blind loyalty to the hierarchy." Gen Yers want to know they'll be compensated fairly for the work they put in.

Gone are the days of working for a company for 30 to 40 years. In today's environment, nobody trusts the system to take care of them long term. From the collapse of Social Security to the fall of major companies during the dot-com era and, more recently, the Enron scandal, millennials are acutely aware that nothing is a "sure thing." These events have created a generation skeptical of loyalty.

"Younger, less experienced workers are, in a strange way, more in sync with the reality of today's economy than other generations because they've never known it any other way," says Tulgan. "I think that if you don't trust the system to take care of you in the long run, you walk in the door looking to your immediate boss to take care of you in the short term."

Part of that short-term care is a fair salary and benefits. According to Tulgan, employers are reducing long-term fixed pay in favor of increasing variable performance-based pay. Part of this new compensation strategy, he says, is reducing the percentage of employee benefits. A lot of young workers feel that if an employer isn't willing to compensate them fairly, why should they feel guilty about chasing the buck to another company that will?

Rebecca Neider, 26, has been a faithful employee of Dillard's department store for more than six years. It's just recently that she's begun to question her future with the company.
After six years, she's hit the glass ceiling as far as yearly raises go. "I'm capped, so I can't do any better unless I decide to go into a completely different department," she says. "If that's not in your career path, you're screwed. They really need to re-evaluate how they do things and take care of employees who are loyal."

Neider feels she isn't asking for much, just something to let her know staying with the company will be worth it. "Just show that you care," she says.
Despite popular conception, Generation Y employees want to have a long-term relationship with a company; but they also want to trust that the company wants to have a long-term relationship with them.

"These are kids who've grown up in a period very unlike Boomers, a period where big institutions are much weaker and much less respected," says Neil Howe, an expert on generations, an author and co-founder of LifeCourse Associates. Because of this, he says, Gen Yers are looking to companies they feel will provide a safe harbor for them and encourage a more personal relationship between employee and employer.

He points to studies that show Gen Yers prefer to work at brand name companies, such as Google, Disney or Apple, because they view these companies as not only strong, but also personable. And for the first time in years, more young people are showing an interest in government and FBI positions because they feel it's an organization that will never collapse. "You also find that small businesses are very popular with millennials because they might not be as solid a company [as Google or Disney], but they'll have a very close personal relationship with the person in charge," Howe adds.

Myth #2: They don't want to pay their dues.This myth goes hand in hand with waning loyalty, and stems from the fact that Gen Yers have a general mistrust of long-term support from a company.

"It's nonsense to think they don't want to do lots of work," says Tulgan. "In fact, I think that Gen Yers will absolutely do grunt work--they just want to know, 'OK, I did all this grunt work; what do I get?'"

This attitude can be infuriating to Boomer managers who had to spend years climbing the ladder, but today's workplace has changed. Putting your nose to the grindstone for a company no longer guarantees a secure spot in the future.

According to Tulgan, employers are less likely to award status, prestige, authority, flexibility and rewards on the basis of seniority. Instead, things that were once earned through years of "paying your dues" are more likely to be rewarded on the basis of short-term measurable goals.
"For today's young workers, if you tell them to 'climb the ladder, keep your mouth shut and wait for us to notice you,' it sounds to them like you're trying to sell them a bridge." They'll do the grunt work, says Tulgan, as long as they understand the relationship between their work and the overall mission. "They're not about to do anything in exchange for vague, long-term promises about rewards that vest in the deep, distant future."

Threats from within the company are compounded even more by outside threats, such as globalization and outsourcing. "The millennials are very aware of what the Gen Xers learned too late," says Howe. "You don't want to be in a job market where your kind of labor is considered a commodity. You won't get anything out of it."

Michael Mirando, 30, who is on the cusp between Generation X and Y, couldn't agree more. After nearly seven years with a leading microprocessor company, he's become disillusioned with corporate America. Each year he faces company-wide layoffs and internal reorganization. "I used to be really excited about my job; I'd do anything they wanted, go anywhere they asked me to," he says. "But every year it's the same thing: just sitting there, waiting for the axe to fall, wondering if it's going to be you. It takes a toll on you."

Mirando says he's glad that he's realized that now. "I'm not going to be the guy, like my co-workers, who are 45 years old, have two kids and are practically having heart attacks every year because they might not be able to support their family."

