Comments on: Segregating Gen Y Employees Is Not The Answer

By: Brett Hummel

Brett Hummel — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:41:17 +0000

I see it as one of the greatest failures of our capitalistic system that we cannot figure out a way to integrate both the old and new workers. Too often, older workers see younger ones as annoyances and sometimes even threats. That is why I think an inter-generational incubator could be an interesting place to start, but my only worry is that older workers would not accept the exercise as productive.

Gen Ys have an incredible amount to offer in this new world where information flows so freely, and I think effective organization like Estee Lauder will figure out ways to harness this energy. Gen Ys, in general, are on the technological cusp, and have the ability to report the real time pulse of the marketplace right to their boss. Too often Gen Ys are singled out as lazy or not loyal, and I think that these incubator projects with multiple generations could be a perfect place to start to bring down these barriers.

The competition out there is fierce, and it will be the companies that can leverage the strengths of all the generations (using the older workers as mentors, coaches, and guides with Gen Ys as ‘think tanks’) who will be the most successful.

By: dave miers dot com » Jesus Life Culture Design #27

dave miers dot com » Jesus Life Culture Design #27 — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:54:59 +0000

[...] Segregating Gen Y Employees Is Not The Answer [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:29:42 +0000

I think Kristen is on to something: whether incubator groups are “good” depends on what problem you are trying to solve.

If you’re trying to create an environment specifically aimed at making your GenY members feel better, that’s one issue. Creating a more collaborative environment for all your employees is another.

One issue I hardly see brought up and often wonder about is whether the innovation is specifically tied to age or to other factors.

In my own line of work (military public affairs) I often see that the lack of innovation isn’t really because of a true lack of ideas — even across generations. It’s not even — believe it or not — mostly due to our hierarchical structure in the military.

It’s mainly because of our lack of resources. We have the ideas; we just don’t have the time, people or money to implement them. And because we are not a “for-profit” organization, we find it especially difficult to “prove” a new idea works.

I completely agree with Kristen’s last point — that if we are seeing an increase in Gen Y incubator groups, then it’s more likely that the problem companies are trying to solve is “how do we keep our Gen Y turnover to a minimum” and not “how do we truly make all our employees entrepreneurial?”

Mike

By: Kristen O

Kristen O — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:01:53 +0000

I think the reason for creating incubator groups is fundamentally different than for reinventing the workplace altogether. I’m not saying the workplace couldn’t stand to be reinvented, I’m just saying that creating incubator groups for Gen Y seems to largely be a response to companies being told “you already have all the resources you need to be doing youth marketing correctly, you’re just not using them.” In other words, its the difference between solving the problem of the youth voice getting lost in a big company and motivating people stuck in middle management to innovate.

I think the reason we’re seeing the one and not the other is because there’s a clearer path to the financial upside in recapturing the marketing ideas of your young employees than in making it easier for all of your employees to be intrapreneurial (which, honestly, would require much more systemic change for an unknown possible benefit).

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:10:11 +0000

Certainly, I think this makes a lot of sense. But it’s also one of the hardest things to do. People like people like themselves, and putting Gen Y in groups where they can see there are others like them isn’t all entirely bad.