Generational Soup

Closing the Skills Gap in 21st Century Employment

2012-01-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

I recently read a report by ManPower Group that stated more than 52% of employers said they were unable to find candidates with the right skills to fit the job openings they have. So let me get this straight, our national unemployment is hovering just above 9% (remember last month I told you that young people ages 18-24 had the highest unemployment rates, around 17%) and we can’t find the right candidates with the right skill set to fit the jobs we have? Something’s not right here! Even worse, employers stated that the two skills many job candidates lacked was communication and simply showing up to work on time. Really?? Showing up to work on time is a skill candidates are lacking?

What are employers looking for?
The types of skills that many employers seek beyond the general occupational or technical skills of a job are called “soft skills”. The top 5 soft skills many employers are looking for according to a survey conducted by NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) in November 2011, include ability to work in a team, verbal communication, the ability to make decisions and solve problems, the ability to obtain and process information, and the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work.

Is there a solution?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a theory about why we are seeing candidates lacking in basic skills. I honestly think there are a variety of reasons why we are seeing this issue now. I won’t bore you with my “soap-box” like explanation of what’s causing the problem. We just need a solution. The fact is, for our workforce to be top-notch and globally competitive; we have to be willing to teach these basic skills to high school and college students if they don’t already have them. We have to hold people accountable rather than passing over problems. We need to mentor rather than complain.

Trust me; I know what you’re going to say. Why should we have to teach the skills that should be taught in school, or at home, or at the last job? Clearly there is a problem here and what we have been doing isn’t working. We assume that candidates will come to us ready to go. That’s clearly not the case based on the statistic above.

School and experiential learning should go hand in hand
Remember I’ve said this before…we’re all in this together. As a region, Northeast Indiana employers and schools must be willing to work together to create a firm partnership that allows students to get the kind of “real world” job experience necessary to gain the basic skills we know they will need to be successful. They need strong professionals to model after. Great experiences that can impress upon them the need to learn and become the kind of employee our companies need. Your success depends on them, whether now or in the future.

So what can you do to increase your chances of getting a candidate with the type of soft skills you’re looking for? Hire interns that you can teach and train. Get involved now in programs directed towards mentoring and teaching students the skills they need to be successful. Your reward? A skilled workforce helping you succeed!

The Importance of Career Planning in a Crummy Economy

2011-11-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Wells County Career Expo

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This is a presentation I gave last week to High School students at the Wells County Career Expo. It was featured on SlideShare as one of their daily featured presentations.

Will Millennials be Better off than their Parents?

2011-11-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

Every generation has the same pressure; to do better than their parents did. We place expectations about job security, financial success, and multiple other factors on up and coming generations. For Millennials, who started with these same expectations, the ability to do better than their parents may not be within their reach.

Things Looked Bright…Until the Recession
Leading up to the recession, Millennials had high hopes, big dreams, and huge expectations. As they entered the workforce, they made ripples that created interesting perceptions about their generation, some of which are probably true, many of which are not. Of course, it wasn’t just their expectations of themselves that were high; we had high expectations about their success.

Their generation has been like no other. Highly entrepreneurial, we saw many of them starting their own businesses and finding a great deal of success. Their sense of community and volunteerism is unmatched. Times were good for the early Millennials.

Then the recession hit. Deemed one of the worst financial crises since the Great Depression, young adults have been hit the hardest by the Recession. 18-25 year olds have the highest rate of unemployment. 1/3 are underemployed. Many have moved back home with their parents. Research indicates that a large number of them are delaying adulthood activities like buying a house, getting married, and starting a family. While the cultural implications of the recession will be unknown for many years to come, the financial impact has had a detrimental impact on young adults trying to get their careers off the ground.

Years of Recovery
What may be the most unfortunate side effect of the recession for Millennials is the amount of time it may take many of them to recover financially from it. Lower starting salaries can often take decades to overcome, and for those Millennials taking any job they can get; their careers may never fully recover. Even those Millennials who were lucky enough to get jobs at the beginning of the recession aren’t making much more money now then when they started. The financial impact of this may be felt for many years to come as Millennials work to pay off debt with little left over to save for retirement.

One of the biggest problems for Millennials in this economy is they are no longer competing against other young adults for entry level positions. They are competing against professionals with far more experience who are willing to take any position just to keep food on the table. For a young person straight out of college with very little experience, the prospects may seem very grim, and for those who by-pass college altogether, well the question is, what prospects?

No Easy Answer
I wish I had an answer for this problem. I think the issues with the economy are much bigger than I can solve in a one page monthly article. What I do know though, is we need these young people in our workforce. Eventually Baby Boomers will retire, even if they don’t want to. If no plan is place to get young adults into a company and get them trained, the problems of the recession may grow even bigger.

I truly believe our business community needs to be involved now with our colleges and high schools to help students be prepared for the workforce. That means getting students immersed in organizations throughout Northeast Indiana. If local organizations are not working actively with educators to provide young people with skills to help them be successful, then we will continue to see young adults struggling in this economy.

So how can you help? Offer an internship, externship, job shadow, or class tour at your company. Volunteer to speak at local high schools and colleges. Get involved with local Career Services offices for mock interviewing, professional skills training, and other events. Connecting now may help you get your next superstar in the future! For more details on how to get involved with our local high schools and colleges, contact me at jfisher@fwchamber.org.

We have an opportunity to make a difference here but it takes all of us willing to step up to create change!

Follow me on Twitter for more information about this topic and others. www.twitter.com/jenfisherfw

Presentation at ITT Tech to School Guidence Counselors

2011-11-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

High school counselors at ITT Tech breakfast

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Don’t Get “Spooked Off” By a Bad Intern Experience

2011-11-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Really, I get it. Not everyone has a stellar experience with their intern. Sometimes, you just don’t get the right person in the right position. It happens to everyone and I would be lying if I told you it will never happen to you. My hope is that the majority of your experiences with interns will be positive but for those times when it is not, there are some things you can do to help manage or avoid a bad experience again.

The Bad Intern (well not really that bad)
Now I’m pretty sure your worst experience with an intern isn’t to the level of a horror movie. No little “Jason’s” running around with masks on ready to chop people up into little pieces. If you’ve had that experience, let’s get together and write a book, which turns into a movie, and we’ll make millions of dollars together.

Typically, the normal story I hear about interns starts with, “our intern is just ____________”. Insert whatever you want there with a sigh on the end. Problems arise when you’re dealing with a new person who may or may not have the type of professional skills you are used to interacting with. Of course, we’ve already talked about how different generations view work and workplace etiquette on sometimes opposite sides of the spectrum which naturally causes conflicts.

Well, we’ll start here. I’d like to share a story with you of one supervisor who had a bad experience with his intern.

“Jeff” (names have been changed to protect those involved) was a younger supervisor who was new to the organization but very eager to have an intern. He went through the interview process and hired what he believed would be a rock-star intern. At first, everything seemed to go well and the intern exceeded his expectations. Very soon however, problems began to arise. The student started showing up late, seemed to have a more relaxed dress code approach, and Jeff felt like she didn’t respect him. As Jeff and I sat and talked about the problems he was having, I realized that this was a familiar scenario that I had heard others speak about. I probed a little deeper to get to some of the reasons for the change in behavior and a few things started to make sense.

It doesn’t have to be a blood bath
By no means is Jeff’s story the worst I’ve ever heard, but it’s a familiar one I hear occasionally from employers. Inevitably there comes a point when employers get an intern who doesn’t work up to their expectations. Sometimes it’s just that the student wasn’t ready for the internship or lacks the maturity to be in a professional environment. Sometimes, the intern isn’t a bad person, just not a very good fit for the job or the organization. And sometimes, it isn’t really the intern that’s bad; they’ve just picked up bad habits from other employees. I’d like to focus on this last one just for a second.

Let’s go back to our earlier story about Jeff. After talking to him, I learned that Jeff had initially created a very relaxed environment in the way he treated his intern. While attempting to be a good supervisor, he blurred the lines for the intern who thought they had become friends. It wasn’t that she disrespected him but rather, she was mirroring his behavior at work. I don’t really think anyone is at fault here but there were definitely some opportunities for both to step back into a professional mode in the office environment and after a few conversations with them, that is exactly what happened.

I’ve had other situations where supervisors have been concerned with a student’s lack of professionalism and it usually doesn’t take long before you understand that the intern is just taking cues from other employees. While employers may want an intern to act a certain way, ultimately they will become what is around them. That’s not to say that this will always be the case and certainly I know that there are times when interns show up with this relaxed attitude first, but there is an opportunity to provide what I like to call “teaching moments” for your intern which can help them become a better intern for you.