Myth #3: They need constant praise.Generation Y has, without a doubt, grown up in a culture of praise, where just about every effort--no matter how small--is rewarded. The media, however, would have you believe these workers need a gold star simply for finding the right parking space. A recent Wall Street Journal article, for example, says employers have to dish out kudos to workers for "little more than showing up."

"That's absurd," argues Tulgan. "It's true they may have grown up needing a pat on the back every five minutes, but that doesn't mean the way you deal with that is by then pretending like that expectation is realistic."

If employers are finding themselves falling prey to such behavior, the only people they should blame are themselves. If you let an employee get away with not meeting expectations, they'll continue to do it--no matter how old they are. "If you think your young employees want a weak leader, you're missing the point," Tulgan adds.

Megan Gaines, 25, admits she's received a lot of praise throughout her career as a banquet chef, but she knows it's well deserved. "I've been praised not because I need it, but because I did a good job. I know I'm a hard worker."

Of course, it doesn't hurt to hear a little praise from the boss when that's your only barometer for measuring your worth. A lot has been said about companies going to great lengths to show their appreciation through such things as e-mail, prizes and public celebration. But is that really a bad thing? Gen Yers are now, more than any generation before, entering a massive, corporate workforce. When you're one of 4,000 employees spread across the country--and sometimes even the world--receiving a cookie-cutter "thank you" e-mail every now and then is hardly pushing the praise envelope.

The bottom line is: No matter where your employees fall on the spectrum--from needing a lot of recognition to not needing any at all--the rules of the game are changing to reflect the changing economy and workforce. You can keep playing by the old rules, or you can get the most from your employees by learning to master the new game.

"This is going to be the most high-maintenance workforce in history--but I think they're also going to be the most high-performing workforce in history," says Tulgan.

And Howe reminds managers that this generation isn't going anywhere. "Each year they're going to fill in this age bracket more and more," he says. "And before these managers and employers start gloating about how much these kids are going to have to change, I think these employers should start asking the question: How much are we going to have to change?"

Don't Let Money Lead You!

2008-01-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

One Monster member writes:
I'm just wondering: What is a good field to go into after college? I'm in my first year of college and have changed my major twice. I want to make at least $90,000 a year and will do just about anything that doesn't involve a lot of math. Could you give me some options?

These words are troubling. The person who wrote them seems intent on choosing his future career based entirely on one variable: Money. Sadly, if he goes ahead with this strategy, he'll almost certainly wind up disappointed.

The issue isn't the moral one: "Money is the root of all evil." It's actually a very practical one: There's much more to your career choice than money, and what seems like a high-paying career path now may not turn out that way.

Slippery Salaries
The salary numbers you see here on Monster and elsewhere are median figures, meaning half of the people working in the field earn less than that figure. And of course, whenever you're reading about the financial future of a particular career, you're dealing with predictions, not known facts. Just ask one of the thousands of disenchanted grads who decided to major in an information technology-related field when they began school in 1999 or 2000, thinking it would lead to instant, high-paying jobs when they graduated in 2003 or 2004.
But forget about the money for a moment. What about:

Your Interests?
Many of those 1999 and 2000 IT majors mentioned above had little or no true interest in information technology. They simply saw dollar signs when they made their initial career decisions, not to mention what seemed like boundless opportunity.
Now many are struggling to find jobs and doing so with an additional burden: They're not all that excited about the prospect of actually succeeding in their IT-related job search.
Don't make the same mistake. Choosing a career because you think the money will be great, even though you are not really interested in the field, is a recipe for boredom or worse -- clinical depression, for example. Making a choice this way will cost you a great deal in the long run.

Your Abilities and Skills?
It doesn't get any more practical than this: If you choose a career for the money but don't have the abilities and skills to do the job, you won't hold that job for very long, assuming you even land one in the first place.
Good-bye, money. And hello to lots of wasted time and effort spent on your too-short career or too-long job search.

Your Values?
You may discover that your high-paying career requires you do things you'd rather not be doing, things that even keep you awake at night. Will an 80-hour-a-week job clash with your home life? Will your job force you to compromise your integrity, self-respect or even play games with the law? The courts are filled with highly paid executive defendants and less highly paid witnesses to their transgressions. Is being in either role worth it to you?

Your Personality?
If you're a shy, introverted person who needs a lot of peaceful alone time, money won't buy you peace and quiet when your job forces you to schmooze with strangers for 50 or 60 hours a week. If you're a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type and your job calls for excruciating attention to detail plus outstanding organizational skills, how long will your paycheck sustain your psychological health, assuming you can keep performing the tasks?

