This document discusses generational differences in the workplace, with a focus on Generation Y. It summarizes research on Generation Y employees, who tend to be ambitious, self-absorbed, and wanting to change the world. While often viewed as disloyal job-hoppers, additional research found that Generation Y members are actually driven by ethics and purpose, with over 60% staying in their jobs for 3+ years. The document also discusses employers' views of young peoples' skills and what skills are needed, and the CMI's Campus CMI program to help develop leadership skills in schools.

1. Generation Y
Managing the unmanageable?
Ray Rowlings

2. Generation Y ?
 Baby Boomers- Post
war- approaching
retirement- ‘never
had it so good’
 Generation X- 1960s
and 70s children -
end of the Cold War-
Independent, resilient
and adaptable
 Generation Y- Born
1978 to 1994
 Ambitious
 Self absorbed
 Gregarious
 Demanding
 Confident
 ‘Change the world’

3. Generation Y at work?
 Concerned with their own careers - not
organisation
 Loyal to individuals - not organisation
 Individualists
 Want to move jobs frequently
 Search for new challenges
 Might not wait for opportunities for promotion

4. CMI Research- Generation Y: Unlocking
the talent of young managers (Dr Alison
Macleod June 2008)
• How younger managers
work and what makes them
tick?
• Relationship with new
technology
• Based on responses from
862 members under 35
• Survey of management
students
• Qualitative workshops with
younger managers
• Workshops to discuss
findings

5. Summary of Findings from Report
 Selfless – not selfish. Young managers are driven by
ethics and sense of purpose. 90% ‘want to work for an
organisation that does something I believe in’
 Committed to the cause - 63% have been in their
current job for 3 years- only 4% strongly agreed that
‘There is no point being excessively loyal to an
organisation’
 Long term career planning - 75% of respondents
when asked why the joined their current employer
focused on the long – term career opportunities available

6. Summary of recommendations
from research
 Recruiting Generation Y- they value development
opportunities- especially management qualifications and
free membership of professional organisations
 Unlocking the talent of Generation Y- they value
regular feedback and support from line managers and
also tailored development paths
 Retaining Generation Y - they value the ability to
progress, job rotation and training are ways of offering
development , flatter structures can be issue

7. Summary of recommendations
from research cont.
 Unlocking the talent of Generation Y- they value Web
2.0 Technology- organisations need to explore how this
could provide new communication channels- for
collaboration and improving working relationships
 Understanding the differences with Generation Y-
they have differences that organisations need to value in
terms of diversity of talents and skills for example their
use of collaborative software technologies

8. The Communication Process
Source: adapted from Shannon & Weaver
Sender Message Channel Receiver
Feedback
Noise
Can affect
any part of
the Process
Process is more effective
when feedback is present

9. CMI Research Tomorrow’s Leaders –
March 2011 Patrick Woodman and Paul
Hutchings
• Based on 585 responses
from CMI Members
• 2011- a million 16- 24
years olds unemployed
• Asked managers how
they feel education could
better prepare young
people to enter the world of
work

10. How do managers rate young peoples
skills?

11. What skills should young people have when
they start work?

12. Drivers of employer involvement in
education?

13. Barriers to better engagement with the
education sector

14. Developing tomorrow’s leaders: CMI’s
role - Campus CMI
• Campus CMI Launched March
2011
• Pilot programmes working with
people aged 14-21 delivering
qualifications in team leading and
line management in schools and
FE colleges
• Has delivered 1500
qualifications in 115 schools

15. Developing tomorrow’s leaders: CMI’s
role - Campus CMI cont
• Led by a board of employers
including Centrica, Waitrose and
National Grid
• Aim is increase uptake to 3000
people in 300 schools be end of
2011
• Aim to widen the programme to
deliver 10,000 qualifications within
5 years

16. Developing tomorrow’s leaders: CMI’s
role - Campus CMI cont
• Opportunities for involvement and
participation at
• Member level
• Organisation level
• Branch level
• Regional level
• Further details at
www.managers.org.uk/CampusCMI