If you are having problems with an intern, you have to start with a conversation with them that includes what your expectations are, what the issue is, how they can fix it, and how you’ll monitor their progress. If a young person doesn’t ever receive feedback, they can’t make things better and you will have missed an opportunity to make them better for you and for them. If you have the conversation a few times and it still doesn’t sink in, maybe it’s time to put on the hat of mentor and really discuss with your intern if the job they are doing for you is really a good fit for them in the long run. So often, young people go into a career with no real understanding of what that career involves. It may take getting some experience for them to realize it’s not for them. That’s not a failure but rather an opportunity to save themselves (or their parents) a lot of money. Don’t be afraid to have that conversation with them. It may be a relief for you both.

If none of this works, then you can fire your intern. Please don’t feel like you are stuck with a bad apple. Again, sometimes young people aren’t ready for an internship. You may actually help them mature a little by allowing them to see the consequences for poor performance or behavior. There’s nothing wrong with that at all and you should not feel guilty if you get to that point. Although, I would definitely love to see you try the other ideas before you get to the firing stage. You’d be surprised how far a little direction and mentoring can go to help an intern succeed.

In the end, having a bad intern shouldn’t deter you from getting another one. Interns are like employees. You’ll get good ones and you’ll get not so good ones, but there will be some that will come along and knock your socks off. For those interns that don’t knock your socks off…train them to be good employees and you will still win in the end!

Surviving and Thriving in a Multi-Generational Workforce

2011-10-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to present this presentation to the Allen County Health Department at their retreat today.

Surviving and thriving in a multi generational workforce

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Millennials Don't Disappoint

2011-05-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to have lunch this week with representatives from the company I mentioned in my previous post. Many of their interns have already started and the excitement at the company over these tremendous young people has been inspiring. I want to share their story because I really think it is a great example of just how incredible Millennials can be if you just set them up for success!

Let me just re-cap for you this company's story. Group Dekko made a decision a few months ago to have a relatively sizable internship program this summer. In a months time they had posted their opportunities on www.indianaintern.net, interviewed and hired more than 15 students, and trained more than 30 supervisors and mentors on how to manage Millennials. That's no small task and I'm sure it took a lot of work on their end. In the last few weeks they have already set up an excellent orientation program for their interns and, as I said, most of their interns have started and are now into their 2nd or 3rd weeks.

I asked one of the women we were meeting with how things were going. I was so excited to hear what she said that I felt that I needed to share it to inspire other companies to follow the lead of Group Dekko and their summer internship program. She explained to me that the students have been far more amazing than they ever thought they would be. She said that the energy they have brought to their company has been contagious and has everyone excited about the possibilities this summer.

I want to share one story in particular she told me that I think is the perfect illustration of just how engaged Millennials want to be with the companies they work for. She told me the story of a young man who had been with their company for just a week who came to her and asked if there was anything the interns could do to help the community know about all the wonderful things Group Dekko is doing. He said the interns wanted to make sure everyone knew how great this company was! He asked this particular person how they could get involved. How amazing is it that this new group of young interns, a week into their assignment wanted to promote their new company to the world. That's the type of loyalty that I think you can get from Millennials when you just let them get engaged with and excited about your company. What a great example of Millennial involvement.

I asked her how the information presented in the Supervisor Boot Camp (we talk about Millennial characteristics and how to manage them) compared with what they were experiencing and she said that it was scary how spot on the descriptions were. Their group of interns has thus far shown themselves to be highly interactive, high achieving, and wanting to make a difference.

I think a big part of the success so far though is Group Dekko themselves. They have a great culture for all their employees and this has translated into a great program for their interns. They are a great example of a company who is doing a great job preparing their interns for a great summer and it really looks like they are going to get high productivity from them!

As I was talking to the company representatives, it struck me that the energy, enthusiasm, desire to make an impact, and ability to share their opinions is what makes Millennials so special but there is a real opportunity that the very things that are so great about them could potentially cause some workplace conflicts because of the different approaches among different generations. I thought of it this way, I think most other generations would never think to come into a job and a week later start offering opinions, requesting meetings with the CEO's, asking for the big picture about what the company is all about, or even asking the employer what they are doing to make sure the community knows about them. But this is exactly what Millennials do. I can see other employees looking at this as over the top cockiness. They might ask "Who do you think you are coming in here and trying to change everything?" I would say most of else feel that we have had to pay our dues in order to have the right to do these things.

The truth is, like it or not we really have to foster this desire to be so involved. We have to be open to the request for the CEO's time in order to share ideas. We have to be open to hearing the suggestions that Millennials have. No longer can we say, "I would NEVER do that". Just because we wouldn't do that doesn't mean it can't be done. Provide the boundaries that you need Millennials to have but don't stifle their ability to bring in new energy and life into your company.

Young people are our future and we have a responsibility to help them grow into great employees. Let them have a voice in your company and follow the lead of Group Dekko by providing them the tools and training to not only be successful, but to really have an impact on your company.

Using Internships to Teach Young People Soft Skills

2011-04-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

So often, employers do not see themselves in the role of teacher/mentor during an internship experience with a student. The relationship is viewed more as an employment opportunity rather than a teachable period. If you find yourself leaning more on the employment side of the fence, I’d like you to consider the tremendous chance you have with your internship program to teach a student valuable, life-long employment skills that could benefit them throughout their entire career.

Let’s Start with the Basics
The types of skills we’re talking about here are often called “soft skills”. These include skills like communication, time management, problem-solving, critical thinking, team work, flexibility, and the ability to work under pressure. It also includes work ethic, a positive attitude, and self-confidence. Each of these skills creates value not just for the student, but also to any employer they may work for in the future. More and more, employers are looking for candidates not just with the technical skills to do the job, but also the skills that let them effectively interact with those around them.

A Model Company
I am always very excited about companies who really take their role as teacher/mentor seriously. One such company is Group Dekko in Garrett, IN. Making a recent decision to have an internship program this summer, and proving that it’s not too late to find great students, in the last month they posted, interviewed, and hired close to 20 interns. During this time, their CEO has created a culture that stresses the importance of being good mentors to their student interns. It’s not only about what the students will be doing for the company; it’s also about what the company will be giving these young people throughout their experience at Group Dekko. To get everyone up to speed, 30 supervisors and mentors have gone through training to understand their interns’ needs, and come up with strong strategies to manage their experiences this summer. What is great about this internship program is that each student has both a supervisor AND a mentor who will teach and train them.

Trust me when I say, this is a company who gets it. They know exactly what their job is this summer. They want to create awesome future employees, even if they don’t end up being their employees. That’s the kind of attitude that helps make all of Northeast Indiana successful. If we can develop the kind of future employees that we all want, pretty soon, companies outside of Northeast Indiana will take notice of it and we’ll become a model region!

Where to Start
Well, if the above story has inspired you to take on the role of teacher/mentor this summer for your intern, then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get busy. You won’t be just idly sitting back this summer and watching what your intern does for you. You’re going to become a partner in their success and develop ideas and strategies to help them develop into a superstar employee. You’ll start with choosing a supervisor and mentor who has the desire and patience to work with your intern. Take the time to develop projects that provide the intern with a chance to interact and communicate at a high level.

Remember, it doesn’t matter if they become your employee or someone else’s. What truly matters is that they develop the skills and competencies necessary for their future careers. Oh, and by the way…when you take the time to help your intern develop great soft skills, you get an amazing return on your investment in the form of a happy, high performing student. It’s most definitely a win-win…win!

Need a little help getting started? Attend the Supervisor Boot Camp Wednesday, May 18th from 3 to 5 at the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. It’s only $15 to attend and offers you great information about how to manage your intern this summer. Have a large number of supervisors/mentors you’d like to train? Contact me at jfisher@fwchamber.org to discuss my on-site supervisor training at a reduced rate.

Using Facebook, Linkedin, and Google to Screen Candidates: Great Idea or Bad Business?

2011-04-11T13:52:00.001-07:00

Let’s be honest, it’s very easy to look people up on the internet. In a few short minutes, you can run a Google search or look up a potential intern’s Facebook or Linkedin page prior to your interview and know far more about them then you might find out on an application. It seems harmless enough because a lot of people are doing it. These days, many companies use online searches to replace the traditional vetting methods like background and reference checks, even before they have met a candidate. In 2009, Careerbuilder.com reported that 45% of employers were using Facebook and Twitter to screen candidates. It’s possible that the number is even higher now, but is this ultimately a good idea or is there a potential legal problem brewing?

Let’s start with the basics. There are very specific employment laws which have been created to protect candidates from discriminatory practices on the part of employers. Employers are not supposed to have certain information about potential candidates prior to interviewing them. It’s why an I-9 is supposed to be kept in a separate file away from the application. Interviewers should be making decisions about who to interview based on candidates applications or resumes, references, job history, etc. They should not have access to information like race, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or other information which could place the candidate in a protected class.

Searching for candidates online, especially before you interview them, can provide you with information you are technically not entitled to have prior to an interview. Now of course you can argue, “But Jen, they posted that information up about themselves and put that picture up on their profile. Doesn’t that make it public information?” Well yes it does, but that doesn’t mean you have a right to look at it before your interview with them. Even looking after an interview is still a little sketchy to me but that’s a discussion for another time.