Consider the long-term implications of your career choices. Selecting a career based solely on the promise of big money now may be a short-term decision that can lead to a lengthy and costly career change later.
By: Peter Vogt

2008-01-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

In a recent email interview/conversation, a Vice President of Human Resources of a large almost public company, was willing to answer any of my questions but wanted to remain anonymous. I think their answers to my questions might be very helpful to other human resource professionals, small businesses, recent graduates and college student.

I would love to hear your feed back on the conversation!

Questions to pick your brain:
1) With your OD/OT background, do you see any concerns being voiced about the recruitment, engagement and retaining of young people in the workplace? If so what does that dialog sound like... what are the major themes?

Recruitment engagement and retention are all big trends across several industries today with competition being fierce (in media and other industries) and a new generation of employees who are quite entrepreneurial which can make engagement and retention tough. We are having many conversations about engagement in the workplace and working closely with our leaders and internal communications group, along with HR to provide communications, activities, and projects that engage and motivate employees and get them involved and connected to the business. We are also taking a close look at recruitment, in the way we recruit employees, how we reach out to them and what information we provide them. We want to ensure that globally people realize there are a number of opportunities available for diverse candidates and we want our own employees to recommend friends who may be future great employees.

2) Should new employees change to fit in to the organization or does an organization evolve with the people? Case: the infamous IBM BLUE SUITS

I think there is a little of both here. Employees don't necessarily have to change to fit into an organization, but an employee does need to feel like they fit, are comfortable with and connected to the business and its strategy and goals. Organizations will absolutely evolve with people as well. If we recruit the best and maintain top talent then we have great minds who are ready to bring in new ideas, take some risks, and try new avenues...all leading to potential changes within the organization. Organizations evolve with great leaders who have vision and can communicate well so developing our leaders is key. the most important part for me is that people are respected for the great work they do and when people are deemed not to "be a fit" we as HR managers and the other leaders need to ask if it is truly a fit issue or is it that this person is challenging us to think in ways that make us uncomfortable which ultimately could lead to new vision and insight and ideas.

3) What are the keys to keeping young people in their job.... or within the company? What do companies need to do to engage this group of people?

Companies need to value their people and reward and recognize people for performance. Part of this is having recognition programs in place, competitive salaries, and interesting work. Studies show that people leave jobs more because of their manager than anything else, so we also need to ensure that our managers are great managers who are coaching, motivating, setting expectations, and providing clear direction. With this said, some good management development also needs to be in place and in a consistent way so that people grow themselves and can then grow their teams. Interesting work is key as well. Companies need to provide opportunities for cross functional and cross level groups to come together and work through solutions to business challenges, network, and learn about different roles and how each contributes to the big picture.

4) What are companies doing to brand their culture and environment and what advice would you offer to college students gearing up for the real world?

Advice I would give to college students is to do their homework in researching companies that interest them and to spend some time talking to people in the real world about some of the things they care about and would want out of a workplace. As a new employee to a workforce, a company wants to hire in someone who can grow with the company, assume responsibility, bring about new ideas and change to improve efficiencies, and work well with teams.

Boomers to Gen Y: How the times have changed!

2008-01-09T18:56:00.000-05:00

The first Baby Boomers turned 18 in 1963, which was the year John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and two decades before personal computers were introduced to a panting marketplace. The first Millennials are in the workplace and some are even managers. Any human resource professional who has studied these generations at even a cursory level is aware that Boomers and Millennials are worlds apart in their career interests. Yet ask these same human resource professionals about the recruiting practices of their organizations and many will admit that at best their tactics have changed but the strategies remain the same. If these organizations hope to survive and even thrive during this period of Boomer retirement and Millennial coming of age, then they will need to change their strategies, and quickly.

Before anyone had heard of a Millennial and the �??new�?? generation to be concerned about was Gen X�??ers, most organizations successfully recruited for the vast majority of their hiring needs by advertising their needs in the newspaper, putting a help wanted sign in the window, and running some job posting ads on sites such as Monster.com. While those tactics worked and continue to work in some cases, it is becoming increasingly apparent to the organizations we work with that they need to do more in order to successfully recruit Millennials because today�??s young adults don�??t read the newspaper, don�??t apply to jobs simply because they exist, and increasingly are moving away from on-line classified sites such as Monster which, let�??s face it, are just an electronic version of the newspaper help wanted section.

