Generation why: They promise to be the biggest influence since the baby boomers - TREND/Bring on da boom

Training & Development, Nov, 2001 by Haidee E. Allerton

Into the American workplace, hot upon the heels of Generation X, comes the Millennial Generation, Echo Boomers, a.k.a. Generation Y, born in a period pinpointed by demographers as 1979 to 1994. What's different about them from previous generations? What's similar? What do they bring to the future of work, and how will they help shape it?

Conventional theory is that every fourth generation repeats itself, so Gen Y may most resemble what some people refer to as the GI Generation (1901-1924): active voters who make a great leap in education and consider themselves to be in the happiest age bracket. At least, that was until September 11, 2001, just a week ago at this writing. Now, subsequent events will no doubt dramatically influence how Gen Y operates in the world and how they view work, and they may be even more like the GI Generation in that they will live in a time of war.

They have already seen schoolyard violence, the Oklahoma bombing, and a wide-scale terrorist attack in America. They've witnessed the peculiar phenomenon of reality TV. They communicate by pagers and cell phones. They say kewl instead of cool. They're into extreme sports. Companies regard them as a hot market for new products and a source of insight into emerging trends, but haven't quite figured out how to market to these sophisticated, no b.s. consumers.

They number 60 million, more than three times the population of Gen X and just short of the 70 million baby boomers. They're as young as seven and as old as 22, most of them yet to go through adolescence. One in three is not Caucasian. One in four lives in a single-parent household. Three in four have working mothers. They have been using computers since pre-kindergarten.

They are e-learners: The number of U.S. college students enrolled in online courses will reach 2.2 million in 2002, according to International Data Corporation--up from 710,000 in 1998; 84 percent of four-year U.S. colleges will offer online courses in 2002, up from 62 percent in 1998.

The Herman Group * www.hermangroup.com predicts that recruiters will soon set up shop on high school campuses rather than wait for impending college graduation. In fact, the early effort has already begun to contact students in their junior and senior years of high school.

Once in the workforce, what's the best way to manage Gen Y? Mary Claire Toohey, HR director of Hanover Hospital in Hanover, Pennsylvania, suggests these strategies:

* Show them authoritative expertise.

* Invest in their outcomes, and celebrate their victories.

* Let them "get it done." Gen Yers don't like to waste time.

Work-Life Benefits * www.wlb.cam recommends these ways to manage Generation Y effectively:

Build personal relationships. Know these employees, listen to them, and show that you genuinely care about their success and them as individuals.

Provide challenging work that truly matters. Eighty-five percent of Gen Yers define themselves as loyal and hardworking when they see value in what they are doing. Eighty-eight percent have specific goals for the next five years; 78 percent believe they will achieve their life goals.

Be technically savvy. They've grown up in the digital revolution, and technology is an interwoven, important part of their lives. Give them the technological tools they need, and encourage technology solutions in your organization.

Show them the money. Generation Y is used to making and spending money. American teenagers were responsible for US$125 billion in sales in 1999, according to Gartner research group.

Recognize and reward. Generation Y has grown up under pressure to succeed in academics and sports, and that attitude is likely to continue into their working lives. They expect constant feedback, lofty goals, and significant rewards. A pat on the back and good performance appraisals won't do it.

What's goin' on?

A lot is going on with regard to Gen Y and is so variegated that categorization is almost impossible. So here's a sampling:

* The University of South Dakota says it will be the first institution to provide a handheld computer to each incoming freshman and to first-year medical and law students. The handhelds will be configured to meet academic requirements. The cost is expected to be about US$750,000, with students paying only a portion. The handhelds are theirs to keep.

* Forsyth Country Day School outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, became the first K-12 school in the United States to require the use of Palm handheld computers in its high school and to pilot their use among students as early as first grade. Students in ninth through 12th grades returning to school last fall received a Palm IIIc, a portable keyboard, and a suite of software applications in their registration packets. Long-range plans include integrating the handhelds into the school's intranet to use for sending email, synching assignments, and connecting to school and individual Websites. Assistant headmaster Eric Peterson says the school will be a "living laboratory" for exploring the range of use of handheld technology. This year, the students (most from affluent families) paid for the handhelds. Next year, the cost will be incorporated into the school's yearly tuition of US$10,700.