Honestly, I think a time will come when a candidate will accuse a company of unlawfully discriminating against them because of information that company gained through an online search. I really do think we will see a case like that at some point in the near future. What this means for you and your company is that you have to weigh the pro’s and con’s to screening candidates through internet searches (especially on websites like Facebook) and decide if it’s worth the risk. I always recommend being cautious and utilizing the more traditional methods of candidate vetting. Also, under no circumstance should you look up a candidate before you have interviewed them. It opens you up to potential liability and may mean that you miss out on some really great candidates that you judged before you had a chance to meet them. Remember what your grandma used to say? You can’t judge a book by its cover and in this case you can’t always judge a good candidate by their Facebook profile!

Awesome Blog I just wanted to pass along!

2011-03-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

I thought this was great and wanted to share it with you!

Flip flops and Facebook breaks, the Millennial Generation invades the workplace

http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/money-blog/2011/03/maybe_youve_heard_about_the.html

Affecting Young People's Career Goals from a Different Angle

2011-03-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

Industry to Educator Externship Program
Last week I had an opportunity to participate in the Industry to Educator Summit at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. This event brought together teachers and companies who participated in an externship program last year for high school teachers in Northeast Indiana. It was great to meet teachers who are making a difference in the lives of our young people.

As I was listening to the teachers and industry professionals from Raytheon, ITT, Northrop Grumen, and BAE Systems talk about their experiences, I was excited to consider the fact that this experience not only affected these teachers, it impacted the students they teach. It's wonderful to know that a program exists to connect teachers to professionals who are in careers that many of their students want to do. Call it the "bird’s eye view" of a career. I think what really struck me most was one of the teachers explaining that she now had an answer for the student who asks "when will I ever use this information?” Now she knows exactly how students will use it because of her experience last summer in the externship program.

I think the real value here is that educators get the chance to see just how important their role is in teaching young people and inspiring them to pursue careers that are related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These careers are Northeast Indiana’s future. If we don't have young people who are interested in pursuing them, we'll already be ten steps behind other regions.

Ask a young person why they chose a major or career and often they will tell you that they had a really great teacher in that subject during high school. Our teachers are critical to helping our young people understand their career options and providing them with the skills they need to be successful. A young person who gets engaged in a career path early, and gets experience through internships will be more likely to have then type of skills companies are looking for in their employees.

I am so happy to know that the Industry to Educator Externship program exists to provide teachers with first-hand knowledge of the types of careers and projects that are taking place right here in Northeast Indiana. If you would like more information about this great program, go to www.industry2educators.com or contact jfisher@fwchamber.org.

TECHFEST Is Coming
Make plans now to attend the first annual Northeast Indiana TechFEST on April 16th at Sweetwater Sound. This amazing event, which developed from an idea between the Fort Wayne Mayor’s Office and Atos Origin, provides Northeast Indiana High School students with the opportunity to compete in video game tournaments, a problem solving competition, an IPOD “Battle of the Bands”, a Speed Texting competition, breakout sessions with guest speakers, informational tables about area careers and colleges with STEM related majors, and much more. Young people can register at www.neitechfest.com and the cost is only $10 to participate in up to 2 games. If you have a high schooler, get them involved in this fun and interactive day!

Email vs. Social Media as a Communication Tool

2011-02-25T11:21:00.001-08:00

So I admit, it's been a while since I last posted! I said in a previous post that I would get better and clearly I have not.

This months topic is based on a question I received today during a presentation I helped deliver at the 2011 Teaching Conference at IPFW. The basics of the question surrounded student usage of email (or lack there of) and are we enabling them to create bad habits now by our willingness to utilize social media to reach out and connect with them?

That's really a great question and one that has come up before. In a great article on Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/is-e-mail-dead.html the question is asked "Is Email Dead?" According to the article, people just aren't utilizing email as much (especially younger people) to communicate. Other social media outlets and text messaging offer a much quicker mode of communication and is more readily utilized by teens. That's not to say they don't use email, because they do. They just don't use it as much as other services.

Of course we realize that emailing in a business setting is not going away anytime soon, but there have already been some changes in the way professionals communicate at work. I'll give you a few examples:

How much do you want to bet that when email first came out, people thought we would never get rid of our face-to-face interactions and opt for the less personal written communication? Now, both are regularly utilized as acceptable forms of business etiquette. I'm sure there were some who thought email would just be a flash in the pan.

When IM came along, many companies began using that to communicate quickly internally. No need to wait for an email and then a response and then a response to the response...the whole conversation happened in real time.

In LinkedIn and Facebook, those who may never have met you or had access to your email address can now reach out to you and send you a message. If we were only using email, you might miss out on connections!

I read on Twitter that one company sent a text message to offer a candidate a position with their company...and the candidate accepted via text message. Without a single email, both the company and the candidate knew instantly if the person would be joining their team.

The truth is, emailing will probably not go by the way side, at least not yet any way,but the reality is there are a variety of other ways we can communicate with each other. Young people know this already, sometimes the rest of us just have to catch up.

So when the question is posed, are we letting young people get away with not acting professionally by ignoring their emails, because we're trying to reach them through Facebook, LinkedIn, Texting, or other avenues? The answer is yes and no. I think there is a balance here that we can strike between giving in and not budging.

Here's what I recommend...Continue to reiterate to young people that the main form of expected professional communication continues to be email. If they cannot learn to respond in a timely manner or they don't check it, then they might just be missing opportunities. There are always consequences for bad behavior and not checking or responding to email will have a downside. On the other hand though, don't be afraid to try some of the new forms of communication that are out there. Facebook, texting, and other more instant forms of communication can actually be very beneficial to you and young people.

In the end, we all know, email will not be going away for now, so eventually students will have to use it. For now though, maybe it's better that they at least hear your message, regardless of which communication tool it comes through.

Beyond :"Poking" and "Like it"

2011-02-25T11:20:00.001-08:00

Presented at the 2011 Teaching Conference at IPFW with Cindy Verduce and Heather Burgette from Indiana Tech. Great topic and a lot of fun to present!!!

Beyond poking and like it

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If Lady Gaga Can Do It … : The Work Buzz

2010-12-07T06:09:00.000-08:00

Even famous people understand the value of internships!!!

If Lady Gaga Can Do It … : The Work Buzz

Are You Prepared?

2010-11-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

The economy over the last several years has created an interesting situation in the workforce. Those who were planning to retire a few years ago saw their retirement portfolio's take a nose dive and made the decision to stay in the workforce. For companies, this meant they didn't have to worry about who their next leaders would be, so a lot of employment decisions were put on hold. For young people graduating from college, this meant no big jobs with huge salaries and certainly very little opportunity to be the bright new star coming in to save the day. Of course, I'm over-exaggerating a little here. Young people still have some opportunity but many companies immediate need to hire them really did get pushed aside and we’re seeing high numbers of unemployment in young people.

Now things are beginning to change some. Many who delayed retirement are once again looking ahead to their “free from work” futures. I would give it 3 to 5 years before our workforce is suffering from a real gap in knowledge and skills if plans are not put in place now to teach and train new leaders.

I have talked to many companies who don’t even have this on their radar to think about yet. In my mind, this is truly short-sighted thinking and will create a serious problem for those organizations that have not planned for employee retirement. So the question is, do you have a plan in place to train your new employees how to be leaders or does the knowledge and skill of your more experienced employees get lost when they leave?

It scares me to think that there is a potential gap that will mean a great deal of knowledge, skills, and understanding will be completely lost. I recently heard a story about NASA. In the 1960’s when America was working so hard to put a man on the moon, amazing advances in science and technology were made in order to make that happen. Over time, priorities shifted and putting a man on the moon wasn’t the focus of NASA. Through the years, those who were involved in that initiative eventually retired and many have now passed away. Unfortunately for NASA, there was no plan in place to capture the knowledge and advances that those scientists discovered. I’m not sure if you’re like me but I thought to myself, “Okay, there have to have been enough advances over the years that it’s not that big of a deal”. Apparently it’s a huge deal! Fast forward to today, and there is a major issue brewing. America would like to go back to the moon. The problem, no one knows how to do it anymore. Scientists have to start from scratch to figure out how to make it work. Can you imagine how much time and money would have been saved if someone would have just taken notes originally!

So here’s my point with this whole rant…if you’re not already making plans to train your future leaders, then you should be. There are some great resources out there to help employers connect with young people eager to be your next star. A great way to start is to bring a high school or college student in for a multi-year internship opportunity with your company. You get a chance to test the waters, and the student learns the ins and outs of the job. In 3-5 years, they graduate and you have a ready-made workforce with solid knowledge of your company. If you operate in Indiana there is a great resource called www.indianaintern.net that can help you connect to students and post internship opportunities for free. This really is a win-win for everyone. You get an enthusiastic young person, and the student gets knowledge and skills to be a better employee!

