About the Author:

Tyler Durbin is the lead author and editor here at GenYJourney.com.  Tyler shares his daily experiences as a recent college grad and young professional and loves to talk with readers and followers about theirs. Say something below in the comments or stop by Twitter and connect with @TylerDurbin.

The workplace is changing – no doubt about that one. A hot topic right now is Gen-Y and what they bring to the workforce. Which is actually a relief, because as I’ve followed Gen-Y topics, 2009-2010 was like a Comedy Central Roast of Gen Y – except no one was really joking around. Now, I see less hating and more embracing.

Whether you like it or not, you must embrace this shift in workforce. If not, you’ll be left behind and your business will suffer. Gen-Y’s throw an interesting dynamic into your workforce and I have two ways that you can get the most out of them.

Treat Them Like an Adult

This is like the “innocent until proven guilty” philosophy. Even though these kids are right out of college, most are entering your workplace more experienced (through internships) and educated (quality curriculums) than any other generation in history. That means that until they prove to you that they cannot be trusted with significant work, you should not hesitate to get them involved. That does not mean throwing them in front of your most significant client but instead giving them real responsibilities that they can take, run with and do great work.

Gen-Y is an ambitious group with a lot of confidence. Providing them an opportunity to run will be much more beneficial in the long-term than “babying” them through it. Put them in a position to succeed and understand that mistakes are okay and are opportunities to improve.

Care

Somewhere along the way, companies stopped giving a shit about their people. They saw them as disposable and easily replaceable. Expenses as opposed to investments.

The economic instability over the past 10 years has hidden a key trend that will change the way companies view their employees. Because of demographic shifts (baby boomers heading for a tropical retirement), it is safe to predict that a talent shortage is looming. The recession has delayed the pain.

As a Gen-Y, I’m satisfied and happy when I have a feeling that my individual needs are being met.  This is extremely tough for organizations to embrace – often times because organizations employ hundreds or thousands of people. But, it’s a matter of company culture and establishing a truly caring environment through understanding individuals.

I’ve had the opportunity to engage with many innovative companies – especially in Columbus, a city becoming known as an entrepreneurial and creative hubspot – and I’ve come across many ways that companies are embracing their employee’s needs. My favorite policy so far is the “No Vacation Policy Policy.” What does it mean? No sick days, paid-time off, personal days, unpaid-time off, and whatever else.  It means that when you need time off, you take it. As a manager or business owner, this is an extremely tough thing to do; but when you put your trust into you employees to make the right decision, you empower them to be great.

We all have different work styles and creating a cookie cutter policy means that you’re not managing at 100% efficiency. Some people need more time off and others do not. Instead of creating these types of policies, I suggest working to set the expectations with your Gen-Y employees of what high quality work is, and then giving them the responsibility to achieve it. If that means taking a significant amount of vacation then that is what it means.

Productivity & Accomplishment > Hours Worked Per Week

World, it’s time to start investing in your Gen-Y employees. I understand the fear of losing your investment but its okay to lose an employee after putting significant effort toward developing them. Even if they jump ship, your investment and effort into creating a high-quality contributor will build your organizations reputation for developing careers and will attract better talent time and time again.