By Dale J. Venturini
President & CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association
This past April, the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association was pleased to host an informative seminar with Eric Chester, author and motivational speaker who specializes on the subject of “Generation Why” – a subject he knows well, as he even coined the moniker. Generation Why, as Chester labels the upstart workforce, is made up of the 16- to 24-year olds of Generation Y; born after 1980 that, for better or for worse, hold the future of your business in their hands.
You are frustrated by their lack of work ethic, their problem with accepting authority, and their blunt questions: “Why can’t I take the day off?” “Why do I have to do things this way?” “Why should I care about this job?” To truly understand Generation Why and the reason for all those questions, it is helpful to know the factors that helped mold their attitudes toward work and life.
Born of Baby Boomer parents, the youth of Generation Why have seen their parents put in 20 to 30 years of work at one job, only to be laid off due to mergers or acquisitions. They are not looking to stay at one job for the entire span of their career as they parents might have, and are uninterested in following only one career path. This curiosity is intriguing to young workers, but can be disastrous for those who employ them.
The generation gap between employers and their 16- to 24-year old employees is filled with not just years, but with a whole set of different values, attitudes and beliefs. And with different beliefs come very different expectations. In a world where young adults can’t remember a time without the internet or MTV and can’t imagine life without a cell phone, Generation Why expects instant gratification at play, and at work. They want everything – an easy job with high pay and no “heavy lifting” – and they expect it now. As a result, the emerging workforce is impatient, easy to become disengaged, and hard to retain.
Although the generation gap is wide, it can be bridged by taking advantage of the younger generation’s strong suits while setting a strong leadership example for them to follow. A great piece of advice from our seminar with Eric Chester was his suggestion of fostering relationships with Generation Why employees. For them to care about your business, you need to care about them. By putting in the time to build connections with employees and by guiding careers as well as rewarding hard work, an inspiring leader can create an inspired workforce.
Keeping impatient Generation Why workers stimulated is also very important, but it can be a challenging task for busy hospitality employers. However, the time it takes to engage young workers is time well spent, as it helps to combat costly turnover. Taking advantage of young workers’ technological savvy and ability to learn quickly not only is a smart way to train workers, but it helps keep workers motivated. Try offering young workers opportunities to learn new skills, using interactive training programs – many offered through the Association’s partnership with the National Restaurant Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Association – and using creative reward systems such as small bonuses and sales contests. Young workers are eager to build their resumes with skills and experience, and in providing meaningful learning opportunities, business owners can encourage employees to work hard for their businesses while avoiding the trap of constant turnover.
As Eric Chester says in the title of one of his books on Generation Why, “Getting Them to Give A Damn,” the objective in hiring and retaining young workers is to encourage them to be caring and committed employees. This is not just a quippy title – it is a critical issue that can affect the livelihood of your business. As much as some employers would like to ignore or resist the trend, the fact is, the 16- to 24-year old workforce makes up 26-percent of our total population. And, with such a tight labor force as it is, the hospitality industry already has to compete with other industries in finding quality employees from among a very small pool.
To succeed – much less survive – in this new economy, business owners and managers need to find ways to retain young employees. To do this, it is critical to understand what makes Generation Why tick, and bring out the best in this emerging workforce.
For more information on Eric Chester and his books on Generation Why, visit http://www.generationwhy.com/, or call RIHTA at (401) 223-1120.
President & CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association
This past April, the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association was pleased to host an informative seminar with Eric Chester, author and motivational speaker who specializes on the subject of “Generation Why” – a subject he knows well, as he even coined the moniker. Generation Why, as Chester labels the upstart workforce, is made up of the 16- to 24-year olds of Generation Y; born after 1980 that, for better or for worse, hold the future of your business in their hands.
You are frustrated by their lack of work ethic, their problem with accepting authority, and their blunt questions: “Why can’t I take the day off?” “Why do I have to do things this way?” “Why should I care about this job?” To truly understand Generation Why and the reason for all those questions, it is helpful to know the factors that helped mold their attitudes toward work and life.
Born of Baby Boomer parents, the youth of Generation Why have seen their parents put in 20 to 30 years of work at one job, only to be laid off due to mergers or acquisitions. They are not looking to stay at one job for the entire span of their career as they parents might have, and are uninterested in following only one career path. This curiosity is intriguing to young workers, but can be disastrous for those who employ them.
The generation gap between employers and their 16- to 24-year old employees is filled with not just years, but with a whole set of different values, attitudes and beliefs. And with different beliefs come very different expectations. In a world where young adults can’t remember a time without the internet or MTV and can’t imagine life without a cell phone, Generation Why expects instant gratification at play, and at work. They want everything – an easy job with high pay and no “heavy lifting” – and they expect it now. As a result, the emerging workforce is impatient, easy to become disengaged, and hard to retain.
Although the generation gap is wide, it can be bridged by taking advantage of the younger generation’s strong suits while setting a strong leadership example for them to follow. A great piece of advice from our seminar with Eric Chester was his suggestion of fostering relationships with Generation Why employees. For them to care about your business, you need to care about them. By putting in the time to build connections with employees and by guiding careers as well as rewarding hard work, an inspiring leader can create an inspired workforce.
Keeping impatient Generation Why workers stimulated is also very important, but it can be a challenging task for busy hospitality employers. However, the time it takes to engage young workers is time well spent, as it helps to combat costly turnover. Taking advantage of young workers’ technological savvy and ability to learn quickly not only is a smart way to train workers, but it helps keep workers motivated. Try offering young workers opportunities to learn new skills, using interactive training programs – many offered through the Association’s partnership with the National Restaurant Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Association – and using creative reward systems such as small bonuses and sales contests. Young workers are eager to build their resumes with skills and experience, and in providing meaningful learning opportunities, business owners can encourage employees to work hard for their businesses while avoiding the trap of constant turnover.
As Eric Chester says in the title of one of his books on Generation Why, “Getting Them to Give A Damn,” the objective in hiring and retaining young workers is to encourage them to be caring and committed employees. This is not just a quippy title – it is a critical issue that can affect the livelihood of your business. As much as some employers would like to ignore or resist the trend, the fact is, the 16- to 24-year old workforce makes up 26-percent of our total population. And, with such a tight labor force as it is, the hospitality industry already has to compete with other industries in finding quality employees from among a very small pool.
To succeed – much less survive – in this new economy, business owners and managers need to find ways to retain young employees. To do this, it is critical to understand what makes Generation Why tick, and bring out the best in this emerging workforce.
For more information on Eric Chester and his books on Generation Why, visit http://www.generationwhy.com/, or call RIHTA at (401) 223-1120.