The moral of this story…start planning now! Don’t wait until it’s too late and your scrambling to figure out how to train your new workforce to do the things your seasoned and experienced employees were doing.

Times...They are a Changin'!!!

2010-09-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

School is back in full swing and it is so nice to have students back on campus. Although the break from the summer is nice, I do find that I begin to miss the students towards the end of the summer. The energy is just completely different when they are here.

I've been thinking a lot about the subject of this blog post. It is mainly based on my observations and has no real scientific merit what so ever. Having said that though, I'd like to say that I think I'm a pretty good observer. Of course, my observations are just based on about a week of watching new incoming first year students but I can already tell you with a fair amount of certainty...they're different. They aren't quite like the Millennials who have preceded them. They're engaged, involved, and most importantly SERIOUS GO GETTER'S. I'm not joking here. They really seem to be on the ball. Already in a week and a half and I've talked to several first year students who are interested in having an internship. They seem eager to make a difference. I know our on campus Center for Service Opportunities has seen several students who are interested in volunteer work. This class is not like the others I have seen over the past few years. They may be entitled, but this group seems to see the value in working for what they are getting. Maybe the recent resession has affected the way they look at the world and at work. Maybe now they see that to get what they want out of a job, they have to be willing to get the experience and wow employers. They can't just sit back and wait for a job to come to them, they have to go out and get it!

Now I'll be the first to admit that a week and a half isn't a lot of time to observe and get a feeling for how this class will really turn out, but my first impressions have been very positive. I am expecting big things from this group of young people and I am excited to see what they can do. I will likely write more about this group as I get to know them better. These are exciting times and the young people I have met make me love what I do!!!!

The Future of the Workforce

2010-07-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I last wrote anything and if you waited and waited for a new blog from me I am so sorry. Between going to Mexico (I'm definitely going to share my experiences with young people there soon) and work, it's been hard to get time to write. I decided to post this for you just so there was a new blog from me this year :-) Hopefully it's not that bad.

Here's an article I submitted for a magazine. Not sure if it will get published but it was sure fun writing it!

Ask anyone who works with young people about their thoughts on this generation of workers, sometimes referred to as Generation Y or Millennials, and you are bound to hear about all the things that they find frustrating. Millennials come into the workforce expecting too much. They ask for too much money and need too much attention. They are easily distracted, never without their cell phones, and are egocentric. The list of negatives goes on and on but has this generation gotten a bad rap because that’s how they really are or because they are just different from every other generation?
Let’s see how different they really are. Read the list of qualities and see if you can decide who this is describing;
• Looking for meaningful work
• Seeking challenge
• Chance to prove themselves and show they can perform well
• Enjoys contact with people
• Desire to be in a position of responsibility
• Resents being looked at as though they have no experience
• Tends to be more job mobile
• Less respectful of authority

Sounds like Millennials, doesn’t it? They want to know that their work means something. They need to be challenged and want the chance to prove themselves to others. They like working in teams and want to be the CEO of the company the week after they are hired. Of course, we’re already seeing too just how mobile they are in their jobs. Now here’s the kicker, would it surprise you to know that this information was taken from an article in the November 1970 edition of Training and Development Journal? That’s right Baby Boomers, it’s talking about you!

Let’s start with the understanding that Millennials are different, at least on some levels. They think and act different. They have grown up unlike any generation before them. Technology has always been a regular part of their lives. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Google…these are all second nature to Millennials. Their parents taught them they could do or be anything and they believed it. Growing up, everyone got a ribbon just for participating. They were raised to be confident, to ask for what you want and expect to get it. Reality for them has been whatever they saw on TV or the Internet. Millennials don’t know anything else and now as they enter the workforce, they are incorporating how they grew up into how they work.
Of course, Millennials want what everyone else wants in a job. According to four Fortune 500 case studies, when asked, "What influences you to join an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:
• Mission, values, ethics
• Pay and benefit package
• Challenge and interesting work
• Opportunity for career development

When asked, "Why do you stay with an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:
• Challenge (the work itself: interest and variety)
• Being treated with respect by managers and co-workers
• An ethical organization

Clearly, we all want the same things to be satisfied in a job. The difference for Millennials? They ask for it. They want higher entry level pay and more vacation. They want a flexible work environment that allows them the freedom to work from their office or a coffee shop (who doesn’t want that). Our biggest difference is that we feel like we have earned those things. We’ve paid our dues and worked up to our fringe benefits. Millennials haven’t but push to get what we get. This can be frustrating and discouraging to other workers who may feel that Millennials don’t deserve what they ask for. They should have to earn it, right?

There is nothing new happening here. Every generation enters the workforce and causes a ripple. Many of you would probably say that Millinnials have made more of a hurricane rather than a ripple, but I remember when Generation X was going to destroy the workforce with their laid back and lazy attitudes. Guess what, we assimilated. Each generation will always have different ideals and sets of values that shape them as people and as workers. That’s not a bad thing. It just means that we all need to adjust some to what is happening, and yes I mean Millennials too. We sometimes have to compromise and sometimes in the end, the workplace changes for the better.

As Baby Boomers ready themselves for retirement…eventually, Millennials will need to step into the open positions that are created. To do so, they must be prepared for the work environment. This can be accomplished in many ways but generally this happens best when Millennials are provided opportunities to gain experience while they are still in school. Internships can allow young people to learn solid work habits and understand the reality of what the “real” working world will be like. This can be critical to their success and may eliminate some of the issues that employers see from younger employees. Now it is important that you and your employees set good examples for these young people so be sure to provide good mentors for the students to learn from. Internships can be great but if students are provided experiences that teach them bad work habits then they may struggle to be successful and that can be counter-productive. Once you have Millennials trained, remember to use their strengths. Technologically savvy, multi-taskers, team players, task-oriented and enthusiastic and spirited, are all phrases you could use to describe many Millennials. If you can harness their energy and keep them engaged in your company, you will have young person who can shaped and molded into the kind of employee that makes you and your company successful.

Ultimately it comes down to one basic rule; treat others the way they want to be treated (notice I said they not you). Get to know all your employees, not just the Millennials, and know how they want to be managed and incorporated into the workplace. Don’t assume everyone fits into the stereotypes you read about. Every individual is different. Whether you are thrilled about it or not young people are the future of your company and by helping them be great employees you are helping your company be great.

Millennials in the workforce - Understanding Generational Influences

2010-06-07T11:40:00.001-07:00

Presentation given at the IMIA Conference in Indy, June 4, 2010:

Millennials in the workforce - Understanding Generational Influences

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And We Say Millennials Have a Short Attention Span???

2009-11-10T12:25:00.001-08:00

I'm sure at one other time I have written about the bad behavior of other generations in this blog. I have noticed that everyone is always so quick to point out the flaws of Millennials and very slow to consider their own. Last night I had an experience which once again reminded me that maybe we are a little less than accurate about our interpretations of Millennials compared with other generations.

Case in point...I was at an event yesterday giving a presentation. The audience was made up of young Millennials (high school seniors) and their parents. Also in attendance were a few other professionals. Safe to say a majority were young people but other generations were certainly represented. Here's what struck me. At one point I looked around the room to see all of the Millennials fully attentive and listening to the speaker. They weren't distracted by cell phones or each other. Then next to me is a gentleman who was in the Baby Boomer generation sitting playing games on his blackberry throughout the entire presentation. Now I could understand a little if he had work to do but he was playing solitaire. Not discretely but quite obviously. Now Boomers please don't think that I believe that everyone is just like that, although I would argue that we stereotype Millennails into one grouping so why would it be unfair to do the same to other generations? This isn't by any means the first time I have seen Millennials behaving in a totally appropriate manner while other generations have behavior that is less than desirable.

So what does all this mean? Well the moral of the story is DON'T GENERALIZE AND SAY ALL MILLENNIALS ARE DISRESPECTFUL AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE PROFESSIONAL!!! Clearly there are people in other generations who can behave poorly too! We all have our moments, but the key is we have a tendency to be more critical of Millennials because they are so different from us. Maybe it's time we started looking at ourselves and asked what kind of role models are we?

Want behavior to change? BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL and live the kind of behavior you want to see from young people!!!

Millennials and Success - A New Recipe

2009-11-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

We all know that Millennials are different. It's evident in the amount of information that is out there (both good and bad) about how they work, live, and play. Although we hear many horror stories about them, what we are seeing is just how successful they are as entrepreneurs. I recently read an article that talked about some of the most successful Gen Yer's and I have to admit I found myself a little jealous. Why am I not doing some of the things they are? Why am I not utilizing all this social media to promote my message or my brand? It made me start to wonder if part of the negative attention that Millennials receive is simply the rest of us being a little upset at the fact that we aren't doing these things. I mean, let's be serious, are there any of us who would say we wouldn't want to have a better balance between work and life? (although I have to admit I have a pretty good balance right now). We've talked about this before, the difference between us and Millennials, they expect it and get it. So we say, well they're lazy; they don't value work; they don't understand the work environment and how it's supposed to be. Well, let's think about it, what is it supposed to be like? Honestly, every generation that enters the workplace, changes it in some way. So they are only doing what every other generation before them has done.

