I had the opportunity last night to interview Ryan Coleman of TheNextForce.com.

Nextforce, LLC and TheNextforce.com was founded and is edited by Ryan Coleman. Ryan got his first taste of the business at 18 when he started a small novelty business with a high school friend. He then found himself generating creative ideas and marketing tactics that helped small businesses gain a competitive edge. Ryan completed his MBA in 2007 with his research focused on creativity in the workplace. This exploration of the history of ideas lead him to question the future of the workplace and how technology and the next generation was going to effect the way business is conducted.

Being a member of Generation Y, Ryan personally experienced the challenges that faced this generation. He started asking the question: “What’s Your Story?” to members of Gen Y and the response overwhelmed him. His next venture was born.

Ryan has spoken to thousands of students and consulted companies on ways to attract, engage and retain the next generation of the workplace. He prides himself on his ability to connect the seemingly unconnected.

During this interview, we discuss how companies can leverage online social media to attract the rock stars of the world.  We also explore what young careerists need to consider as they are setting out to find a career that they love.

Listen to the interview below

Contact Ryan directly at coleman at thenextforce dot com

 

 Interview with Ryan Coleman [40:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I have a top interview tonight with Ryan Coleman of TheNextForce.com.

Listen in through Y-Talk Radio

You can also dial in with a question for Ryan: Call-in Number: (646) 378-1235

We can only take 3 callers at one time, but feel free to dial in with a question. Ryan will be speaking on the topic of how to use social networks as a recruitment tool AND as a tool to find a great career.  I talked with him recently for over an hour, and he is fascinating…so if you are in the recruitment field OR if you are a Millennial who is looking for that perfect job, this is a call you will want to hear!

During the months of June, July and August, we surveyed 320 Generation Y careerists, ranging in age from 21-27 years of age. In the survey, we asked a few questions about leadership and what Gen Ys are looking for in a leader.

Question Number 6 was this:

If you stay with a company, what factors cause you to want to stay?

Top Answer: Number 1: Great work environment (positive, upbeat, fun, attractive, high tech, energetic and supportive)

2: Great people (great boss, great manager, great co-workers, great friends at work)

3: Opportunity for career development, growth and ongoing training

4: Money (most clarified this by saying they wanted pay to be in line with their talents and skills)

5: Opportunities for promotion/advancement in the company

6: Happiness at work (loving my job and being happy with it)

7: To know that I am doing work that is meaningful and is making an impact on the greater world

8: Job security

9: Great benefits (vacation, health insurance)

10: Strong leadership (vision, integrity, trust and inspiration at the top of the company)

I was talking with a young man last week.  He was describing a recruitment trip he had just finished with a company that he thought he was attracted to.  But he said the recruitment trip was boring.  He was impressed with the company, but the lunches, dinners and meetings were stiff and took places in what he described as “old school settings.”  (He mentioned a private club dining room and a men only dining room.)

Hmmm…interesting.

I get the feeling at times that people aren’t in touch with Generation Y.  This is one of the most open, fun-loving generations we have seen in a long time, and we continue to use tactics that worked 20 years ago to recruit and connect with them.  I want to also say that I don’t take Millennials lightly…I don’t think they only want to have fun (some people think that all Gen Y wants is to go crazy in the work place.)  As a matter of fact, they take their work and their results very seriously.

But…what if you decided to change your recruitment tactics?  What if you actually took your Millennials out to play golf or to a soccer tournament or to a rock concert when they visit your company?  Do you think that might get their attention?  What might be different about your recruiting if you threw a casual dinner party and invited 15 people from ages say 23-29 to the party?  And…are you showing your Millennials the after 5 night life of your city?  Your city’s efforts to take care of the environment?  The networking opportunities available?  The cool places to live that are in walking distance of a variety of cultural offerings?

If you are reading this blog post today, I would encourage you to take yourself back to a younger time in your life…before board meetings, country clubs and men only poker rooms.  What do you think is really going to make Gen Y tick when they visit your company on their next recruitment trip?

Everyone is talking about how to attract and then keep Gen Y, and the knee jerk reaction to keeping a superstar is to throw money, a vacation abroad or another week off to keep them on board. While these incentives often work short-term, it is well known that these perks don’t keep people around for the long haul.

What many employers don’t seem to consider is the investment they are making or not making in Gen Y talent. They often say that they feel they are wasting their time developing out their young careerists, because they know they’re going to leave in 2-3 years. I believe this view is archaic. I have been in the middle of this conversation for the last 24 months, and here is what I know to be true:

1) Gen Y’s will stick around longer if they know that their employer is invested in their career and leadership development. They will know this by observing you listening to their career goals and then responding to those goals by offering them opportunities to advance in the company. They want feedback about their performance, and as a manager or leader, it’s your place to provide that feedback. Many managers are afraid to develop out their young employees, because they are afraid they will help them grow out of the job. If this is your mindset, and you are not dedicated to your Gen Ys’ development, then guess what…you’re right. You’re probably going to lose them in a very short time.