All organizations want to recruit the best possible employees. What makes for a great employee at one organization, however, makes for a horrid employee at another. A car wash is not going to successfully recruit a graduate of Stanford and, even if such a match is made, that car wash is not going to retain that graduate. Yet a Silicon Valley high tech company that puts together the right package will recruit and retain that same employee. So we need to be honest with ourselves and keep in mind that we�??re recruiting Millennials and not adding trophies to our war chest. It isn�??t about recruiting the brightest of this generation. It is about recruiting the best of this generation and the best of this generation will vary considerably depending upon the organization doing the recruiting and the role that individual will play once employed by your organization.

That said, what characteristics are shared by the most sought after Millennial grads?

Education is important. They understand that a college degree and more is vital to their success and happiness. Their education will not stop when they graduate with their four year degree. A far higher percentage of Millennials than previous generation either stay in or go back to school to obtain a graduate degree and almost all relish and even insist on substantial training and mentoring from their employers. If your organization has the mindset that these young adults should accept your offer of employment because they�??re qualified and you�??re offering them a paycheck, well, this is a pretty good time for you to start looking for a new gig because your employer is not going to hire the talent it needs from this generation.

They prefer to IM and text. Not only do they multi-task and regularly use new communication tools like instant messaging and cell phone text messaging in their daily lives, they prefer it. If your organization still prefers to communicate by phone and email, get your resume up-to-date. If you want to win over these candidates then learn how to use your BlackBerry or cell phone, put up a quality MySpace page describing your organization�??s career opportunities, network on Facebook, incorporate video into your job posting ads, publish your instant messaging address, and otherwise make it clear to these candidates that you understand that their needs and wants are different from those of their parents by communicating with them in the manner that they communicate with each other.

Remember the helicopter parents. The parents of Millennials are career-focused Baby Boomers who have sacrificed their personal lives in return for their careers, and all too often have been discarded by organizations far more concerned about their short-term profitability than in retaining their most important long-term asset: their top producing employees. Like it or not, these Boomers are incredibly involved in the lives of their Millennial children and never lose an opportunity to drill into their kids the lessons learned through layoffs and other corporate misdeeds. Some parents are so involved that they attend job fairs with their kids, sit in on interviews, and complete work assignments. These are the helicopter parents �?? so named because they are always hovering over their children. Shake your head if you wish, but this Millennial generation listens to their parents, and so have learned the lessons inflicted upon their parents. Both generations have learned that employers have little to no loyalty to their employees so they respond by showing little to no loyalty back. We may grumble and complain about Millennials being job hoppers, but let�??s be honest: most of us would lay them off the first chance we got if our profits took a substantial downturn. They know that and act accordingly. If they are not treated well and offered the opportunities that the employer across the street is willing to offer them, then they will leave you before you have the opportunity to lay them off. So treat them like we should have been treating our employees all along.

They want security and upside. The security they want comes with a good benefits package but they also want to be rewarded for their performance. In short, they want it all and know that if you don�??t give it to them then another organization will. Some complain that these young adults don�??t consider a work week to be 40 hours long. Yet I�??ve never met a Millennial who considers a work week to be anything other than the time it takes to get the job done. Give them menial work and deny them the opportunity to develop their skills and they will return the favor by not putting in even 40 hours. But give them the opportunity to contribute with meaningful work and invest in them by training and mentoring them and they will work far more hours and be happier for it.

They are who they are. Be prepared to see the Millennials putting in the long (hopefully) hours in casual clothes, including flip flops, because they know that their work performance is not dependent upon what shoes they�??re wearing. If you want the work, then don�??t sweat the sandals. By the same token, understand that they draw the same lines between their personal and professional lives. They believe that their personal lives are their business and completely unrelated to their work lives. They were three years old when the first reality TV show hit the airwaves and they spent 20 years of �??quality time�?? watching these exhibitionist/ voyeur shows with their Boomer parents. Is it any wonder that they see nothing wrong with posting sexually suggestive and sometimes even explicit photos and stories about themselves on-line? While Boomers may tut tut such behavior and question the judgment of a candidate who literally may let it all hang out on-line, the Millennial simply will not understand your position. One candidate who posted a story on-line about how she liked to get drunk and have sex told me that potential employers shouldn�??t care about that because she won�??t be drunk while working, won�??t have sex while at work, and certainly won�??t be drunk and have sex while on the job.