So, to honor their potential greatness, I'd like to highlight a few Millennials who I think work hard, but more importantly work very smart. I think this is the defining element for Millennials. They use tools that help them work smarter (not that the rest of us don't but I have seen countless employers underestimate how quickly Millennials can accomplish tasks). Here are a few of my favorites...

Lauren Berger, The Intern Queen
http://www.internqueen.com/
I talk about this young lady all the time when I discuss internships with students. She has such an amazing success story. She turned her experience in 15 different internships during college into a highly successful consulting business. You can follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/InternQueen. What I love about her is she has great advise for both students and employers about internship success.

Dan Schawbel, Author of the book “Me 2.0”
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/
Here is another very successful Millennial who has written a book about the importance of developing a personal brand. In a world that is driven by social media and having an online presence, I am reminded just how important it is to manage your identity and the brand that you (or others) will develop. His blog has some really great ideas and information about personal branding!

Need more convincing about just how innovative and successful this generation is? This article discusses 13 of the more successful Millennials out there http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/generation-y/13-generation-y-rockstars/

The key behind this months blog is just to celebrate and recognize that Millennials have a lot to offer and we need to look for ways to engage them and connect them to the mission in our companies. I'll talk more about that next month as we discuss strategies for keeping this generation involved.

Interesting Research

2009-09-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

While working on my homework this week for school, I read an interesting article about job satisfaction during an economic downturn. The article surveyed employees to find out how they perceived their organizations and if they were happy with their jobs. What was interesting was that 65% of those surveyed indicated that even in this troubled economy, they are either actively looking for a new job or casual keeping their options open. What I found most intriguing was that the study found that Millennials reported the lowest job satisfaction of any other generation and were more likely to be looking for a new job.

These results are fairly consistent with some of the other research I have read on this topic which indicates that Millennials are more likely to be burned out on the job and dissatisfied with their work than other generations (and it's happeing at a very fast rate). I've been wondering why this is and in my response to my professor I wrote that in my opinion, Millennials are more likely to be dissatisfied because they have been taught to always want more. They have learned that they are special and have the right to be happy with their jobs. Is it possible that we have created an entire generation who may never be content in what they are doing? Is the grass always going to be greener on the other side of the fence for this group? It makes me worry about whether or not employers will ever be able to truly hold this generations attention in a job.

Of course, Millennials want what everyone else wants in a job. According to four Fortune 500 case studies, when asked, "What influences you to join an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:

• Mission, values, ethics

• Pay and benefit package

• Challenge and interesting work

• Opportunity for career development

When asked, "Why do you stay with an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:

• Challenge (the work itself: interest and variety)

• Being treated with respect by managers and co-workers

• An ethical organization

Clearly, we all want the same things to be satisfied in a job. The problem is, maybe Millennials have less of a sense of reality compared with other generations. Sometimes you don't always have these things. Sometimes your job isn't that interesting and you don't love what you're doing. The key is to find ways to keep yourself engaged. To make sure your expectations are realistic. I think internships and experience for Millennials helps but ultimately they may just have to suck it up and realize that the grass may look greener on the other side of the fence, but that's only because they used that fancy green spray paint to make it look good!

Twitter Presentation take 2

2009-08-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Twitter

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Twitter Presentation for Midwest ACE

2009-08-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

My presentation is still uploading so hopefully it will be here soon!!

Thank you all so much for joining us today to learn about Twitter!!!

Jennifer Fisher

2009-07-27T09:27:00.001-07:00

Generations at Work: Understanding how Other Generations Think

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Thank you to The National Association of Legal Secretaries!

2009-07-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to present information to The National Association of Legal Secretaries on Saturday and had a wonderful time!! You were all very interactive and made for a fun and entertaining presentation!! As I promised above is the link to my powerpoint slides. Please feel free to contact me if you would like any other information or if you have any questions about this topic!

Thank you again for allowing me to speak with your group on this facinating topic!!

Bad Market = Stressed Grads

2009-05-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I would give you this link. CNN did a great interview with a young college student who blogs about graduates this year and the consensus is that this may be one of THE worst years ever to graduate.

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/05/12/class-of-2009-struggles-with-tough-job-market/

Really great blog and interview!!

Apathy Abounds - At least on our Campus

2009-05-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if other Career Services professionals (or parents) are seeing what we are seeing on our college campus but I have noticed a significant level of apathy in this years graduating seniors. Many either just started their job searches or are planning to take a few months off after they graduate and then start looking for something. I have talked to several seniors who just don't have a sense of urgency about their job search. I worry that they may be waiting too long to start based on the current economy.

Although the outlook for grads has gotten better, the opportunities out there for them are nothing like the last few years have been for grads. I think the last thing I read said that the average amount of time for a job search is anywhere from 9 to 12 months. CNN highlighted the fact that many of the jobs that are available are seeing record numbers of applicants. Apparently workers with a great deal of experience who are out of work are applying for entry level positions that used to be filled mainly by recent graduates. Experienced employees who have been laid off in this recession are now willing to work for wages that traditionally only appealed to younger people. Even teens are seeing a major decrease in the number of summer positions available to them.

What all this means is that we have gone from a virtual buffet of job openings for new graduates to a dog eat dog competitive fight for available positions. Remember how we talked about millennials expecting everything when they come into the workforce (flexible schedule, higher starting salary, lots of time off, insurance, etc.)? Well, I think those days (for now) may be gone. More seasoned workers are willing to come in and work for anything and they have more experience than the recent grads. I have mentioned it before in an early blog, but I really think Millennials will need to adjust their thinking about what they feel they are "entitled" to. If others are willing to take a job for less money and have more experience, it doesn't matter how much enthusiasm and fresh ideas you bring in.

The whole situation will be interesting to watch unfold. Already our office has decided to have workshops available to recent graduates this summer to match the timeline of their job searches. The reality may very well be a scary one but it is what it is.

So what can Millennials do to help themselves? Well step one is actually starting the job search now. Make sure your resume is free from errors and has an easy to read format. Know what you should be asking for in terms of salary and benefits (be realistic about this). Learn how to interview and sell yourself to a potential employer. BRAND YOURSELF ONLINE! That means make sure your facebook, myspace, and any other website with information out there about you is professional or at the very least not damning. Remember, we know recruiters and HR people are going to online searches more frequently to look up candidates. Make sure it doesn't hurt your chances. Stay positive (most HR people can spot someone who's jaded and angry a mile away). Use your network. That means talk to people at your school, do informational interviews, get to know where professionals hang out and go meet people there, get involved in professional organizations (in your area there are probably several). Most important, be smart and don't put this off. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Finally, get some experience. Even if it means volunteering while you are looking for a job, it will still be professional experience that looks great on your resume and will help fill up gaps between graduation and your first "real" job.

If you're an employer, don't be afraid to look at Millennials as the future of your company even if they possess less experience than other more seasoned candidates. All of the negative things you have heard may be affecting your desire to hire new grads but the reality is they are your future. If they don't learn now the things they need to know in a work environment, in 5 years when the baby boomers really do retire, we'll be in a world of hurt because there really won't be enough people who are trained to take over.

Still thinking about the whole "manners" topic

2009-04-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I wrote about whether or not Millennials lacked basic manners. I'm still thinking about that topic so I thought I would spend a little more time on it. I was having a conversation with one of my classmates this week and the subject came up about workplace etiquette. We concluded that people in a work environment sometimes just don't know how to act professionally. The same problems we had when we were in high school with cattiness, clicks, talking behind peoples back, and other childish behavior, still continue on into adulthood and into the workplace. What I found fascinating about this conversation is we concluded that it wasn't Millennials who were the problem. It was Babyboomers and Gen Xers who were the worst offenders. Imagine that...we blame Millennials and claim that they lack basic professionalism in the workplace and at times, we are worse than they are. Isn't that interesting.

One only need to turn on the news to see how far we have come in our willingness to screw other people to get ahead. People having their money stolen by "respectable" businessmen. Banks looking more at the bottom line than at their customers, and the full on "I care more about my pocketbook than I do this company's success" attitude that some CEO's seem to have. Why would we expect Millennials to know how to behave in the workplace when we don't even act professionally? So that begs the question...what is professional behavior?

I found one wonderful definition of professional behavior on the University of Chicago's website for medical students. Here is how they defined professional behavior (I have changed some of the wording to make it relevant for other environments)...

