I recently had coffee with four Gen Y’s at Starbucks in Aberdeen, NC. to find out why they love Starbucks:
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Interesting blog post by Millennial Triston McIntyre.

Some interesting findings in a new report What Millenial Workers Want: How to Attract and Retain Gen Y Employees by Robert Half International, a specialized staffing firm, and Yahoo! HotJobs commissioned the survey. The findings were cited in a report titled, “Generation Y workers were asked, “What is your number-one career concern for the future?”

• Their responses were:Salary and healthcare/retirement … 33%
• Job stability ………………………………. 26%
• Career satisfaction …………………….. 23%
• Other …………………………………………. 8%
• None …………………………………………. 5%
• Don’t know …………………………………. 5%

“The Gen Y professionals we surveyed were focused on practical concerns, such as saving enough money for retirement and being able to balance work and family obligations,” said Reesa Staten, senior vice president and director of workplace research for Robert Half International. “These basic quality-of-life needs are common among all demographics in the workplace. Respondents offered the following verbatim responses when asked to identify their top financial and benefits-related concerns:

• Having enough money to support the lifestyle I desire.
• Getting paid enough to both save for retirement and enjoy the present.
• Finding a better job or a career with benefits, a 401 (k), better salary and financial stability.
• How long I have to work into my golden years to secure a good retirement.
• If I will ever be able to afford a future; a house, a wedding, children and retirement.
• Access to health and retirement benefits.
• That I won’t make enough money to provide a good life for my family, with rising costs of everything from fuel to homes and food

Gen Y workers offered the following responses regarding finding and holding onto a job:

• That I won’t be able to get a job that matches up with my qualifications.
• Being able to settle into the job right after graduation.
• That the economy won’t be sustained in order for jobs to be secure.
• Being able to find a job after being outsourced.
• If there will be enough jobs for the number of job seekers.
• Having to switch jobs more than I desire.

And, finally, respondents to the survey who focused on job satisfaction offered the following thoughts:

• My number-one career concern for the future is advancement. A time will come when I need to decide if I should stay at my current position, or if I should take a new, better job. My concern is knowing how to tell when that moment comes.
• Finding something I am truly passionate about.
• Whether or not I’ll enjoy my work. Going to work when you hate it is so hard and tiring.
• If I want to change careers, how much more will I have to put into going back to school? How much is it going to cost me to change my career, and will it be worth it?
• Finding a niche career that suits me.
• Being happy with my job, and balancing work and home life.

Gen Y workers want the best healthcare and retirement benefits employers can provide as well as defined career paths,” she said. “To recruit these professionals, firms should make these programs easy to understand, promote them in detail on the company Web site and highlight them during the interview process. From the Gumbo Entertainment Guide 

Inspiring true champions is the essence of Veronica Karaman’s life and the reason why she has become a successful life coach, speaker, teacher, motivator, and author.

At the age of five, Veronica began her golf career and her quest to become a champion. At this early age, as her father placed a putter in her hand, she knew that golf would become her closest friend. She found out later in life that golf would also become her worst enemy when she failed.

Success in golf, achieving all A’s in academics, and striving for perfection, were all things that she worked diligently at accomplishing. She graduated as the valedictorian of her high school and graduate school classes, and won many golf tournaments. However, all the trophies and triumphs were not enough to fill the void and the loneliness in her heart. Her father’s death when she was fifteen only fueled Veronica’s determined pursuit to become a champion.

At the height of her college career as a scholarship athlete at Duke University, she realized that being a champion is not a trophy you achieve, but an identity you realize based on who you are. She also discovered the foundational tools of a true champion are unconditional love, acceptance, dignity of soul, an authentic heart and a warrior spirit.

This discovery over time helped set her free from 17 years of chronic fatigue and the deep emotional damage that occurred when she substituted her need for nurture with a relentless drive for achievement when her father died. The captive freed, the true champion in her came forth. After five years of quitting golf, Veronica experienced her career highlight in golf. After winning the qualifying tournament, Veronica went on to play in the 1989 Women’s U.S. Open.

In addition to being a professional tour player and instructor, for the last 20 years Veronica has mentored and coached students of all ages and abilities to become academic champions, freed to excel with joy.