They network but not like Boomers. It is very common for Millennials to have multiple, quality employment offers from which to choose so is it any wonder that they don�??t post their resume to job boards and wait for the phone to ring? They don�??t go to job fairs as they know they don�??t need to put up with being treated like cattle. And they do network. Boy do they network. But unlike the phone calls to family friends that Boomers make when they�??re out of work, Millennials network with their friends. So how do you tap into that network of friends? Remember the two most popular sites for this generation: MySpace and Facebook. Both are social networking sites. It isn�??t at all unusual to talk with Millennials who literally spend hours a day on these sites. How many Boomers can claim to ever have networked for hours in a day let alone day after day, year after year? If your organization does not have an active presence on both MySpace and Facebook, then you are not in a position to properly tap into the network of these most sought after candidates. If you�??re sitting there staring at your phone and wondering why it isn�??t ringing, maybe you need to start looking in a different place.

They are brand conscious. They care about what they wear but they also care about where they work. Perhaps the biggest factor separating the successful from unsuccessful targeted email campaigns that we deploy is the brand of the employer. Remember that it is no longer enough that you are hiring and they are qualified. They have multiple offers. They need to understand why they should choose to work for you rather than the employer across the street who is offering the same opportunity. And the easiest way for you to communicate that is through your brand: what does your organization stand for and, by extension, what will they stand for should they choose to join your team? If you do not have a strong brand on-campus or if your brand is strong but not positive, then invest in creating a strong, positive brand before you start actively recruiting. College recruiting is strategic so don�??t tell me that you don�??t have time and need to hire people now. That�??s tactical recruiting. If you�??re truly interested in recruiting the best college students and recent graduates, then your recruiting practices need to be strategic. And that means, in part, that your brand needs to be positive and strong.

The Millennial generation is probably the most sought after, highly skilled, ready to hit the ground running generation ever to enter our workforce. We are counting on them despite their vastly smaller numbers to replace the productivity of the massive Baby Boomer generation. I believe that they stand an excellent chance of doing so because of the tools and talents they possess. But should they fail, I believe it will be due to the failure of Gen X�??ers and Baby Boomers to adapt to the very different needs and wants of this remarkable generation.

Article by: Steven Rothberg

Embrace Creativity

2008-01-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

Embrace creativity! Creativity is the driving force of corporations, innovation and technology in general. The value of an IDEA is infinite. IDEAS are changing how we think, live and work. Manager and Leaders, how do you capture the creative natures of the employees who report to you? Student and recent graduates, how do you unleash your own creativity in your own life, at work, in the world?

Are we on to a new way of leading organizations?

A passage from Richard Florida's, The Rise of the Creative Class

Thus creativity has come to be the most highly prized commodity in our economy-and yet it is not a �??commodity.�?? Creativity comes from people. And while people can be hired and fired, their creative capacity cannot be bought and sold, or turned on and off at will. This is why, for instance, we see the emergence of a new order in the workplace. Hiring for diversity, once a matter of legal compliance, has become a matter of economic survival because creativity comes in all colors, genders and personal preferences. Schedules, rules and dress codes have come more flexible to cater to how the creative process works. Creativity must be motivated and nurtured in a multitude of ways, by employers, by people themselves and by the communities where they locate. Small wonder that we find the creative ethos bleeding out from the sphere of work to infuse every corner of our lives.

Generation Y and Millennial's

2008-01-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

I have mixed feelings about the twelve minute video above. The tone is almost condescending. I am confident and optimistic that the lifestyle, personalities and creative edge of young people is going to change the world as we know it.

Management and leadership styles are going to be challenged and changed by this generation. Options are good. Settling for mediocrity is going to be a thing of the past and old school managers are going to have to develop themselves to be effective in the workplace of tomorrow. Young people challenging the system is good for Corporate America. Let�??s face it the future of the workplace is going to change.

Just because young people have an edge and are passionate about their lifestyles and friends does not mean they won�??t be effective or productive in the workplace. Technology is challenging the future of work. Generation Y and Millennial�??s are embracing technology and making their lives more efficient so that the things that are important to them will fit in to their daily schedules.

If a company is aware of the changing dynamics of the workforce and the wants, needs and must of the next generation of the workforce, then they will be able to think creatively and differently about the future of their organization. I do not think organizations need to bend over backwards to cater to this generation. Nor, should they have to change their organizational structures completely. But asking a member of Gen Y to become a contortionist and become a square block so that they can fit in to the square hole of a company is not going to work any more. Rather compromising and flexing to maximize the output of this generation is going to allow companies to grow to new heights and directions.