Integrity: Displays honesty in all situations and interactions; is able to identify information that is confidential and maintain its confidentiality.

Tolerance: Demonstrates ability to accept people and situations. Acknowledges his/her biases and does not allow them to affect personal interactions or contribute to threatening or harassing interactions with others.

Interpersonal relationships: Provides support and is empathetic in interactions with co-workers. Interacts effectively with "difficult individuals." Demonstrates respect for and complements the roles of other professionals. Is cooperative and earns respect.

Initiative: Independently identifies tasks to be performed and makes sure that tasks are completed satisfactorily. Performs duties promptly and efficiently. Is willing to spend additional time and to assume new responsibilities. Recognizes when help is required and when to ask for guidance.

Dependability: Completes tasks promptly and well. Arrives on time and actively participates in work activities. Follows through and is reliable.

Attitudes: Is actively concerned about others. Maintains a positive outlook toward others and toward assigned tasks. Recognizes and admits mistakes. Seeks and accepts feedback and uses it to improve performance.

Function under stress: Maintains professional composure and exhibits good personal and professional judgment in stressful situations. Identifies unprofessional conduct while recognizing the importance of maintaining professional behavior in the work setting, in spite of inappropriate action on the part of others.

Appearance: Displays appropriate professional appearance and is appropriately groomed.

What I find frustrating is, our best attempts to teach students professional behavior are completely undermined when they walk into many work environments and see behavior that is totally contradictory to what we try to teach them. They learn very quickly that how we teach them to act isn't the way everyone else is acting. Now maybe your reading this and thinking, "I'm totally professional. I would never think of acting unprofessionally at work." That may be true, but look around your office. I'm betting there are people there who do things that definitely are not professional.

Now my attempt here is not to chastise completely, but I do think we all have a LONG way to go before we can rest the blame for bad workplace behavior solely on the shoulders of Millennials who have recently entered the workplace. The truth is, Millennials don't seem to like that type of childish behavior. They want to work in teams and get along with their co-workers. They don't want to stab them in the back and climb over them to get ahead.

So here's the moral of the story and me standing on my soap box for just a moment...the workplace can at times be a very immature environment and that is not the Millennial generations fault. We have created this and we must clean it up. What happened to the manners WE learned as children. Respect those around you...if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all...and of course the grand-daddy of all the lessons we were taught, treat others the way you want to be treated!

Maybe it's time we re-learned how to behave at work and went back to the basics of treating people respectfully and with the kind of manners we should have learned as children!!

Using Social Media and Online Tools to Brand Yourself and Your Company

2009-03-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the internet, we have constant streams of information about people and companies anytime we want it. It can be an amazing resource for you and your company to introduce your services, products, and mission to a much larger audience. When used appropriately, online resources can provide companies with tools to help them recruit new employees, connect to like-minded professionals, and network globally. All of these are important reasons to create a brand identity.

Now, I’ll warn you that I’m not a guru of all things technical and computer related, but I do know enough to help you get started. Here are my top 5 favorite social and professional networking sites:

1. Twitter – This one may be new for some of you. Twitter is considered a “micro-blogging” tool and is used by many to introduce new products or just keep those interested updated about company. Many professionals use it to stay connected and some are using it as a recruiting tool to attract new talent. With only 140 characters to work with, it doesn’t provide a huge amount of space to introduce long concepts, but it is a quick and easy way to let customers, employees, applicants, and others stay connected to you. (www.twitter.com)

2. Linked In - If you are not already on Linked In as a professional, you should be. It provides a wonderful opportunity to allow you to network with other professionals. Like Facebook, you have the opportunity to create a profile and interact with others. The major difference here is that it is geared towards professional networking instead of social networking. It can be another great resource for recruiting, allowing you to connect with upper level professionals as well as students. (www.linkedin.com)

3. Blogs – Blogging is a great way to keep people connected and interested in what your company is doing. I just listened to a webinar yesterday about utilizing social networking to brand your online image and they stressed how helpful blogs can be in allowing you to control and share information about your company. (www.wordpress.com or www.blogger.com)

4. Facebook – This is one of the most widely used social networking sites. While started exclusively as a site to allow college students to connect with each other, it has become an amazing avenue for all ages to interact with old and new friends. As a tool for your business, it can allow you to introduce your company to your next generation of employees. You can connect with applicants and increase your company’s visibility. It’s important to keep in mind that many view Facebook as a medium for socializing, not professional networking. That being said, be cautious about making hiring decisions based on the information you gather there.(www.facebook.com)

5. Google Alerts – Now you may be asking yourself why this one is part of list for branding yourself. Have you ever googled your name or your company just to see what pops up? Google Alerts allows you to set up a search topic (like your name or your company’s name) and it will email you the results daily. The brand you are projecting is important, as is how others perceive you. Knowing what information is out there about you can be a powerful tool to help you in your branding efforts. (www.google.com/alerts)

All of these online mediums can provide you with an opportunity to create a positive image of your organization. This can make a difference in customer perception, the quality of applicants interested in working for you, and help you make connections with area professionals. The key is to be smart about what is being posted and look at it as a small part of what you and your company do to brand your image.

Is the Issue a Lack of "Manners"?

2009-02-25T05:34:00.000-08:00

As is the case with many of my posts, todays discussion began with a conversation I was having with someone interested in the workplace generational issue. As we were talking, it became clear that this persons problem didn't lie in Millennials work ethic but rather her perceived view of their "manners". In her opinion, Millennials just don't have the same sense of manners that other generations do. I, of course, defended Millennials saying that different generations have different approaches to most things. After our conversation was over though, I really started to process her points and a few of them made sense.

Let's start with this...Millennials really do have a lot to offer! They are bright, enthusiastic, and want to make a difference. But the question is, are they lacking in some of the basic manners we were taught as children. The answer...well maybe they actually are. I don't blame them though. It's our fault. I'm not sure they were ever taught some of the basics of interacting with others respectfully. As a child, I remember always hearing messages like "Say please and thank you when someone does something for you", "Open the door for those who are following you and allow them to go first", "When you need to speak with someone, ask them if they have a moment or if there would be a better time for them rather than assuming you can talk now". I could definitely keep going and the main point is I heard these messages from my parents, grandparents, school, and church. It was hard not to learn these lessons because I was constantly hearing them. I wonder if those same messages have been passed on to the Millennial generation.

I've noticed a very specific trend that may be contributing to this issue. We are expecting TV to teach our kids messages about things like manners, ABC's, interpersonal skills, and a wealth of other lessons. The problem here though is that maybe that's not the right way to go about it. Maybe there is a disconnect between what is being taught and what kids are absorbing. Maybe that's the problem...but maybe it's not really about Millennials at all. Maybe it's a greater issue in society that ALL of us have lost some of the basic manners we learned. I'll give you this example as case in point...I recently attended a conference with a varity of generations but mostly Gen X, Baby Boomers and even Veterans. Here's what I noticed, there were a lot of people there who were downright rude. Talking while others were talking, making comments about presenters that I would never even consider appropriate in private let alone in a professional conference.

So here's the deal. Millennials may have different values or manners, but some other generations are just as bad. You'll have good and bad apples in every generation so I think it's important that we not generalize and say all Millennials have bad manners. Some do, many don't. I guess it goes back to the basic rule we were taught, don't judge a book by it's cover!

Scary Job Market Could Change Things!

2009-01-26T09:01:00.001-08:00

I've had several people ask me if I thought that the current state of the job market would change Millennials attitude of entitlement and their mindset on job searching. Honestly, it doesn't look like it has, at least not yet. The reality is, most students aren't feeling the crunch of the economy yet. Many believe that they will have a job after they graduate and that job will pay them $80,000 with 3 weeks of vacation and great benefits. They haven't had to feel the frustration of the job search market yet so they don't really know what it's like out there. They don't believe it's that bad because they haven't sent out 200 resumes with only 1 interview and no job offers. Wait until they have been out of college for 6 months and still don't have a job. I think that's when we may see the changes to the entitlement attitude that everyone talks about.

The truth is, Millennials attitudes will have to change because there just aren't as many opportunities out there for them. They are competing against each other as well as displaced professionals with far more experience. Something tells me that a $25,000 a year job may not seem so bad after all. Here's the catch though... We have to stop letting Millennials believe that they are failures if they don't have the nice cushy job with the big office, giant salary and killer benefits. Our society has allowed these kids to believe that anything less than that is unacceptable. We are guilty of creating an entire generation who's expectations are so high that they can't possibly reach them right out of school and unfortunately up to this point we haven't really given them any other options. How about we start promoting regular people who make next to nothing and perform jobs that we can't live without. Stop promoting the jobs that most of these Millennials will never have in their lifetime.

It's time for a reality check for all of us. Parents, tell your kids its okay if they make $25,000 a year. Millennials, understand that you will not be able to make the same demands for salary and benefits that you could have 2 years ago, and for the rest of us...we need to stop complaining and start working towards understanding of ALL generations.