2) Gen Y’s will be more dedicated to your company if the feel they are a right fit. Generation Y is the first generation to state out loud that they value authenticity and transparency. They want to know that the fit feels right…that it’s authentic. If your values match your Gen Y’s values, she will feel a sense of belonging to your culture.

3) Gen Y’s are happiest when they have a strong connection with other people in the company. Gen Y values friendships and a great life over just about anything else, and they crave connection with their work colleagues. They want access to not only their peers and other Gen Y’s but with their managers and executive leaders. They want to know that top leaders are highly accessible and open to connection with them.

4) Executive Coaching is a huge perk. Gen Yers are quite open to Executive Coaching, and many are already working with a mentor or adviser before they join your company. By offering Executive Coaching to your Gen Ys, your young careerists will always have someone to turn to when the going gets tough.

5) Promoting from within can seal the deal. In my opinion, there is no better way to get a young employee to stay on board than by offering them a promotion as soon as they are ready. The whole topic of 5, 10 and 20 years of tenure as a prerequisite for promotion is becoming passe. Giving Gen Y’s a chance at a bigger job that stretches their mental capabilities is a great way to send the message that you trust them and that you want them as a long-term member of your team.

Interesting post by Rusty Weston on Fast Company on the retention woes for Gen Y. This really caught my eye:

“Taleo teamed with Harris Interactive to conduct a survey of 2,045 adults ages 18 and older, a series of questions about their first jobs and first employers.

Three out of five respondents said that their first employer did not provide a clear path for advancement. Of course, the reality is that few employers provide a clear path to anything, much less to the corner office.

Other key findings:

• Describing how their first job made them feel, 13% said they couldn’t wait for Friday to arrive, 10% wanted to quit every day and 8% felt it was a waste of their time
• 19% of 18-34 year olds wanted to quit their first job every day, compared to 3% of those 55 years old and over”

My response:

In the work I do with Gen Yers and their bosses/leaders, the common complaint I hear is that Gen Y is bored. Because they have been so exposed to so much stimulation, the Millennials I have met say that they most want variety and meaningful work. Companies like Intuit are addressing this through top notch rotational development programs, which gives young workers tons of opportunities to do something different every day. Maybe it’s time to shift the way we all work…spice things up a bit, and keep it interesting.

Here is my take on how Jones Soda can teach us a few things about how to attract millennials:

Jones Soda Provides Quirky Insight Into Attracting Gen Y

From my blog on ERE.net

Interesting blog post by Tammy Erickson, discussion leader for Harvard Business Review.

Recruiting Today: What Are You Promising Top Job Candidates 

For those of you who don’t know, I am also blogging for ERE Blog Network.

Check out my post today: Obama Reveals the Secret to Attracting the Net Generation .

“The world has changed, and it’s not turning back.”
~DK of MediaSnackers

The “new media” — Internet, mobile technology, interactive television — has redefined mass communication. While older generations are trying to learn, adapt, and basically keep up with youth in this area, Gen Y’ers are taking to all these formats seamlessly. Blogging, podcasts, and vodcasts (video blogs) are supplanting traditional channels. The speed with which these messages are delivered feeds right into the Gen Y desire for instant gratification.

But with all these advances happening overnight, training in the technology has become a must. MediaSnackers, a UK based company dedicated to helping organizations work with young people to generate new strategies and operations in social media, has risen to the challenge, incorporating the “quick bits” learning and processing style of Gen Y.  The company works with young people to train them to use the new media, as well as instilling a sense of responsibility about the global impact of their efforts.

The company’s founder is as unique as the organization itself. DK — that’s his entire moniker — knows how Gen Y’ers learn, what they expect from technology, and how the new media unleashes their creativity. The colorful UK native works within the gap between the Gen Y’ers, who are embracing this technology at the speed of sound, and their confused managers, who are still stumbling with new media.

We had the privelege last year to interview DK of MediaSnackers for The Gen Y Project (Check out their impressive 2008 pro bono project here). DK has very generously opted to not have his chapter appear in our book but to be given away as a bonus chapter to help each of you in supporting Generation Y in their development in the future.

Download the bonus chapter featuring DK of MediaSnackers here.  This is a great chapter, so thank-you DK!

Listen to the interview with DK for The Gen Y Project:

 

 DK of Media Snackers [63:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you enjoyed this interview with DK, you are going to love the book Millennial Leaders.  Pick up a copy today through Amazon.com.