Fail Intelligently

2008-01-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

Complements of The Idea Sandbox

Fail Intelligently
It's happened to us before, and it'll happen again. Failure.
Something didn't go as planned or as expected and you're in a spot where you didn't want to be.
We don't like failure. We're taught failing suggests character flaw. A weakness. Nevertheless, it is inevitable. Sometimes it is your fault. Often it is not.

So, what do we do about it?

The secret to failure is to learn from it. To "fail intelligently" as James Dale puts it in his book: "The Obvious: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed." He offers...
"Every failure is an MBA on how to do it better next time. Failure doesn't lead to success. It leads to knowledge, which leads to success."

Don't believe me?

Look at this list of failures James mentions in his book:

Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear on his first automobile.
Albert Einstein's parents were told he might be mentally retarded.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
Elvis Presley didn't make the glee club.
Napoleon finished near the bottom of his military school class.
The Beatles were turned down for a recording contract by Decca Records.
John Grisham's first novel was rejected by sixteen agents and a dozen publishers.

If these folks hadn't learned from their upsets, chances are we never would have heard of them.

Don't let fear of failure hold you back. Life won't always go smoothly. When it doesn't, learn from it.
May all your failures be smart ones.

10 Things Companies Can Do To Attract New Emerging Talent!

2008-01-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

New Year, New Beginnings! What is your company going to do to win the battle for top emerging talent? Every company and industry has their own unique approach to finding talent but what are some creative ways bring on board the next generation of your workforce. Nextforce compiled a list of 10 quasi creative ways to attract and enroll new talent to your organization. Combine these ideas with your own to create new and innovate ways to get great people to work for your company.

1.) Create a company profile on Facebook or MySpace informing student and recent graduates of opportunities available at your company
2.) Develop a �??bring a friend to work�?? program once a quarter. Roll out the red carpet for a day and introduce everyone to your company
3.) Build a What�??s Your Story network of personal stories of current employees on how they found your company and the experiences they have every day
4.) Utilize a campus ambassador program to gain traction in the college market
5.) Sponsor a community service project and invite multiple schools to participate for a day, week or year round
6.) Create �??Street Teams�?? for your company to visit special events at major events on college campuses
7.) Sponsor Intramural Teams for Universities have them be your eyes and ears on the ground at universities
8.) Host roundtable lunches for recent graduates or soon to be graduates on various topics surrounding your recruiting efforts
9.) Invite prospective employees to special community events on your company�??s behalf
10.) Do something fun and extraordinary to better the lives of your current employees. Share this story with the world!

Retaining the next generation of the workforce!

2007-12-31T15:19:00.000-05:00

The workplace is changing! The way work is completed and the way business is conducted changes daily. Most notably, the face of the workforce is changing. Currently there are 30 million members of Generation Y in the Workplace. Generation Y consist of individuals born between 1978 and 1994, give or take a year or two on each side. This Generation grew up submerged technology, communicates like no other generation in history, loves to be involved, embraces teamwork, cares about the world as a whole, wants meaning in the work they perform and want to take the elevator to the top floor not climb each rung of the corporate ladder.

Once you get this generation in your company�??s door, what are you doing to keep them in their seat?

Nextforce has a concept it calls C.L.E.A.N. The C.L.E.A.N concept represents five key areas that need to be addressed in retaining Generation Y in the workplace.

Constant feedback
Generation Y needs to be engaged. They need to have feedback about their progress. Evaluate your companies approach to the assessment. Develop managers in your organization to be able to effectively manage the next generation. If managers and leadership is informed of the basic needs of new employees in the organization they will be able to address their need for constant feedback. The feedback that is given both positive and constructive will provide a healthy foundation for a new employee to grow within the organization.

Leadership Opportunities
Evaluate the programs and projects that exist in your workplace. How can projects be presented to create opportunities for new employees to step up and shine within the organization. Giving new employees the opportunity to grow and to test their abilities will benefit the future confidence and initiative of the employee. Generation Y is prepared to be tested. Make the projects meaningful and useful to the success of the whole organization and your employees will grow accordingly.

Engaging Environment
Gen Y is referred to as �??Generation WHY.�?? Is the culture and environment that your leadership and managers create conducive to the social needs, technological norms and overall well being of the next generation? By creating a high performance workplace, with stimuli that encourages positive and productive lifestyles and work ethics your company can build a powerhouse of fresh talent. �??If you build it, they will come?�??