Generational Harmony - Tip 2

2008-12-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

Frustrated with a Millennial employee? Still think they just aren't "getting it" at work? Why not try assigning a mentor. Mentor's are a great way to engage Millennial students in the work process and help them feel connected to the office. Be sure though that you choose mentors who are patient, willing to participate, and understand the role you are asking of them.

You can also use Millennial's in a reverse mentor role by allowing them to teach other employees about the technology and computer knowledge many of them possess. Tapping in to the areas where Millennials are often experts can show a level of trust and interest in the things they have to offer others in the workplace.

Presentation

2008-12-15T13:29:00.001-08:00

I've had many people ask for the presetation that Liz Bushnell and I did today for the Fort Wayne Rotary Club, so I wanted to post the information here as well.

Thank you all for your questions and comments at the meeting!!

The Value of Internships for Both Students and Employers

2008-11-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

My job provides me with the opportunity to speak with many different employers. Not surprisingly, many of them use internships as a way to hire full time employees. I had expected this trend to decline given the economy, however, it appears to be on the rise (at least from my perspective).

Internships provide employers with an opportunity to "test drive" a candidate before they fully invest in them. This can be especially important in fields where entry level positions maintain a high level of turn over. Students have the opportunity to gain important professional skills before being thrown into the fire of full time employment. It truly is a win-win for employer and student. Even beyond this, it can be much more cost effective to hire an intern than hiring a temporary employee. Plus you have access to someone who is not jaded and burned out by the work environment. Often times, students come in with fresh ideas and an enthusiastic attitude. Of course, if you've read all of the reports about Millennials then you likely already have a preconceived idea of how they will behave and interact in the internship. While some of the things you've heard may be true, many are not. I would recommend using the skills and enthusiasm of student interns to energize your workforce and help you accomplish the things that you need done.

Using Technology to Reach Millennials

2008-09-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

It seems like a good idea doesn't it? Recruit Millennials where they are most comfortable. Work within the technology that they are so intertwined with, and use so easily, to introduce them to your company. It's innocent enough. We say we're using it for all the right reasons. It's the way they communicate. It's the way they connect so why shouldn't we be using that as a recruiting tool? There are so many reasons why you shouldn't that I may not be able to name all of them in this blog.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from employers about Millennials is that they are just too relaxed at work. They don't understand professionalism. They can't interact in a business environment. They write emails like they're texting on a cell phone to one of their friends. Well what did you expect? They are being recruited by companies in the their social arena. They are used to being comfortable and laid back. This is where they go to talk to their friends. It's their version of happy hour. But we're upset when we recruit them through a social networking site and then wonder why they can't be professional. We're setting the standards for them by coming into a space that they traditionally have not used for business purposes.

Here's what bothers me the most...I have heard several stories of recruiters who have gone onto candidates myspace or facebook sites and made the decision to not hire them based on pictures or something they see there. I'm not saying that I don't understand. That picture of your potential new junior executive doing the beer bong may be a good enough reason to not hire him. But let's be realistic. We all do stupid things. Especially when we're young. Does that mean we shouldn't get a job because of it? Sometimes yes...I'm just not sure this is the time. Here's my question...what's wrong with the traditional methods we used to use to hire someone? Reference checks, resumes, cover letters, even IQ tests. Why aren't those enough for this generation? They were fine for us and now we're the managers. We turned out okay. The only real difference between traditional background checks and the new technological information age comes down to this...there was just no picture proof of our adventures. Our future employers never saw the hand stand beer bong we did the weekend end before our interview. Did that behavior somehow make you less of a candidate? Less able to do your job? For some people the answer may be yes but for the majority of us, we know how to have a balance and for most Millennials, they do too. I've seen people out at happy hour, having a good time, probably drinking too much, and doing things they shouldn't. But they still get up on Monday, go to work and do a great job. Now I know what you're saying. There are no pictures posted all over the Internet about those weekend adventures. So what? So what if a 21 year old decides to put up pictures that you think he shouldn't. In the scheme of life does it matter. If he can come to work, do the job you expect out of him and be a great employee, what difference does it make?

So here's the point of this whole rant. Let online social networking sites be just that...a place where people can go to talk to other people, share their lives (the good and bad) and leave the recruiting to sites where it makes sense. Don't be the first recruiter or employer who gets sued because of their use of online information to make employment decisions. Trust me, it's coming. There's no way it won't within the next 2 years. The only real question is who will be the first to sue an employer for discrimination. Be careful, use technology wisely and for crying out loud trust that the traditional methods of background checks do their job!

Conversations between Generations

2008-08-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

I always find it interesting when different generations sit down to understand each other. I was involved in a training a few weeks ago that asked 4 different generations to answer questions about their generation. It was so interesting to see the differences that we all have but also to see the similarities.

What I found most interesting were the comments that other generations made to Millennials and how Millennials responded. We are always so quick to judge their actions and intentions rather than listening to them. What I learned from the experience is that EVERY generation views the other generations as flawed in someway. Are they flawed? Maybe, but what is more likely is that we don't know how to accept the differences. We become what we saw in our parents. Inflexible and lacking the desire to change. We have done what previous generations did to us...This is how it's been and this is how you'll do it. Maybe things should change. It's fascinating how every generation wants to change the world and to some extent they do. But many times what happens is that the world changes them. Take Gen Xer's for example. They were going to destroy the world as we know it. Lazy, slackers, good for nothing with bad attitudes. Yet here we are and we're the managers. The ones who are responsible and we're taking care of our families. Not exactly the untimely demise of the world that was expected of us.

Boomers, do you remember when your parents thought you dressed provocatively, listened to loud and disrespectful music and were too immature to run the country? It makes me wonder what the Millennials will say to the generation after them. The point is, each generation who enters the workforce is viewed as different and that difference is not viewed in a positive light. So maybe we should take a step back and realize that not every other generation is going to destroy the world we have worked so hard to build. The truth is, we have all built this world and while we should protect it, we should also recognize that change is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it's what keeps us moving and heading toward the future.

Millennials at their Best

2008-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have been very encouraged by a group of Millennials I have had the opportunity to work with recently. I work with a program at my job that allows students to participate in summer service opportunities throughout the United States and world. These students remind me of the good that Millennials can do and the impact they want to have on the world around them, and I think they will have an impact. Whether is be one person, one community or one world, they believe that they can do it! Maybe that's the difference between Millennials and everyone else. We just believe that it's too massive of a job to fix the world. They not only believe it is possible, they actively work towards it.

What I find interesting about this is that so many people seen to have such a negative view of Millennials believing them to be lazy and self absorbed. In actuality, they are more world focused and have more going on in their lives than Gen Xer's ever dreamed of. They come wanting to make a difference in the world and believing that it is within their abilities to do so.

Don't know any Millennials? I encourage you to get to know one. Learn about their passions. Their ideas. Wants and desires. Then make decisions about who you think they are!

Series of Tips for Generational Harmony-Tip 1

2008-06-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest problems many employers face are the changes that Millennials bring with them. New technologies, changing work schedules, new ideas...it could potentially make other generations feel pushed aside. It's no wonder there is so much resentment towards Millennials. So how can all generations in the workplace get along and work together towards the common goal of company and employee success? Try having a time where employees can discuss their differences and understand the ways each generation functions and communicates in the work environment. Many times the problems happen because generations do not understand each other. By allowing time for your employees to talk to one another, you are providing the framework for workplace cohesiveness.

Time to let go of our Ego's!

2008-05-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

I am constantly surprised by the attitude people take towards Millennials. While some may view it as right on target, I tend to disagree. I heard someone talking the other day about how they felt Millennials were going to ruin the workplace, that their work ethics would cause a major rift in the ability of companies to complete tasks and remain profitable. While Millennials may have a different way of viewing work and performing in their jobs than previous generations, the idea that they will ruin the workplace is absurd. The reality is, for those managers who are utilizing Millennials ideas and energy, they are finding that they are actually improving the workplace.

One example was a story I read of a young Millennial who began working for a staffing company. The owner was appalled that her brand new employee was already telling her how to run her business. And what was her new employee’s suggestion? Put applications online so the company could reach a larger pool of applicants. Ok, I may not be brilliant, but to me that's a great idea. Turns out that the owner eventually let go of her ego (yes, I said it…ego) and decided to try the idea. Guess what, it helped the company reach a new pool of applicants and reduced some of their costs associated with applications.

Another example I heard came from a presentation I attended last week. I'll share more about that presentation tomorrow, but here was the most important thing I heard that day. The speaker shared with the audience that they had recently hired 5 new Millennial employees in his office. He had his reservations when they started making suggestions about things the business could do better. Despite his concerns, they implemented one which saved the company SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. Good thing he let go of his pre-conceived ideas of new hires!