In 2004, she became a certified life coach through Transformational Leadership Coaching, Inc. Through True Champion Coaching, Veronica combines her background in peak performance and coach training, life experiences, and the revelation of true championship to help other captives become true champions themselves, on the course, in the classroom, and in life.

For more information, visit Veronica Karaman Ministries.

Listen in as we talk about Veronica’s groundbreaking program God’s Way to an A.  

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Great post on Harvard Business Review by Bronwyn Fryer.  Why do we so often dismiss or underutilize our younger employees?   Is it because we think we know it all, or do we think these young men and women are our kids, so of course, they can’t possibly bring value to the table?

Over the past two years, I have learned more by spending time with hundreds of Gen Ys than I have learned in a long time.  These young men and women are bright, tech savvy, worldly, civic minded and quite resourceful.  They have hutzpah!  Before you decide to dismiss a twenty-something point of view or their talent, think twice.  Get to know them, and you may just find that you will learn something quite valuable…that age means nothing when it comes to wisdom.

BNET Editorial gathered some great information by Robert Half International and PayScale to find out what Millennials are looking for in career. Great stuff.

A few other fun things on BNET:

Recruiting Gen Y: Four Killer Tactics

Workforce Millennials: A Field Guide

Three Strategies for Managing Millennials

Ryan Paugh had a great post today about his own challenges with anxiety. As someone who has been anxious since about age 16 (I really can’t remember exactly, but this is about right,) I can empathize with Ryan on many levels. I recall my grandmother telling my mother one day that “Bea doesn’t listen when you talk to her.” I was about 17 at the time, and I was trying to listen to the conversation, but there were several people talking, and I was much more worried about what I was going to say that I became numb to what was going on…really bizarre at the time. I have never had a true anxiety attack and have never been diagnosed, but I have to say that I have spent a lot of sleepless nights worrying about problems which never happened and days spinning about what to say, what to do and how to proceed in life.

The thing that I found interesting on Ryan’s post was a comment from a reader about how it is a good thing that the negative stereotypes around anxiety are somewhat waning…that it has been or still is some sort of flaw or shortcoming that employers consider during the hiring process. While I can somewhat see the view of this (say an employer who is stuck in the past,) I honestly don’t “get this.” Here we are, in the year 2008, in a day and age when technology and information and change are zooming ahead of a human’s ability to keep up with the changes taking place, and we are expected to be calm amidst the storm. We are expected to not be anxious over pressure, and how dare us to be depressed when our great expectations are not met. Tisk, tisk!

In Jean Twenge’s book Generation Me, she discusses not only Gen Y’s self confidence but their natural inclination to anxiety and depression. As a parent of three Gen Y’s who are constantly struggling with trying to keep ahead, the buzz of thousands of possible choices in life and the let-down of hopes and life dreams, my question is “Why in the world do we still see anxiety and depression as stigmas that put our reputations at risk?” I think it stands to reason that if you put someone in a high pressure/must perform/gotta get the “A” environment, eventually, that person will be affected by performance anxiety and with anxiety comes depression.

So, today, if you are reading this blog, I encourage you to speak out on how we can address this situation. While therapy is a great band-aid, I believe we have a much bigger issue at play here…the competitive nature of our world, which includes parents’ demands, our education system’s requirements and the workforce demands that only the best and brightest get the big office with the six figure salary on the corner of the building with the 10,000 foot view. It’s time to breathe…to take a rest and to stop being so damn demanding of our kids.

That’s it for my rant today.

During an economic downturn, many employers respond with a knee-jerk reaction to cut bottom line expenses by laying off some of its most critical talent.

Yet the goal during a down economy is to build a visual bridge between what is going on today and where you want your company to go in the future. The Gen Y careerist is certainly one demographic you don’t want to ignore during a down economy. They are the most skilled, tech savvy generation in the history of business, and they can bring enthusiasm and knowledge into your company at an affordable price but only if you know how to speak to their values, needs and desires.  And…if you play your cards right by building an open, respectful relationship with them, there is a good chance that your Gen Yers will come back to you in a few years when you need them (and trust me on this…you are going to need them!)

This article will provide you insight into how to make the most of a slow economy by tapping into the assets and spirit of the Generation Y worker.