Attention to Lifestyle
The Next Generation of the workforce is a population of people who work to live, not live to work. The term work-life balance is important to this generation. The thing about work-life balance is that it is all relative. Working long hours for one period of time but being able to take off to attend weekend football games at your old university is keeping things in balance. Life-work balance is a seesaw. The board will shift back and forth from side to side but as long as the board does not touch one side or the other you are in balance. What is your company doing to create balance within the workplace?

Networking with Others
The people that fit in to the category of Generation Y are social being times one hundred. Technology has evolved to allow this group of individuals to communicate faster and more effective than any other group in history. The term, networking, has a deeper, more expansive meaning that just going to a happy hour or attending an event to meet people. Embrace the new technologies and challenge the new additions of your workforce to find creative and productive ways to use their networking skills and mediums to grow your business. Providing Generation Y the freedom to get their work finished but also stay connected with the world around them will pay dividends for your company.

Evaluate your current retention strategy. Prepare for the future of your workforce and C.L.E.A.N your company�??s approach to engaging and retaining new top talent.

EXPERIENCE

2007-12-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

Today, I had a soon to be college graduate ask me if she needed to get an internship in order to be hired by a company after graduation. Her question got me thinking. Professors, career councilors, parents, teachers, hiring managers, CEO�??s and authors all make the bold statement saying, �??Get an Internship, Gain some Experience.�?? Yes, internships are an effective way to gain experience but gaining experience is more than just going through the motions. In the clip above form Good Will Hunting, Sean Maguire, played by Robin Williams, gives a four minute monolog on the value of experiencing to know rather than reading and claiming to know about a subject matter to Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon. Will Hunting in the movie is a mathematical prodigy who had a rough childhood and comes across as an overconfident student who is searching for meaning out of life. Sean Maguire is a pseudo psychiatrist and community college professor that reflects upon his own life experiences as a learning tool to guide Will in his journey of life.

Experience is a relative statement but necessary when starting a career or looking to advance up the infamous corporate ladder. Internships are very useful tools to get your feet wet in corporate life but don�??t think it is the only way to gain experience. Traveling, community service, entrepreneurship, volunteering, attending seminars, going on an adventure, trying something new, meeting new types of people, hosting an event, playing a sport or creating something new. All of these examples are opportunities for you to gain experience. Taking the initiative, being able to reflect upon an experience and be able to share the story from the experience is going to be just as beneficial, if not more important, in your quest for the next stage of your career. Use your education and interested to help you identify new adventures and experiences. Embrace Experience, write the next chapter of your own personal story and share it with everyone you meet.

The Dream

2007-12-26T22:58:00.001-05:00

Matthew Westover, the President and CEO of Newton Peripherals LLC, will showcase his MOGO Mouse at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Matthew is a serial entrepreneur within the high tech world but loves growing new companies and developing ideas. In a recent interview on, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Matthew said, �??I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I grew up with an education, opportunity and a dream.�?? What a great statement! Those of you who are in college or who are recent graduates, look at your current situation. Evaluate who you are, what you are about and what are you doing to pursue your dream? You have your education; you have a world of opportunity in front of you; what are you doing to run towards your dream?

Companies! What are you doing to allow your employees to explore their dreams within the walls of your organization? You are in the driver�??s seat! Nothing can happen without the right team around you and your organization. If attracting, engaging and retaining top emerging talent is a high priority in your business. What are you doing to allow employees, rookies and veterans, explore their dreams? How do you present opportunity to your Rockstars? Build the best teams possible to be successful. Allow those teams to grow personally and professionally and the sky is the limit.

Find Meaning In Your Work

2007-12-26T19:45:00.000-05:00

In the video above, former Apple Macintosh chief evangelist Guy Kawasak challenges entrepreneurs, future non-profits and civic organizations to find meaning in their mission. Starting a company or an organization should not be just to make money. It should be to make the world a better place in some way, shape or form. This video was geared toward those starting a new venture but it could also be applied directly to recent graduates in the job search. Yes, as young people, your greatest asset is your ability to make money. But in choosing the start of your career, those individuals who select a profession based strictly on the money to be made will not be successful. Search for the meaning in your work, explore the mission of the organization and identify how you as a person can benefit the organization and contribute to world as a whole. Find the meaning in what you do!