Here's the point of this. We are so quick to dismiss Millennials ideas because we feel like they haven't worked long enough to have any real sense of what it takes to run a business. They haven’t paid their dues the way we had to! That’s old thinking and it’s time we left it in the past and let this new generation make a difference. The reality is that Millennials have some pretty darn good ideas that have the potential to save their companies a lot of time and money. It's time we stopped pushing this generation into the same box that we have placed every other generation. They are different. From the way they dress to the way they share their ideas and lives. We truly need to understand that they are going to change the workplace but not by ruining it. Use their talents and enthusiasm. Listen to their ideas and stop allowing your ego to tell you that no “kid” is going to tell you how to run your business. You hired them to make a difference, now let them!

Research Project

2008-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on a research project on Generational Differences. It will focus on a varity of issues but will have an element directed specifically to the workplace. I am hoping to get 1000 responses by the end of summer. I will have it posted here and would appreciate your help in getting to my goal. My plan is to use the information to help employers understand where the potential problems may be in the workplace as different generations of employees attempt to work together. I should have the survey link up in a few months.

Part 2 of 60 Minutes special on Millennials

2008-05-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of 60 Minutes special on Millennials

2008-05-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

What would a Millennial Office Look Like?

2008-04-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Wanna know what an all Millennial office would look like? Check out this video made by a company called Connected Ventures. Very successful online company that has made its Millennial owners VERY rich! I'm sure for many of you, this kind of environment would scare you. This is during a normal work day. No one in the company is over 31 years old. Most average around 25. It's very entertaining!! (There is some language just so you are aware!)

http://vimeo.com/173714

And yes, they use this to recruit for their company!

http://connectedventures.com/

Millennials at their Greatest-Part 1

2008-04-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening I had the pleasure of listening to a highly successful Millennial speak to one of my classes. He had the most amazing story. I am hoping to interview him and incorporate some of what he says into the presentation I do with Liz Bushnell about how generations can get along in the workplace. Here is some of what Zach said that I think so completely relevant to generational differences.

Zach started a website with his friends while he was in college. Initially the goal was to have enough money to get through school. That turned in to a full fledged business. They grew from 4 partners to 60 employees in 2006. What I thought was interesting was everyone in the company was 25 and under EXCEPT for one person who is 31 because they needed an accountant. I really thought that was interesting. They were working in an almost all Millennial company. It looked exactly like what you would expect from a Millennial company. Ping Pong table, no official work titles, music videos and drinking. And yet, here was a company that is so successful, they were able to sell half of the company for $40 million dollars. Did you catch that? A Millennial company that would make every other generation cringe made it's owners (all 25 and under) Millionaires!!

I think the key point that gets lost when Millennials enter the work force with so many ideas is that, they actually have some pretty great ideas. So for those of you in other generations, don't just dismiss the ideas as naive, but accept that sometimes they may actually have something!

Sound Familiar?

2008-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so for all you Baby Boomers and Gen Xer's out there...tell me who this sounds like;

•Looking for meaningful work

•Seeking challenge

•Chance to prove themselves and show they can perform well

•Enjoys contact with people

•Desire to be in a position of responsibility

•Resents being looked at as though they have no experience

•Tends to be more job mobile

•Less respectful of authority

Sound like a familiar generation? Did you say Millennials? Something tells me you did. Would you be surprised to know that these characteristics were taken from the Training and Development Journal, November 1970? Yes that's right 1970!!

Now you may be asking yourself, what's the point of this? The point is (are you ready for this cause it's going to blow your mind); every new generation that enters the workplace is viewed as different from the previous generations. They are always looked at as lazier, wanting more while doing less, less respectful of authority, wanting responsibility and wanting to be respected for their knowledge. Millennials are viewed no differently than Baby Boomers were in 1970 when this was written. Gen Xer's, we were viewed as the downfall of America when we started working. So what is the reality here? Are new generations different from previous generations? The answer is yes, they are. They come in having grown up in different times, with different values and problems to deal with. The key is though, that they aren't really viewed any differently. It's something different and that scares us in the workplace. We get so caught up in the "this is the way it's always been done and you'll do it that way too" mentality that we forget that we were just like Millennials. We all entered the workforce wanting to make a difference. Wanting our ideas heard. Wanting respect. Knowing that we had something to offer if someone would just listen to us. But something happened along the way. We got caught up in the same mentality we hated when we started. We feel it's our right to do the same thing to the next generation because it was done to us and if we had to live with it, so should they! WRONG! If we are going to be competitive in the new global marketplace (whether you view your organization as a global company or not, it is thanks to the internet), we must use the talents and ideas that Millennials bring with them. The truth is, with the Baby Boomers set to retire in mass numbers over the next few years, we need them. And Xer's we are going to need to take a step back and remember what it was like to enter the work force with all these ideas. Don't squelch them. Encourage them and use what they have to better your companies.

For Millennials, you're going to need to realize that you DON"T know everything and you won't be president of the company. But that shouldn't stop you from trying to make a huge impact on your organizations and the world!

Great Books about Millennials

2008-04-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

I just checked out a book that I had heard a lot about. It is definitely living up to my expectations. The name of the book is Millennials Rising, The Next Generation by Neil Howe and William Strauss. If you are looking for good insight into this generation, it is an excellent resource. What I really like about it is the positive way it looks at Millennials. We are always so quick to discuss the negative elements about this generation and it turns out based on research that there are many misconceptions about them.

For you Millennials out there, I found a good book (or at least it seems good so far). It is called My Reality Check Bounced, by Jason Ryan Dorsey. Jason is a Millennial who wrote the book to address many of the questions and concerns he sees from young people disillusioned by work and their lives. He was the winner of the Austin Under 40 Entrepreneur of the Year Award and speaks regularly to young adults to help them understand the "real" work world. I recommend reading this if you are struggling with your place in work, life and the world around you. He seems to have great insight and fun to read writing style.

Conversations with a Millennial

2008-04-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to have a short conversation with a young lady who was most definitely a Millennial. She works for a government agency that handles employee policies and procedures. She received her master’s degree prior to entering the workforce and seemed to describe her first few weeks on the job the same way other Millennials have. I asked her if the job was what she expected it to be. She said that she really thought that people would listen to her ideas more. In fact she was a little disheartened by comments like “that’s the way we’ve always done it” and “you still have a lot to learn”. Oh my, I wonder how many employees have said that to a young person just entering the organization. She said she learned that she did still have a lot to learn and she understands that the process better now, but still feels as though she has a lot to offer and wishes that her ideas were given some merit.

I think this is a very familiar scene in many companies. “It’s always been done that way” seems to be the typical response to new ideas. But I wonder why there is such a resistance to listening to new ideas and implementing some change in an organization. I’m not sure the always been done that way excuse is going to be adequate as we move into a more global marketplace. That attitude may just keep us from being competitive.

Great Video

2008-04-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Last year PBS ran a documentary about Millennials in the workplace. I found a short clip on YouTube that I’m posting here but I recommend that you view the entire video. It’s great information about this generation and what their expectations are when they enter the workforce. http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=y_jB1Q0K5BI

To learn more about this documentary, visit
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/generation-next/airdates.html

Generational Differences at Work

2008-04-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

I am very often asked by employers to explain the Millennial generation to them. If you've done any sort of research on the subject, I'm sure you've seen the large volumes of information on this subject that are coming out regularly. It seems a lot of people are asking the same questions...What does this generation really want? More importantly, what are they willing to do to get it? I think the answer wil surprise you!

I have the opportunity to regularly interact with students (Millennials) because of my job. I find them to be a highly engaging and enthusiastic group. In fact, I love working with them. Since I deal mostly with helping students find internships, I get a unique perpective as I help students shape their professional persona.

So here are the surprises I mentioned earlier...Millennials want what every other generation wants. They want a job that they can feel has an impact on something bigger than themselves, they want to make a fair wage (many of you will say that they expect to much), they want to be respected and heard in the workplace, and they want a balance between work and life that allows them to go to work and then come home and have a totally separate life. Now here's what you've all been waiting for...we're just like them! There isn't a single generation who has not wanted these things. The only real difference between Millennials and other generations, they're willing to ask for it and expect it. I think we all entered the workforce with these ideas. The problem is we were shot down as soon as we entered. We quickly assimilated into the mentality that you must work and you will hate it but you have to do it any way because everyone else has done it that way. Why do we think that way? Really this is the whole purpose of this blog, to help us understand each other and learn how to create a workplace that allows everyone to have a voice and be understood. I'm not saying that Millennials don't need to adjust their thinking a little but I keep asking myself, are they really that wrong?

We'll explore these issues and questions throughout this blog. I will use a lot of my experience with Millennials to help you understand why they think the way they do. Your feedback will always be welcome. By no means do I have all the answers about how to have a harmonious workplace where every generation respects each other. What I will do is present you with ideas and "what if's" to see if we can bridge the gap between the four generations that now make up the workforce.