1. Embrace Gen Y’s need to job hop. Generation Y is a generation that is well known for job hopping, not because they lack respect or loyalty. They see moving from job to job as an essential step for building a great career. During a down economy, you may find you will reap the rewards of hiring Gen Y on a temporary basis (3-6 months) and doing everything you can to build a loyal relationship with them. They will enjoy the freedom of knowing the job is short-term and if you treat them well, they will more than likely come back to you in the future when the economy turns back around. If your company is one that has strong brand equity, sell Gen Y on the opportunity to add your company to their resume. They’ll love this idea.

2. Invite Gen Y to offer training to your company. Is your company lacking a few tech skills, online social networking skills or the knowledge about what’s really going on in the marketplace for ages 18-29? If so, a down economy may be the perfect opportunity to invite a few Gen Y techies to speak to your company. This generation thrives on teaching others, and they love nothing better than to talk about subjects dear to their heart like text messaging, how to use social networking sites effectively or to talk about what’s going on with i-tunes or their favorite digital download site. Learning what Gen Y knows can give your company a serious upper hand in the marketplace when the economy picks back up.

3. Tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of Gen Y. Many Gen Y careerists are not only working for a company but are running a small business or a non profit outside of work. During a down economy, you may be able to outsource a few tasks to a Gen Y contractor or consultant. At the same time, tapping into Gen Y’s entrepreneurial spirit will add new ideas and bring new networks into to your company which can help you move through sluggish times with a brand new perspective.

4. Market to the emerging careerist through Gen Y. There is one thing to know about Gen Y: They have a very large global network, and they make decisions based on what their friends tell them to do. Savvy business owners will see a slow economy as an opportunity to do some very creative marketing. By getting Gen Y into your company during this time, even on a part-time basis, you can build strong word-of-mouth marketing in the Gen Y community about your company’s brand. Host a social or business event specifically for your Gen Y workers, and invite them to bring their friends. You will hit the nail on the head by including their network in a few of your company events.

5. Use this time to allow Gen Y to get paid to volunteer. Companies like Ernst and Young are actually paying their Gen Y’s to volunteer in countries abroad (Brilliant with a capital B.) Gen Y loves to volunteer and may actually take a reduced salary in order to do meaningful work for your company in a location or neighborhood that needs your services. You may also find grant money to fund this effort, or you may be find a company who is willing to partner with you to make funding available for this form of outreach. Companies like the Peace Corps and Teach for America are quite popular with Gen Y, because the young careerist can see from day one how their efforts are creating a better world. Take advantage of this time to make your company more visible through the civic mindedness of the twentysomething careerist.

6. Offer Gen Y the opportunity to take on leadership development training and shorter stretch assignments which will strengthen both their career and your company. During a down economy, the first thing that many employers cut from their budget is training and development. A down economy is actually a golden opportunity to get young workers involved in stretch assignments and more training and development which can build sustainability for your company. By offering Gen Y the opportunity to train inside your company, you may be able to negotiate a more affordable fee or salary short- term in exchange for leadership and skill development and mentoring with a more seasoned manager or leader. Gen Y thrives on development, so do your best to take advantage of that desire when times get tough.

Great story of inspiration about how Gen Y is changing our world.

NASA Gen Y Presentation Inspires Canadian Space Exploration

Listen in below to this great Y-Talk interview with Ryan Paugh, one of the founders of BrazenCareerist.com.

Ryan Paugh graduated from Penn State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s in Journalism. He joined Merck & Co, Inc. in the corporate communications field, where he became interested in workplace issues facing Generation Y. He also took an interest in how social media can impact the way we approach our careers. He founded Employee Evolution with Ryan Healy, where he found an outlet for his curiosities.

Paugh currently lives in Madison, WI and is a co-founder of Brazen Careerist, Inc. His passion is making Brazen Careerist into a community for young professionals to make their voices heard.

Paugh has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press. He speaks to companies, organizations and students about issues affecting Generation Y and how to leverage social media to better your personal and professional lives.

During this interview, we discuss how to use social media to build a business and online network. Great stuff!

If you are between the ages of 20-29 and if you have something to say and blog about and would be interested in learning more about how to get involved in BrazenCareerist.com, just head on over to the site today to sign up!